Map of Taiwan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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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

Map reference

Area
Total: 35,980 km²
Land: 32,260 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Maryland and Delaware combined
Comparative 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

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
Extremes highest point: Yu Shan 3,997 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 24%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 55%
Other: 15%

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 23% (male 2,605,495; female 2,436,864) (July 1996 est.) 24% (male 2,665,878; female 2,543,134) (July 1995 est.)
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; air pollution; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species
Current issues Natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
International agreements: signed, but not ratified_Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.2 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.02 years (1996 est.), 75.47 years (1995 est.)
Male: 73.43 years (1996 est.), 72.17 years (1995 est.)
Female: 78.82 years (1996 est.), 78.93 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1980)
Total population: 86%
Male: 93%
Female: 79%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Taiwan
Local long form: none
Local short form: T'ai-wan

Government 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); note_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, 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President LI Teng-hui (succeeded to the presidency following the death of President CHIANG Ching-kuo 13 January 1988, elected by the National Assembly 21 March 1990, reelected by popular vote in the first-ever direct elections for president 23 March 1996); election last held 23 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); results_LI Teng-hui 54%, PENG Ming-min 21%, LIN Yang-kang 15%, and CHEN Li-an 10%; Vice President-elect LIEN Chan (to be inaugurated 20 May 1996)
Head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN Chan (since 23 February 1993) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh (since 23 February 1993) were appointed by the president; note_LIEN Chan will continue to serve as premier until 20 May 1996 when he will be inaugurated as vice president; a new premier is expected to be appointed sometime in May 1996
Cabinet: Executive Yuan; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: Unicameral Legislative Yuan and unicameral National Assembly Legislative Yuan:Elections last held 2 December 1995 (next to be held NA December 1998; results_percent of vote by party NA; seats_(164 total) KMT 85, DPP 54, CNP 21, independents 4; note_since the election, there has been a change in the distribution of seats_KMT 83, DPP 54, CNP 21, independents 6 National Assembly:Elections last held 23 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2000; results_KMT 55%, DPP 30%, CNP 14%, other 1%; seats_(334 total) KMT 183, DPP 99, CNP 46, other 6

Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan, justices nominated and appointed for nine-year terms by the president

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, IOC, WCL, WTrO (applicant)

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


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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 GDP 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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Accounts for 3.6% of GDP and 11% 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

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 4.5% (1994 est.), accounts for 37.3% of GDP

Labor force: 8.874 million
By occupation Services: 49%
By occupation Industry: 39%
By occupation Agriculture: 11% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate:

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 (1991 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: total value. $93 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports: total value:$85.1 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $620 million (1992 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: New Taiwan dollars per US$1_27.4 (1995), 26.2 (1994), 26.6 (1993), 25.4 (1992), 25.748 (1991), 27.108 (1990), 26.407 (1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 21,460,000 kW
Production: 108 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 4,789 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 10,253,773 telephones (1993 est.); 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

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $11.5 billion, 3.6% of GDP (FY96/97), $9.8 billion, 3.4% of GDP (FY94/95; $9.77 billion proposed for FY95/96 budget

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 38
With paved runways over 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 12
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1995 est.)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 7

Heliports

Pipelines: Petroleum products 615 km; natural gas 97 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 198 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,812,534 GRT/8,885,092 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 50, cargo 29, combination bulk 3, combination ore/oil 1, container 83, oil tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 11, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1995 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: An important heroin transit point; also a major drug money laundering center