The hardworking people of Taiwan, the world’s second most densely populated country, are its most important resource. Half the population is concentrated along the western coastal plain, which represents about a third of the island. Most Taiwanese are of Chinese descent, their ancestors having emigrated from Mainland China. Nearly 1.5 million Chinese fled to Taiwan from the mainland after Communists assumed control in 1949.

A strong desire for higher learning produces a 97 percent literacy rate. Taiwan has long been an economic powerhouse, exporting computers, electronics, textiles, sports equipment and more. However, the recent Asian economic crisis may threaten the island’s economy. Mainland China continues to pressure the democratic government of Taiwan for reunification, considering the island to be a renegade province.

The WorldVenture team in Taiwan is committed to cooperating with a national church association to evangelize and plant new churches among the 97 percent of Taiwanese who do not know Christ. Although recent efforts have focused on Taiwan’s large cities, there is a desire to take the gospel to smaller areas that WorldVenture has yet to enter. Programs for evangelism and outreach at the Morrison Academy, the CB Theological Seminary, the Bamboo Valley Bible Camp and the CB Literature Center are ongoing as well.