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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 40 usable: 38 with permanent-surface runways: 36 with runways over 3,659 m: 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 7

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 20,041 km paved: bituminous, concrete pavement 17,095 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel 2,371 km; graded earth 575 km

Merchant marine [time series]

212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,910,453 GRT/9,098,315 DWT, bulk 54, cargo 38, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 2, container 85, oil tanker 17, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 11, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 615 km; natural gas 97 km

Ports [time series]

Kao-hsiung, Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Su-ao, T'ai-tung

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

about 4,600 km total track with 1,075 km common carrier lines and 3,525 km industrial lines; common carrier lines consist of the 1.067-meter gauge 708 km West Line and the 367 km East Line; a 98.25 km South Link Line connection was completed in late 1991; common carrier lines owned by the government and operated by the Railway Administration under Ministry of Communications; industrial lines owned and operated by government enterprises

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

best developed system in Asia outside of Japan; 7,800,000 telephones; extensive microwave radio relay links on east and west coasts; broadcast stations - 91 AM, 23 FM, 15 TV (13 repeaters); 8,620,000 radios; 6,386,000 TVs (5,680,000 color, 706,000 monochrome); satellite earth stations - 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; submarine cable links to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Military Police Command

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $12.1 billion, 5% of GNP (FY93/94 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 6,205,707; fit for military service 4,806,456; reach military age (19) annually 192,083 (1994 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 4% of GNP and 16% of labor force (includes part-time farmers); heavily subsidized sector; major crops - vegetables, rice, fruit, tea; livestock - hogs, poultry, beef, milk; not self-sufficient in wheat, soybeans, corn; fish catch increasing, reached 1.4 million metric tons in 1988

Budget [time series]

revenues: $30.3 billion expenditures: $30.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US, including Ex-Im (FY46-82), $4.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $500 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 18,382,000 kW production: 98.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,718 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 26.6 (1993), 25.4 (1992), 25.748 (1991), 27.108 (1990), 26.407 (1989)

Exports [time series]

$85 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: electrical machinery 19.7%, electronic products 19.6%, textiles 10.9%, footwear 3.3%, foodstuffs 1.0%, plywood and wood products 0.9% (1993 est.) partners: US 27.6%, Hong Kong 21.7%, EC countries 15.2%, Japan 10.5% (1993 est.)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$620 million (1992 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Illicit drugs [time series]

an important heroin transit point; also a major drug money laundering center

Imports [time series]

$77.1 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment 15.7%, electronic products 15.6%, chemicals 9.8%, iron and steel 8.5%, crude oil 3.9%, foodstuffs 2.1% (1993 est.) partners: Japan 30.1%, US 21.7%, EC countries 17.6% (1993 est.)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 3.6% (1993 est.); accounts for more than 40% of GDP

Industries [time series]

electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.2% (1993 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $224 billion (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$10,600 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

6% (1993 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with considerable government guidance of investment and foreign trade and partial government ownership of some large banks and industrial firms. Real growth in GNP has averaged about 9% a year during the past three decades. Export growth has been even faster and has provided the impetus for industrialization. Agriculture contributes about 4% to GDP, down from 35% in 1952. Taiwan currently ranks as number 13 among major trading countries. Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being replaced with more capital- and technology-intensive industries. Taiwan has become a major investor in China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The tightening of labor markets has led to an influx of foreign workers, both legal and illegal.

Unemployment rate [time series]

1.5% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 35,980 sq km land area: 32,260 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland and Delaware combined note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy

Climate [time series]

tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year

Coastline [time series]

1,448 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: water pollution from industrial emissions, untreated sewage; air pollution; contamination of drinking water supplies natural hazards: subject to earthquakes and typhoons international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Marine Life Conservation

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 55% other: 15%

Location [time series]

Eastern Asia, off the southeastern coast of China, between Japan and the Philippines

Map references [time series]

Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Terrain [time series]

eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

some of the ruling party in Taipei claim to be the government of all China; in keeping with that claim, the central administrative divisions include 2 provinces (sheng, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural) - Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu), Kao-hsiung*, T'ai-pei*, and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); the more commonly referenced administrative divisions are those of Taiwan Province - 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

Capital [time series]

Taipei

Constitution [time series]

1 January 1947, amended in 1992, presently undergoing revision

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through a private instrumentality, the Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA) with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 10 other US cities

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President LI Teng-hui (since 13 January 1988); Vice President LI Yuan-zu (since 20 May 1990) head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN Chan (since 23 February 1993); Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh (since 23 February 1993) presidential election last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - President LI Teng-hui was reelected by the National Assembly; vice presidential election last held 21 March 1990 (next election will probably be a direct popular election and will be held NA March 1996); results - LI Yuan-zu was elected by the National Assembly cabinet: Executive Yuan; appointed by the president

Flag [time series]

red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays

Judicial branch [time series]

Judicial Yuan

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch (Legislative Yuan) [time series]

elections last held 19 December 1992 (next to be held near the end of 1995); results - KMT 60%, DPP 31%, independents 9%; seats - (304 total, 161 elected) KMT 96, DPP 50, independents 15

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Legislative Yuan and unicameral National Assembly

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

expelled from UN General Assembly and Security Council on 25 October 1971 and withdrew on same date from other charter-designated subsidiary organs; expelled from IMF/World Bank group April/May 1980; seeking to join GATT; attempting to retain membership in INTELSAT; suspended from IAEA in 1972, but still allows IAEA controls over extensive atomic development, APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, IOC, COCOM (cooperating), WCL

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Taiwan local long form: none local short form: T'ai-wan

Legislative branch (National Assembly) [time series]

elections - first National Assembly elected in November 1946 with a supplementary election in December 1986; second and present National Assembly elected in December 1991; seats - (403 total) KMT 318, DPP 75, other 10; (next election to be held in 1997)

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of the Revolution)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Taiwan independence movement, various 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 the opposition Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on the island's national identity; advocates of Taiwan independence, both within the DPP and the ruling Kuomintang, oppose the ruling party's traditional stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China; the aims 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

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party), LI Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); Chinese New Party (CNP); Labor Party (LP)

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

multiparty democratic regime; opposition political parties legalized in March, 1989

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of Taiwan are maintained through a private institution, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has offices in Taipei at #7, Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone [886] (2) 709-2000, and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3d Road, telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, and the American Trade Center at Room 3207 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone [886] (2) 720-1550

People

Birth rate [time series]

15.6 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.63 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Taiwanese 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

5.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

7.9 million by occupation: industry and commerce 53%, services 22%, agriculture 15.6%, civil administration 7% (1989)

Languages [time series]

Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 75.25 years male: 72.01 years female: 78.66 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 86% male: 93% female: 79%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

21,298,930 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.96% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.81 children born/woman (1994 est.)