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Background:

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:

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 3,997 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

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:

Population:

22,370,461 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years:  21.22% (male 2,470,270; female 2,276,108)

15-64 years:  69.97% (male 7,944,451; female 7,707,250)

65 years and over:  8.81% (male 1,034,230; female 938,152) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.8% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:

14.31 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:

6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth:  1.09 male(s)/female

under 15 years:  1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years:  1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over:  1.1 male(s)/female

total population:  1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

6.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population:  76.54 years

male:  73.81 years

female:  79.51 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.76 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun:  Chinese (singular and plural)

adjective:  Chinese

Ethnic groups:

Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%

Religions:

Languages:

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

Literacy:

Country name:

conventional long form:  none

conventional short form:  Taiwan

local long form:  none

local short form:  T'ai-wan

former:  Formosa

Government type:

multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly elected president

Capital:

Taipei

Administrative divisions:

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:

Legislative branch:

Political parties and leaders:

Chinese New Party or CNP [HAU Lang-bin]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Frank HSIEH, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; New Party or NP [LI Ching-hwa]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG, chairman]; other minor parties

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 reunify 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:

Diplomatic representation in the 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) 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 a private corporation, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia (telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474 and FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385) and offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone [886] (2) 2709-2000, FAX [886] (2) 2702-7675, and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX [886] (7) 223-8237, and the American Trade Center at Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX [886] (2) 2757-7162

Flag description:

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. Real growth in GDP has averaged about 8% during the past three decades. Exports have grown even faster and have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. Inflation and unemployment are low; the trade surplus is substantial; and foreign reserves are the world's fourth largest. Agriculture contributes 3% to GDP, down from 35% in 1952. Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being moved offshore and 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. 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 1998-99. Growth in 2001 will depend largely on conditions in Taiwan's export markets and may be about 5%.

GDP:

purchasing power parity - $386 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture:  3%

industry:  33%

services:  64% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:

1% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%:  NA%

highest 10%:  NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.3% (2000 est.)

Labor force:

9.8 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

services 55%, industry 37%, agriculture 8% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:

3% (2000 est.)

Budget:

revenues:  $42.74 billion

expenditures:  $48.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Industries:

electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:

8% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:

139.676 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:

Electricity - consumption:

129.899 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:

rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish

Exports:

$148.38 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and electrical equipment 51%, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals

Exports - partners:

US 23.5%, Hong Kong 21.1%, Europe 16%, ASEAN 12.2%, Japan 11.2% (2000)

Imports:

$140.01 billion (c.i.f., 2000)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and electrical equipment 51%, minerals, precision instruments

Imports - partners:

Japan 27.5%, US 17.9%, Europe 13.6% (2000)

Debt - external:

$40 billion (2000)

Currency:

new Taiwan dollar (TWD)

Currency code:

TWD

Exchange rates:

new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 33.082 (yearend 2000), 31.395 (yearend 1999), 32.216 (1998), 32.052 (1997), 27.5 (1996)

Fiscal year:

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:

Railways:

total:  4,600 km (519 km electrified)

narrow gauge:  4,600 km 1.067-m

note:  only 1,108 km of route length (including the electrified part) is used in common carrier service by the Taiwan Railway Administration; the remaining 3,492 km is dedicated to industrial use (1999)

Highways:

total:  34,901 km

paved:  31,271 km (including 538 km of expressways)

unpaved:  3,630 km (1998 est.)

Waterways:

NA

Pipelines:

petroleum products 3,400 km; natural gas 1,800 km (1999)

Ports and harbors:

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

Merchant marine:

Airports:

39 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:

total:  35

over 3,047 m:  8

2,438 to 3,047 m:  9

1,524 to 2,437 m:  8

914 to 1,523 m:  7

under 914 m:  3 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total:  4

1,524 to 2,437 m:  1

under 914 m:  3 (2000 est.)

Heliports:

Military branches:

Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces

Military manpower - military age:

19 years of age

Military manpower - availability:

males age 15-49:  6,575,689 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:

males age 15-49:  5,025,856 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:

males:  198,766 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

2.8% (FY98/99)

Transnational Issues

Top of Page

Disputes - international:

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; claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as does China

Illicit drugs: