Taiwanese indigenous peoples

Taiwanese indigenous peoples or formerly Taiwanese aborigines, Formosan people, Austronesian Taiwanese[2][3] or Gāoshān people,[4] are the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, who number almost 569,008 or 2.38% of the island’s population—or more than 800,000 people, considering the potential recognition of Taiwanese plain indigenous peoples officially in the future.

Recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on Taiwan for approximately 5,500 years in relative isolation before major Han (Chinese) immigration from mainland China began in the 17th century.[5] Taiwanese indigenous peoples are Austronesian peoples, with linguistic and genetic ties to other Austronesian peoples.[6] Related ethnic groups include Polynesians, most people of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, among others. The demographic proportion in Singapore is similar to Taiwan, with the Han Chinese making up a majority of the population at 76% and the Austronesian (Malays) a minority, albeit at a higher percentage of 15% with other races making up the difference.[7] The consensus among the scientific community point to Polynesians also having originated from the indigenous Taiwanese through linguistic and genetic ties.[8][9]