former Portuguese name of
Taiwan, an island in the Pacific Ocean near the mainland of southern
China. The island was settled by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Japan had
control of the island from 1895 until 1945, when Japan was defeated in
World War II and the island was
given to
China as part of the treaty at the end of the
war.
See also World War II in this glossary. —Conquest of Chaos Approved Glossary (8.7.92)