Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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Background:
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In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to
Japan. Taiwan 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 1946 constitution drawn up for all of
China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities
gradually democratized and incorporated the local 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. |
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Location:
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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 |
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Geographic coordinates:
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23 30 N, 121 00 E
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Map references:
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Southeast Asia |
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Area:
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total: 35,980 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km
water: 3,720 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
islands |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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1,566.3 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon
(June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all
year |
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Terrain:
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eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently
rolling plains in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m |
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Natural resources:
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small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and
asbestos |
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Land use:
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arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 75% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes and typhoons |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions,
raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade
in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and
the Luzon Strait |
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Population:
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22,858,872 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 17.8% (male 2,117,051/female 1,954,709)
15-64 years: 72% (male 8,306,351/female 8,141,268)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 1,150,001/female
1,189,492) (2007 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 35.5 years
male: 35 years
female: 36 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.304% (2007 est.)
|
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Birth rate:
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8.97 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.083 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.967 male(s)/female
total population: 1.026 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.54 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.56 years
male: 74.65 years
female: 80.74 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.12 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)
note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are
from Taiwan
adjective: Taiwan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%,
indigenous 2% |
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Religions:
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mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other
2.5% |
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Languages:
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Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2003) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local long form: none
local short form: T'ai-wan
former: Formosa
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Government type:
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multiparty democracy
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Capital:
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name: Taipei
geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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includes main island of Taiwan plus smaller islands nearby
and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided
into 18 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5
municipalities (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special
municipalities (chuan-shih, singular and plural)
note: Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems;
while the Wade-Giles system still dominates, city of Taipei
has adopted standard Pinyin romanization for street and
place names within its boundaries; other local authorities
use different romanization systems; names for administrative
divisions that follow are in Wade-Giles system with Pinyin
equivalents in parentheses
counties: Chang-hua (Changhua), Chia-i (Chiayi)
[county], Hsin-chu (Hsinchu), Hua-lien (Hualien), I-lan
(Yilan), Kao-hsiung (Kaohsiung) [county], Kin-men (Kinmen),
Lien-chiang (Lienchiang, also Matsu), Miao-li (Miaoli),
Nan-t'ou (Nantou), P'eng-hu (Penghu), P'ing-tung (Pingtung),
T'ai-chung (Taichung), T'ai-nan (Tainan), T'ai-pei (Taipei)
[county], T'ai-tung (Taitung), T'ao-yuan (Taoyuan), and
Yun-lin (Yunlin)
municipalities: Chia-i (Chiayi) [city], Chi-lung
(Keelung), Hsin-chu (Hsinchu), T'ai-chung (Taichung),
T'ai-nan (Tainan)
special municipalities: Kao-hsiung (Kaohsiung)
[city], T'ai-pei (Taipei) [city] |
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National holiday:
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Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10
October (1911) |
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Constitution:
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25 December 1947; amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000,
2005
note: constitution adopted on 25 December 1946; went
into effect on 25 December 1947 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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20 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20
May 2000); Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since
20 May 2000)
head of government: Premier (President of the
Executive Yuan) CHANG Chun-hsiung (since 21 May 2007); Vice
Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) CHIOU I-jen
(since 21 May 2007)
cabinet: Executive Yuan - (ministers appointed by
president on recommendation of premier)
elections: president and vice president elected on
the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms
(eligible for a second term); election last held 20 March
2004 (next to be held in March 2008); premier appointed by
the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on
the recommendation of the premier
election results: CHEN Shui-bian re-elected
president; percent of vote - CHEN Shui-bian 50.1%, LIEN Chan
49.9%
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats; 168 members elected
by popular vote, 41 elected on basis of proportion of
islandwide votes received by participating political
parties, 8 elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on
basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by
participating political parties, 8 elected by popular vote
among aboriginal populations; to serve three-year terms)
note: as a result of constitutional amendments
approved by the now defunct National Assembly in June 2005,
number of seats in legislature will be reduced from 225 to
113 beginning with election in 2007; amendments also
eliminated National Assembly thus giving Taiwan a unicameral
legislature
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December
2004 (next to be held in December 2007)
election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote
by party - DPP 38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties
and independents 4%; seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP
34, TSU 12, other parties 7, independents 4 |
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Judicial branch:
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Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with
consent of the Legislative Yuan)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [CHEN Shui-bian];
Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [WU Po-hsiung]; People
First Party or PFP [James SOONG]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or
TSU [HUANG Kun-hui]; other minor parties including the
Chinese New Party or NP |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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 the island
currently enjoys sovereign independence and - whatever the
ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence -
that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; public
opinion polls consistently show a substantial majority of
Taiwan people supports maintaining Taiwan's status quo for
the foreseeable future; 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
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International organization participation:
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APEC, AsDB, ICC, ICRM, IOC, ITUC, WCL, WHO (observer), WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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), which has its headquarters in
Taipei and in the US in Washington, DC; there are also
branch offices called Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
(TECO) in 12 other US cities |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 at 1700 N.
Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone:
[1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices
at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan,
telephone: [886] (2) 2162-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2162-2251; #2
Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
telephone: [886] (7) 238-7744, FAX: [886] (7) 238-5237; 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 |
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Flag description:
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red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays |
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Economy - overview:
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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 island runs a trade surplus, and
foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Despite
restrictions on cross-strait links, China has overtaken the
US to become Taiwan's largest export market and, in 2006,
its second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is
also the island's number one destination for foreign direct
investment. Strong trade performance in 2006 pushed Taiwan's
GDP growth rate above 4%, and unemployment is below 4%.
Consumer spending recovered following a slowdown early in
2006, when banks tightened lending to address a sharp
increase in delinquent consumer debt. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$681.8 billion (2006 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$346.7 billion (2006 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.7% (2006 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$29,600 (2006 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 26.8%
services: 71.7% (2006 est.)
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Labor force:
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10.52 million (2006 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 36%
services: 58.5% (2005 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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3.9% (2006 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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0.9% (2006 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 6.7%
highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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0.6% (2006 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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21% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $73.1 billion
expenditures: $72.44 billion (2006 est.) |
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Public debt:
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34.6% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef,
milk; fish |
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Industries:
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electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals,
textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food
processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
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Industrial production growth rate:
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6.5% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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210.3 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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201.6 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Oil - production:
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7,755 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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965,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA bbl/day |
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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3 million bbl (2006 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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767.3 million cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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9.984 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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9.217 billion cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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76.46 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$24.66 billion (2006 est.) |
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Exports:
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$223.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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computer products and electrical equipment, metals,
textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)
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Exports - partners:
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China 22.5%, Hong Kong 15.7%, US 15%, Japan 7.3% (2006 est.)
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Imports:
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$200.4 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals,
precision instruments (2002) |
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Imports - partners:
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Japan 23%, China 11.9%, US 10.9%, South Korea 7.2%, Saudi
Arabia 4.9% (2006 est.) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$270.8 billion (2006 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$91.92 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$44.88 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$85.7 billion (2006 est.) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$NA |
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Currency (code):
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new Taiwan dollar (TWD) |
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Exchange rates:
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new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 32.534 (2006), 31.71
(2005), 34.418 (2004), 34.575 (2003), 33.8 (2002) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July - 30 June
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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14.497 million (2006) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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23.249 million (2006) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: provides telecommunications
service for every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; 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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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29 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.tw |
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Internet hosts:
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5.111 million (2007) |
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Internet users:
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13.21 million (2005)
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Airports:
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41 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 38
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 3 (2007)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
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Heliports:
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4 (2007) |
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Pipelines:
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condensate 25 km; gas 661 km (2006) |
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Railways:
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total: 2,502 km
narrow gauge: 1,102 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km
electrified)
note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan
Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau) used to
carry products and limited numbers of passengers (2006)
|
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Roadways:
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total: 37,299 km
paved: 35,621 km (includes 789 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,678 km (2002) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 102 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,537,256 GRT/4,203,423
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 20, chemical tanker
2, container 21, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 15,
refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 4 (Canada 3, France 1)
registered in other countries: 489 (Bahamas 1,
Bolivia 1, Cambodia 1, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia
2, Italy 11, Liberia 82, Panama 306, Singapore 60, Thailand
1, UK 11, unknown 3) (2007) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung
|
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard
Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined
Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command |
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Military service age and obligation:
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19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service;
service obligation 16 months (to be shortened to 14 months
as of July 2007 and to 12 months in 2008); women may enlist;
women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat
roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (2007) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 19-49: 5,883,828
females age 19-49: 5,680,773 (2005 est.)
|
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 19-49: 4,749,537
females age 19-49: 4,644,607 (2005 est.)
|
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males age 18-49: 174,173
females age 19-49: 163,683 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.2% (2006; to increase to 2.85% in 2007) |
This page was last updated on 15
November, 2007
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