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Introduction | Taiwan

Background: | In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. It reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

Geography | Taiwan

Location: | Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China
Geographic coordinates: | 23 30 N, 121 00 E
Map references: | Southeast Asia
Area: | total: 35,980 sq km note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy water: 3,720 sq km land: 32,260 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 1,566.3 km
Maritime claims: | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: | tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Terrain: | eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m
Natural resources: | small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Land use: | arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% other: 75%
Irrigated land: | NA sq km
Natural hazards: | earthquakes and typhoons
Environment - current issues: | air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal
Environment - international agreements: | party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status
Geography - note: | strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait

People | Taiwan

Population: | 22,603,001 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 2,366,560; female 2,175,886) 15-64 years: 70.6% (male 8,095,741; female 7,871,954) 65 years and over: 9.3% (male 1,074,112; female 1,018,747) (2003 est.)
Median age: | total: 33.2 years male: 32.9 years female: 33.6 years (2002)
Population growth rate: | 0.65% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: | 12.74 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: | 6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 6.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 7.34 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 76.87 years male: 74.12 years female: 79.88 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.57 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
Nationality: | noun: Chinese/Taiwanese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese/Taiwanese
Ethnic groups: | Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
Religions: | mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Languages: | Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86% male: 93% female: 79% (1980) note: literacy for the total population has reportedly increased to 94% (1998)

Government | Taiwan

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Taiwan local short form: T'ai-wan local long form: none former: Formosa
Government type: | multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly-elected president and unicameral legislature
Capital: | Taipei
Administrative divisions: | the central administrative divisions include the provinces of Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu) and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); Taiwan is further subdivided into 16 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua, Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**, T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is at Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un note: Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization
National holiday: | Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)
Constitution: | 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999
Legal system: | based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: | 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000) and Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000) election results: CHEN Shui-bian elected president; percent of vote - CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 39.3%, James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu) (PFP) 36.84%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 23.1%, HSU Hsin-liang (independent) 0.63%, LEE Ao (CNP) 0.13% elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 18 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) YU Shyi-kun (since 1 February 2002) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) LIN Hsin-yi (since 1 February 2002) cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president
Legislative branch: | unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote among the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and unicameral National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by parties and elected by proportional representation within three months of a Legislative Yuan call to amend the Constitution, impeach the president, or change national borders) elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 8 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2004); note - the National Assembly is a nonstanding body and is called into session election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP 39%, KMT 30%, PFP 20%, TSU 6%, independents and other parties 5%; seats by party - DPP 87, KMT 68, PFP 46, TSU 13, independents and other parties 11
Judicial branch: | Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly; note - beginning in 2003, justices will be appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)
Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [CHEN Shui-bian, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu), chairman]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [HUANG Chu-wen, chairman]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or CNP
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Taiwan independence movement, various business and environmental groups note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on the island's national identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for Taiwan Nation Building
International organization participation: | APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities
Diplomatic representation from the US: | none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan; US office located at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices located at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2709-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2702-7675; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kao-hsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX: [886] (7) 223-8237; and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2) 2757-7162
Flag description: | red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays

Economy | Taiwan

Economy - overview: | Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Agriculture contributes 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. While Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia, China has become the largest destination for investment and has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market. Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the Asian financial crisis in 1998. The global economic downturn, combined with problems in policy coordination by the administration and bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemployment also reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 in the face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence, and bad bank loans. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant long-term factor. Exports to China - mainly parts and equipment for the assembly of goods for export to developed countries - drove Taiwan's economic recovery in 2002.
GDP: | purchasing power parity - $406 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 3.5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 2% industry: 31% services: 67% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: | 1% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 6.4% highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 32.6 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | -0.2% (2002 est.)
Labor force: | 10 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation: | services 58%, industry 35%, agriculture 7% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 5.2% (2002 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $36 billion expenditures: $36.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)
Industries: | electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing
Industrial production growth rate: | 6% (2002)
Electricity - production: | 151.1 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 6% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 22.6%
Electricity - consumption: | 140.5 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: | 1,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA (2001)
Oil - imports: | NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: | 2 million bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production: | 750 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 6.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 410 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 6.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 38.23 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: | rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish
Exports: | $130 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities: | machinery and electrical equipment 54%, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals (2002)
Exports - partners: | Hong Kong 23.9%, US 20.8%, Japan 9.3%, China 7.7% (2002)
Imports: | $113 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002)
Imports - partners: | Japan 24.3%, US 16.1%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.9% (2002)
Debt - external: | $24.7 billion (2002)
Currency: | new Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Currency code: | TWD
Exchange rates: | 34.88 (2002), 34.74 (2001), 33.09 (2000), 31.6 (1999)
Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Communications | Taiwan

Telephones - main lines in use: | 12.49 million (September 2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 16 million (September 2000)
Telephone system: | general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every business and private need domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)
Radios: | 16 million (1994)
Television broadcast stations: | 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: | 8.8 million (1998)
Internet country code: | .tw
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 8 (2000)
Internet users: | 11.6 million (2001)

Transportation | Taiwan

Railways: | total: 1,108 km narrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified) note: there also are 1,255 km of 1.067-m gauge routes belonging to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul products and limited numbers of passengers (2002)
Highways: | total: 35,931 km paved: 31,583 km (including 608 km of expressways) unpaved: 4,348 km (2000)
Waterways: | NA
Pipelines: | condensate 25 km; gas 435 km (2003)
Ports and harbors: | Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung
Merchant marine: | total: 142 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,973,958 GRT/6,306,361 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Hong Kong 3, Japan 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 41, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 3, container 45, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 2
Airports: | 39 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 37 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Heliports: | 3 (2002)

Military | Taiwan

Military branches: | Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command
Military manpower - military age: | 19 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 6,583,604 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 5,019,268 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 189,967 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $7.574 billion (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.7% (FY02)

Transnational Issues | Taiwan

Disputes - international: | involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as does China
Illicit drugs: | regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003