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
Land: 32,260 km²
Water: 3,720 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1566.3 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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 highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m

Natural resources: small deposits of coal natural gas limestone marble and asbestos

Land use
Permanent crops: 1%
Other: 75% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 67 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: earthquakes; typhoons
Volcanism: Kueishantao Island (elev. 401 m) east of Taiwan is its only historically active volcano although it has not erupted in centuries

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


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Population: 23,299,716 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 52
Growth rate: 0.27% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 171
Below poverty line: 1.5% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Taiwan (or Taiwanese)

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
15-24 years: 13.7% (male 1,638,424/female 1,549,415)
25-54 years: 47.7% (male 5,562,031/female 5,553,318)
55-64 years: 12.7% (male 1,450,513/female 1,509,359)
65 years and over: 11.6% (male 1,262,939/female 1,441,017) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Male: 38 years
Female: 39.4 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.27% (2013 est.)
Rank: 171

Birth rate: 8.61 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 216

Death rate: 6.83 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 140

Net migration rate: 0.91 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 59

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
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 186
Male: 4.96 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.12 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 39
Male: 76.58 years
Female: 83.06 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.11 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 222

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
Total population: 96.1%
Male: NA
Female: NA (2003)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Taiwan
Local long form: none
Local short form: Taiwan
Former: Formosa

Government type: multiparty democracy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 25 02 N 121 31 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: includes main island of Taiwan plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 14 counties (hsien singular and plural) 3 municipalities (shih singular and plural) and 5 special municipalities (chih-hsia-shih singular and plural)
Counties: Changhua Chiayi (county) Hsinchu (county) Hualien Kinmen Lienchiang Miaoli Nantou Penghu Pingtung Taitung Taoyuan Yilan Yunlin
Municipalities: Chiayi (city) Hsinchu (city) Keelung (city)
Special municipalities: Kaohsiung (city) New Taipei (city) Taichung (city) Tainan (city) Taipei (city)

Dependent areas

Independence

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

Constitution: previous 1912 1931; latest adopted 25 December 1946 promulgated 1 January 1947 effective 25 December 1947; revised several times last in 2005 (2013)

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
Head of government: Premier JIANG Yi-huah (President of the Executive Yuan) (since 18 February 2013); Vice Premier MAO Chi-kuo (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) (since 18 February 2013)
Cabinet: Executive Yuan - ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier
Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held on 14 January 2012 (next to be held in January 2016); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier
Election results: MA Ying-jeou elected president; percent of vote - MA Ying-jeou 51.6% TSAI Ing-wen 45.6% James SOONG Chu-ye 2.8%

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
Elections: Legislative Yuan - last held on 14 January 2012 (next to be held in January 2016)
Election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT 44.6% DPP 34.6% TSU 9.0% PFP 5.5% others 6.3%; seats by party - KMT 64 DPP 40 PFP 3 TSU 3 NPSU 2 independent 1

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: both Supreme Court and Constitutional Court justices appointed by the president of the republic with the approval of the Legislative Yuan; Supreme Court justices appointed for life; Constitutional Court president vice-president and 8 grand justices serve 4-year terms and remaining justices serve 8-year terms
Subordinate courts: high courts; district courts; hierarchy of administrative courts

Political parties and leaders:

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
In the us representative: KING Pu-tsung
In the us office: 4,201 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] 202 895-1800
In the us Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices: Atlanta Boston Chicago Guam Houston Honolulu Kansas City Los Angeles Miami New York San Francisco Seattle
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
From the us director: Christopher J. MARUT
From the us office: #7 Lane 134 Hsin Yi Road Section 3 Taipei 106 Taiwan
From the us telephone: [1] [886] (02) 2,162-2000
From the us FAX: [1] [886] (02) 2,162-2,251
From the us other offices: Kaohsiung

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
Lyrics and music: HU Han-min TAI Chi-t'ao and LIAO Chung-k'ai/CHENG Mao-Yun

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 1.8% due primarily to a 13.1% year-on-year decline in exports. In 2010 GDP grew 10.7% as exports returned to the level of previous years and in 2011 grew 4.0%. In 2012 however growth fell to 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 except for the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed with China in June 2010 so far Taiwan has been excluded from this greater economic integration in part because of its diplomatic status. Negotiations continue on such follow-on components of ECFA regarding trade in goods and services. The MA administration has said that the ECFA will serve as a stepping stone toward trade pacts with other key trade partners which Taiwan subsequently launched with Singapore and New Zealand. 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 11.2% of the island's total population as of 2012. The island runs a large trade surplus largely because of its surplus with China and its foreign reserves are the world's fifth largest behind China Japan Saudi Arabia 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. In August 2012 Taiwan Central Bank signed a memorandum of understanding on cross-Strait currency settlement with its Chinese counterpart. The MOU allows for the direct settlement of Chinese RMB and the New Taiwan dollar across the Strait which could help develop Taiwan into a local RMB hub. 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: 152

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 29

Gross national saving:
Rank: 25

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 12.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 19.6%
Investment in inventories: 0.2%
Exports of goods and services: 73.6%
Imports of goods and services: -66%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 29.8%
Services: 68.2% (2012 est.)

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

Industries: electronics communications and information technology products petroleum refining armaments chemicals textiles iron and steel machinery cement food processing vehicles

Industrial production growth rate: 0.9% (2012 est.)
Rank: 124

Labor force: 11.34 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 47
By occupation industry: 36.2%
By occupation services: 58.8% (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 36

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 1.5% (2012 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 40.3% (2010)

Distribution of family income gini index: 32.6 (2000)
Rank: 91

Budget
Expenditures: $90.42 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 103

Taxes and other revenues: 16.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 184

Public debt: 34.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 105

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 38

Central bank discount rate: 1.88% (31 December 2011)
Rank: 113

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 2.88% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 177

Stock of narrow money: $390.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 13

Stock of broad money: $1.082 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 17

Stock of domestic credit: $692 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 19

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 18

Current account balance: $41.23 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 13

Exports: $307 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 21
Commodities: electronics flat panels machinery; metals; textiles plastics chemicals; optical photographic measuring and medical instruments
Partners: China 27.1% Hong Kong 13.2% US 10.3% Japan 6.4% Singapore 4.4% (2012 est.)

Imports: $279.2 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 20
Commodities: electronics machinery crude petroleum precision instruments organic chemicals metals
Partners: Japan 17.6% China 16.1% US 9.5% (2012 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $390.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 7

Debt external: $122.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 41

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $56.15 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 51

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $213.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 23

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 252.2 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 17
Consumption: 242.2 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 15
Exports: 0 kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 141
Imports: 0 kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 143
Installed generating capacity: 48.75 million kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 21
Generation sources fossil fuels: 77.2% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 94
Generation sources nuclear: 10.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 18
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 5.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 124
Generation sources other renewable sources: 6.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 34

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 21,680 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 75
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 194
Crude oil imports: 885,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 13
Crude oil proven reserves: 2.38 million bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 95

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 920,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products production rank: 22
Products consumption: 786,100 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 24
Products exports: 255,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products exports rank: 25
Products imports: 304,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products imports rank: 20

Natural gas
Production: 330.2 million m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 75
Consumption: 16.37 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 38
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 195
Imports: 15.9 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 25
Proven reserves: 6.229 billion m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 88

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 293.3 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 24

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 15.998 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 17
Mobile cellular: 29.455 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 35

Telephone system
Domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
International: country code - 886; roughly 15 submarine fiber cables provide links throughout Asia Australia the Middle East Europe and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2011)

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 (2012)
Rank: 63

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-35 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 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 (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 37 (2013)
Rank: 107
With paved runways over 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways: 1 (2013)

Heliports: 31 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 25 km; gas 802 km; oil 241 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 79
Standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 1085 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified); 150 km 0.762-m gauge

Roadways
Rank: 86
Paved: 41,033 km (includes 720 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 442 km (2009)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 47
By type: bulk carrier 35 cargo 20 chemical tanker 1 container 31 passenger/cargo 4 petroleum tanker 12 refrigerated cargo 7 roll on/roll off 2
Foreign owned: 3 (France 2 Vietnam 1)
Registered in other countries: 579 (Argentina 2 Cambodia 1 Honduras 1 Hong Kong 25 Indonesia 1 Italy 10 Kiribati 2 Liberia 94 Marshall Islands 8 Panama 328 Philippines 1 Sierra Leone 7 Singapore 77 South Korea 1 Thailand 1 UK 11 Vanuatu 1 unknown 8) (2010)

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