The Republic of China (ROC) is an East Asian nation with sovereignty over the islands of Taiwan, Kinmen, and Matsu. The ROC was officially established following the Xinhai Revolution of October 10, 1911. That revolution overthrew China's last ruling dynasty, thus ending 2000 years of imperial rule over the country, and establishing East Asia's oldest surviving democracy.
The ROC was a founding member of the United Nations and fought on the side of the allies in World War II. But the ROC government inherited a country with rampant problems, including rampaging warlords, invasions by the Japanese army, and a civil war against Communist insurgents. In 1945, Japan surrendered at the end of World War II and ceded the island of Taiwan, which was ruled by Japan for 50 years, to the ROC government.
Facing fierce Communist resistance, the ROC declared Taipei the provisional capital of the nation in 1949. After that, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in Mainland China. That meant that two separate entities competed for the title of "China." The ROC was ruled under martial law until 1987. After that, Taiwan developed into a multi-party democracy, and the first democratically held presidential election took place in 1996.