||National Institute for Compilation and Translation, ||National
Sun Yat-sen University BBS (Zheng-zhi-can-kao-zi-liao) ||Chang,
Sheng-yen, 1996: Tai-wan-gai-fa-shi, Taipei, National Open
University ||Cheng, Da-hsueh, 1991: Tai-wan-gai-fa-shi, Taipei,
Zhongwen Taiwan's political geography can be divided into the
following four historical stages: (a) before the 17th century,
Austronesian aborigines lived in their own tribes; (b) in the
17th century, the Dutch, Ming Zheng, and Ching Dynasties came to
rule in succession; (c) between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a
colony of Japan; (d) since 1945 Taiwan has been a province of
the Republic of China, which separated from mainland China in
1949. A. Before the 17th century: Austronesian aborigines Before
the 17th century, Austronesian aborigines lived in their own
completely autonomous settlements. Some indigenous peoples were
not deeply involved with the Han Chinese immigrants and resided
mostly in the mountains, so they were referred to as "mountain
tribes." They are: