Map of Taiwan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: In 1895 military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist 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 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Beginning in the 1950s the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the local population within the governing structure. This process expanded rapidly in the 1980s. 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 Taiwan's eventual status - as well as domestic political and economic reform.


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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: 23 30 N 121 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 139
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1566.3 km

Maritime claims

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

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 67 km³ (2000)

Natural hazards: earthquakes; typhoons

Geography
Note: strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait


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Population: 23,234,936 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 51
Growth rate: 0.29% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 167
Below poverty line: 1.16% (2010 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84% mainland Chinese 14% indigenous 2%

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

Religions: mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93% Christian 4.5% other 2.5%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.29% (2012 est.)
Rank: 167

Birth rate: 8.7 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 213

Death rate: 6.7 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 144

Net migration rate: 0.03 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 71

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 187

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 52

Total fertility rate: 1.1 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 221

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: multiparty democracy

Capital

Administrative divisions: 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) 3 municipalities (shih singular and plural) and 4 special municipalities (chih-hsia-shih singular and plural)

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday: Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution) 10 October (1911)

Constitution: adopted 25 December 1946; promulgated 1 January 1947; effective 25 December 1947; amended many times

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan (113 seats - 73 district members elected by popular vote 34 at-large members elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties 6 elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; members to serve four-year terms); parties must receive 5% of vote to qualify for at-large seats

Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [SU Tseng-chang]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou]; Non-Partisan Solidarity Union or NPSU [LIN Pin-kuan]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG]

International organization participation: ADB APEC BCIE ICC (national committees) IOC ITUC (NGOs) WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none; commercial and cultural relations with the people in the United States are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts
From the us: none; commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts

Flag description: red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays; the blue and white design of the canton (symbolizing the sun of progress) dates to 1895; it was later adopted as the flag of the Kuomintang Party; blue signifies liberty justice and democracy; red stands for fraternity sacrifice and nationalism white represents equality frankness and the people's livelihood; the 12 rays of the sun are those of the months and the twelve traditional Chinese hours (each ray equals two hours)

National symbols: white 12-rayed sun on blue field

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing government guidance of investment and foreign trade. Exports led by electronics machinery and petrochemicals have provided the primary impetus for economic development. This heavy dependence on exports exposes the economy to fluctuations in world demand. In 2009 Taiwan's GDP contracted 1.9% due primarily to a 20% year-on-year decline in exports. In 2010 GDP grew 10.9% as exports returned to the level of previous years and in 2011 grew 4%. However 2012 growth fell to just 1.3% because of softening global demand. Taiwan's diplomatic isolation low birth rate and rapidly aging population are major long-term challenges. Free trade agreements have proliferated in East Asia over the past several years but so far Taiwan has been excluded from this greater economic integration - with the exception of the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed with China in June 2010 - in part because of its diplomatic status. Follow-on components of ECFA including deals on trade in goods and services have yet to be completed. The MA administration has said that the ECFA will serve as a stepping stone toward trade pacts with other key trade partners and talks with Singapore on a deal began in 2010. Taiwan's Total Fertility rate of just over one child per woman is among the lowest in the world raising the prospect of future labor shortages falling domestic demand and declining tax revenues. Taiwan's population is aging quickly with the number of people over 65 accounting for 10.9% of the island's total population as of 2011. The island runs a large trade surplus largely because of its surplus with China and its foreign reserves are the world's fourth largest behind China Japan and Russia. In 2006 China overtook the US to become Taiwan's second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment. Three financial memorandums of understanding covering banking securities and insurance took effect in mid-January 2010 opening the island to greater investments from the mainland's financial firms and institutional investors and providing new opportunities for Taiwan financial firms to operate in China. Closer economic links with the mainland bring greater opportunities for the Taiwan economy but also poses new challenges as the island becomes more economically dependent on China while political differences remain unresolved.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 20

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 154

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 27

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: rice vegetables fruit tea flowers; pigs poultry; fish

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 65

Labor force: 11.3 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 48

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 39

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 1.16% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 32.6 (2000)
Rank: 101

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -2.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 99

Taxes and other revenues: 16.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 180

Public debt: 34.7% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 92

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 39

Central bank discount rate: 1.25% (February 2009)
Rank: 132

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 2.88% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 178

Stock of narrow money: $366.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 12

Stock of broad money: $1.008 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 17

Stock of domestic credit: $698.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 20

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 19

Current account balance: $41.6 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 12

Exports: $307 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 22
Commodities: electronics flat panels machinery; metals; textiles plastics chemicals; optical photographic measuring and medical instruments
Partners: China 28.1% Hong Kong 13.8% US 11.5% Japan 6.6% Singapore 4.4% (2010 est.)

Imports: $279.2 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 20
Commodities: electronics machinery crude petroleum precision instruments organic chemicals metals
Partners: Japan 20.7% China 14.2% US 10% South Korea 6.4% Saudi Arabia 4.7% (2010 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $390.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 5

Debt external: $125.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 38

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $56.15 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $213.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 21

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 213.2 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 20
Consumption: 203.8 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 18
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 141
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 143
Installed generating capacity: 41 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 23
Generation sources fossil fuels: 73.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 101
Generation sources nuclear: 12.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 16
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 4.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 125
Generation sources other renewable sources: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 48

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 830 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 99
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 195
Crude oil imports: 952,800 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 12
Crude oil proven reserves: 2.8 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 98

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 923,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 23
Products consumption: 1.036 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 21
Products exports: 344,500 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 24
Products imports: 297,500 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 22

Natural gas
Production: 260 million m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 75
Consumption: 15.16 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 40
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 68
Imports: 14.9 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 20
Proven reserves: 6.229 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 86

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 305.4 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 21

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 16.907 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 17
Mobile cellular: 28.865 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 34

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 5 nationwide television networks operating roughly 75 TV stations; about 85% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV; national and regional radio networks with about 170 radio stations (2008)

Internet
Country code: .tw
Hosts: 6.272 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 18
Users: 16.147 million (2009)
Users rank: 24

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.2% of GDP; note - in 2009 the Taiwanese president pledged to maintain defense spending at 3.0% or higher; projected 2.73% for 2011 (2009)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service; service obligation - 2 years; women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense is in the process of implementing a voluntary enlistment system over the period 2010-2015 although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 4 months of military training (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 40 (2012)
Rank: 106

Heliports: 32 (2012)

Pipelines: gas 412 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 79

Roadways
Rank: 87

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 47

Ports and terminals: Chilung (Keelung) Kaohsiung Hualian Taichung


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Disputes international: involved in complex dispute with Brunei China Malaysia the Philippines and Vietnam over the Spratly Islands and with China and the Philippines over Scarborough Reef; the 2002 'Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea' has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding 'code of conduct' desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands are occupied by China but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003 China and Taiwan became more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea where all parties engage in hydrocarbon prospecting

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: regional transit point for heroin methamphetamine and precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs