Statistical information Taiwan 1992
Taiwan in the World
Taiwan - Introduction 1992
top of pageBackground: In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan, however 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 that over five decades has gradually democratized and incorporated native Taiwanese within its structure. Throughout this period, the island has prospered as one of East Asia's economic tigers. The dominant political issue continues to be the relationship between Taiwan and Mainland China and the question of eventual reunification.
Taiwan - Geography 1992
top of pageLocation
Geographic coordinates
Map reference
Area
Total: 35,980 km²
Land: 32,260 km²; includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
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
Elevation
Natural resources: small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Land use
Land use: arable land: 24%; permanent crops: 1%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 55%; other 15%; irrigated 14%
Irrigated land
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources
Natural hazards
Geography
Taiwan - People 1992
top of pagePopulation: 20,878,556 (July 1992), growth rate 1.0% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Chinese (singular and plural; adjective - Chinese
Ethnic groups: Taiwanese 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official; Taiwanese (Miu) and Hakka dialects also used
Religions: mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Demographic profile
Age structure
Age structure
Dependency ratios
Median age
Population growth rate
Birth rate: 16 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distribution
Urbanization
Major urban areas
Environment
Current issues: subject to earthquakes and typhoons
Air pollutants
Sex ratio
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
Drinking water source
Current health expenditure
Physicians density
Hospital bed density
Sanitation facility access
Hiv/Aids
Major infectious diseases
Obesity adult prevalence rate
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
Education expenditures
Literacy: 91.2% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Youth unemployment
Taiwan - Government 1992
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: none
Government type: multiparty democratic regime; opposition political parties legalized in March, 1989
Capital: Taipei
Administrative divisions:
the authorities 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
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
Dependent areas
Independence
National holiday:
National Day (Anniversary of the Revolution), 10
October (1911)
October (1911)
Constitution: 25 December 1947, presently undergoing revision
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
International law organization participation
Citizenship
Suffrage: universal at age 20
President: last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - President LI Teng-hui was reelected by the National Assembly
Vice President: last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - LI Yuan-zu was elected by the National Assembly
Legislative Yuan: last held 2 December 1989 (next to be held NA December 1992); results - KMT 65%, DPP 33%, independents 2%; seats - (304 total, 102 elected) KMT 78, DPP 21, independents 3
National Assembly: first National Assembly elected in November 1947 with a supplementary election in December 1986; second National Assembly elected in December 1991
Executive branch:
president, vice president, premier of the Executive
Yuan, vice premier of the Executive Yuan, Executive Yuan
Yuan, vice premier of the Executive Yuan, Executive Yuan
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Yuan, unicameral National
Assembly
Assembly
Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan
Political parties and leaders
International organization participation:
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, ICC, ICFTU, IOC
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, ICC, ICFTU, IOC
Diplomatic representation: 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 with all addresses and telephone numbers NA
US:
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, Hsiu 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 3,207 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10,548, telephone 886 (2) 720-1550
Taiwan are maintained through a private institution, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has offices in Taipei at #7, Lane 134, Hsiu 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 3,207 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10,548, telephone 886 (2) 720-1550
Diplomatic representation
Flag description: red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
National symbols
National anthem
National heritage
Taiwan - Economy 1992
top of pageEconomy 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.
Agriculture contributes about 4% to GNP, 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, and Malaysia. The tightening of labor markets has led to an influx of foreign workers, both legal and illegal.
Agriculture contributes about 4% to GNP, 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, and Malaysia. The tightening of labor markets has led to an influx of foreign workers, both legal and illegal.
GNP: purchasing power equivalent - $150.8 billion, per capita $7,380; real growth rate 5.2% (1990)
Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real gdp growth rate
Real gdp per capita
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture products: 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, cattle; not self-sufficient in wheat, soybeans, corn; fish catch increasing, 1.4 million metric tons (1988)
Industries: electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 6.5% (1991 est.)
Labor force: 7,900,000; industry and commerce 53%, services 22%, agriculture 15.6%, civil administration 7% (1989)
Organized labor: 2,728,000 or about 44% (1991)
Labor force
Unemployment rate: 1.7% (1990; 1.5% (1991 est.)
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget: revenues $30.3 billion; expenditures $30.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
Public debt
Revenue
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate consumer prices
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance
Exports: $67.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodoties: electrical machinery 18.2%, textiles 15.6%, general machinery and equipment 14.8%, basic metals and metal products 7.8%, foodstuffs 1.7%, plywood and wood products 1.6% (1989)
Partners: US 36.2%, Japan 13.7% (1989)
Imports: $54.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment 15.3%, basic metals 13.0%, chemical and chemical products 11.1%, crude oil 5%, foodstuffs 2.2% (1989)
Partners: Japan 31%, US 23%, FRG 5% (1989)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Debt external
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates: New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 25.000 (February 1992), 25.748 (1991), 27.108 (1990), 26.407 (1989) 28.589 (1988), 31.845 (1987)
Taiwan - Energy 1992
top of pageElectricity
Production: 17,000,000 kW capacity; 76,900 million kWh produced, 3,722 kWh per capita (1991)
Coal
Petroleum
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Natural gas
Carbon dioxide emissions
Energy consumption per capita
Taiwan - Communication 1992
top of pageTelephones
Telephone system
Broadcast media
Internet
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Taiwan - Military 1992
top of pageMilitary expenditures
Military and security forces
Military service age and obligation
Space program
Terrorist groups
Taiwan - Transportation 1992
top of pageNational air transport system
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Airports:
40 total, 39 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 16
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Heliports
Pipelines: petroleum products 615 km, natural gas 97 km
Railways
Roadways
Waterways
Merchant marine:
213 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,491,539
GRT/9,082,118 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 42 cargo, 15 refrigerated cargo, 73 container, 17 petroleum tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 58 bulk, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 2 combination bulk
GRT/9,082,118 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 42 cargo, 15 refrigerated cargo, 73 container, 17 petroleum tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 58 bulk, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 2 combination bulk
Ports and terminals
Taiwan - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes international
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs
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