Statistical information Taiwan 2000
Taiwan in the World
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 the native population within its structure. Throughout this period the island has prospered to become one of East Asia's economic 'Tigers.' The dominant political issue continues to be the relationship between Taiwan and China and the question of eventual reunification.
top of pageLocation: 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 reference:
Southeast AsiaAreaComparative: slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1566.3 km
Maritime claimsClimate: 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
ElevationNatural resources: small deposits of coal natural gas limestone marble and asbestos
Land useIrrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
Geographytop of pagePopulation: 22,191,087 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.81% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 1% (1999 est.)
NationalityEthnic groups: Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84% mainland Chinese 14% aborigine 2%
Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official) Taiwanese (Min) Hakka dialects
Religions: mixture of Buddhist Confucian and Taoist 93% Christian 4.5% other 2.5%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 0.81% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 14.42 births/1000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 5.91 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.38 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 7.06 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracySchool life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameGovernment type: multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly elected president
Capital: Taipei
Administrative divisions: since in the past the authorities claimed to be the government of all China the central administrative divisions include the provinces of Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu) 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
Dependent areasIndependenceNational holiday: National Day 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution)
Constitution: 1 January 1947 amended in 1992 1994 and 1997
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branchLegislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties eight elected by popular vote among the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and unicameral National Assembly (334 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan justices appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Chinese New Party or CNP [CHOU Yang-sun]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [LIN Yi-hsiung chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan acting chairman]; Taiwan Independence Party or TAIP [CHENG Pang-chen]; other minor parties
International organization participation: APEC AsDB BCIE ICC IOC WCL WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representationIn 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
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) 525-8,474 and FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385) and offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134 Hsin Yi Road Section 3 telephone [886] (2) 2,709-2000 FAX [886] (2) 2,702-7,675 and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3d Road telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157 FAX [886] (7) 223-8,237 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) 2,720-1550 FAX [886] (2) 2,757-7,162
Flag description: red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 third largest. Agriculture contributes 3% to GDP down from 35% in 1952. Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being moved off-shore 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 2000 should pick up a bit from 1999 backed by expansion in domestic consumption exports and private investment.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 5.5% (1999 est.)
Real gdp per capita pppGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: rice corn vegetables fruit tea; pigs poultry beef milk; fish
Industries: electronics petroleum refining chemicals textiles iron and steel machinery cement food processing
Industrial production growth rate: 7.5% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 9.7 million (1999 est.)
By occupation services: 55%
By occupation industry: 37%
By occupation agriculture: 8% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.9% (1999 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line: 1% (1999 est.)
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetPublic debtTaxes and other revenuesRevenueFiscal year: 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)
Current account balanceInflation rate consumer prices: 0.4% (1999 est.)
Central bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $121.6 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: electronics electric and machinery equipment 52% metals textiles plastics chemicals
Partners: US 26% Hong Kong 21% Europe 18% Japan 10% Singapore 3% (1999)
Imports: $101.7 billion (c.i.f. 1999)
Commodities: electronics electric and machinery equipment 45% minerals precision instruments
Partners: Japan 27% US 18% Europe 16% South Korea 6% Malaysia 4% (1999)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $35 billion (September 1999)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 31.395 (yearend 1999) 32.216 (1998) 32.052 (1997) 27.5 (1996) 27.5 (1995)
top of pageElectricity accessElectricity production: 133.586 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity consumption: 124.235 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity installed generating capacityElectricity transmission distribution lossesElectricity generation sourcesPetroleumRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones fixed linesTelephones mobile cellular: 10.2 million (October 1999)
Telephone systemBroadcast mediaInternet country codeInternet usersBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $8.042 billion (FY98/99)
Percent of gdp: 2.8% (FY98/99)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 38 (1999 est.)
Airports with paved runwaysAirports with unpaved runwaysHeliports: 2 (1999 est.)
Pipelines: petroleum products 3,400 km; natural gas 1800 km (1999)
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marinePorts and terminalsTaiwan - Transnational issues 2000
top of pageDisputes 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
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: considered an important heroin transit point; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamines and heroin