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)