TAIWAN
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TAIWAN
@Taiwan:Geography
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
Map references: Southeast Asia
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TAIWAN - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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TAIPEI 2,637,000 25.05N,121.32E 886-2 GMT+8
Kaohsiung 1,343,000 22.36N,120.17E 886-7 GMT+8
Taichung 715,000 24.09N,120.40E 886-4 GMT+8
Tainan 657,000 23.01N,120.14E 886-6 GMT+8
Panchiao 506,000 25.01N,121.27E 886-2 GMT+8
Keelung 352,000 25.08N,121.44E 886-32 GMT+8
Hsinchu 310,000 24.48N,120.59E 886-35 GMT+8
Chiai 255,000 23.09N,120.11E 886-6 GMT+8
Chungli 248,000 24.55N,121.08E 886-34 GMT+8
Yunghu 242,000 24.51N,120.03E 886-2 GMT+8
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Area:
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
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: 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
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
Natural resources: small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone,
marble, and asbestos
Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 5%
forest and woodland: 55%
other: 15%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage;
air pollution; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in
endangered species
natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Marine Life
Conservation
@Taiwan:People
Population: 21,500,583 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (female 2,543,134; male 2,665,878)
15-64 years: 68% (female 7,191,964; male 7,482,814)
65 years and over: 8% (female 734,535; male 882,258) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.93% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.33 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.71 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.47 years
male: 72.17 years
female: 78.93 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese
Ethnic divisions: Taiwanese 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population: 86%
male: 93%
female: 79%
Labor force: 7.9 million
by occupation: industry and commerce 53%, services 22%, agriculture
15.6%, civil administration 7% (1989)
@Taiwan:Government
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local long form: none
local short form: T'ai-wan
Digraph: TW
Type: multiparty democratic regime; opposition political parties
legalized in March, 1989
Capital: Taipei
Administrative divisions: 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
National holiday: National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of the
Revolution)
Constitution: 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, presently undergoing
revision
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 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 election will probably be a
direct popular election and will be held NA March 1996); results -
President LI Teng-hui was reelected by the National Assembly; vice
presidential election last held 21 March 1990; results - LI Yuan-zu
was elected by the National Assembly
cabinet: Executive Yuan; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan and unicameral
National Assembly
Legislative Yuan: elections last held 19 December 1992 (next to be
held NA December 1995); results - KMT 60%, DPP 31%, independents 9%;
seats - (304 total, 161 elected) KMT 96, DPP 50, independents 15
National Assembly: 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 probably in 1996 and
will be a direct popular election)
Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan
Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party), LI
Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), SHIH Ming-teh,
chairman; Chinese New Party (CNP); Labor Party (LP)
Other political or pressure groups: 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
Member of: 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, WCL
Diplomatic representation in US: none; unofficial commercial and
cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through a
private instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office (TECRO) with headquarters in Taipei and field
offices in Washington and 10 other US cities
US diplomatic representation: 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
Flag: red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
Economy
Overview: 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. Inflation and unemployment are
remarkably low. 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.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $257 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 6% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $12,070 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.2% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1994)
Budget:
revenues: $30.3 billion
expenditures: $30.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1991 est.)
Exports: $93 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
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%
(1994 est.)
Imports: $85.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
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.)
External debt: $620 million (1992 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.5% (1994 est.); accounts for more
than 40% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 21,460,000 kW
production: 108 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 4,789 kWh (1993)
Industries: electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food
processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum
refining
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP 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
Illicit drugs: an important heroin transit point; also a major drug
money laundering center
Economic aid:
recipient: US, including Ex-Im (FY46-82), $4.6 billion; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $500
million
Currency: 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 26.2 (1994), 26.6
(1993), 25.4 (1992), 25.748 (1991), 27.108 (1990), 26.407 (1989)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Taiwan:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 4,600 km; note - 1,075 km in common carrier service and about
3,525 km is dedicated to industrial use
narrow gauge: 4,600 km 1.067-m
Highways:
total: 20,041 km
paved: bituminous, concrete pavement 17,095 km
unpaved: crushed stone, gravel 2,371 km; graded earth 575 km
Pipelines: petroleum products 615 km; natural gas 97 km
Ports: Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung
Merchant marine:
total: 198 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,635,682 GRT/8,652,111
DWT
ships by type: bulk 55, cargo 30, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk
2, combination ore/oil 1, container 78, oil tanker 17, passenger-cargo
1, refrigerated cargo 12, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports:
total: 41
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 8
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 6
with paved runways under 914 m: 8
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2
@Taiwan:Communications
Telephone system: 7,800,000 telephones; best developed system in Asia
outside of Japan
local: NA
intercity: extensive microwave radio relay links on east and west
coasts
international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth
stations; submarine cable links to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam,
Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western
Europe
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 91, FM 23, shortwave 0
radios: 8.62 million
Television:
broadcast stations: 15 (repeaters 13)
televisions: 6.386 million (color 5,680,000, monochrome 706,000)
@Taiwan:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and
Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Military Police Command
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 6,293,884; males fit for
military service 4,863,014; males reach military age (19) annually
201,191 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $9.8 billion, 3.4% of
GDP (FY94/95); $9.77 billion proposed for FY95/96 budget
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