The Republic of China (ROC) was established in 1912 after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. It was the first democratic republic in Asia and initially governed all of China. However, after the Chinese Civil War, the ROC retreated to the island of Taiwan in 1949, where it continues to exist as a separate political entity. Today, the ROC governs Taiwan and a few smaller islands. It has its own government, military, and constitution, but its political status is complex due to the ongoing dispute with the People's Republic of China (PRC), which claims sovereignty over Taiwan.