Map of Taiwan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: First inhabited by Austronesian people Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). In 1895 military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan which governed Taiwan for 50 years. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist control after World War II. In the four years leading to the communist victory on the mainland in 1949 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government under the 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. The Nationalist government established authoritarian rule under martial law in 1948. Beginning in the late 1970s the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the local population within the governing structure. This process expanded rapidly in the 1980s with the founding of the first opposition party (the Democratic Progressive Party or DPP) in 1986 and the lifting of martial law in 1987. Taiwan held its first direct presidential election in 1996. In 2000 Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) to the DPP. Throughout this period the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic 'Tigers.' The dominant political issues continue to be management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of Taiwan's eventual status - as well as domestic priorities for economic reform and growth.


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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: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 35,980 km²
Land: 32,260 km²
Water: 3,720 km²
Note: includes the Pescadores Matsu and Quemoy islands
Rank: 139
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1566.3 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year

Terrain: eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west

Elevation
Mean elevation: 1150 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m: highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 22.7%
Forest: NA
Other: 77.3%

Irrigated land: 3,820 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: earthquakes; typhoons
Volcanism: Kueishantao Island 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: 23,464,787 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 55
Growth rate: 0.2% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 187
Below poverty line: 1.5% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Taiwan
Note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan
Adjective: Taiwan

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
0-14 years: 13.13%
15-24 years: 13.17%
25-54 years: 46.74%
55-64 years: 13.89%
65 years and over: 13.07% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 40.2 years
Male: 39.5 years
Female: 40.9 years
Rank: 47

Population growth rate: 0.2% (2016 est.)
Rank: 187

Birth rate: 8.4 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 219

Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 121

Net migration rate: 0.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 61

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas
Population: TAIPEI (capital) 2.666 million; Kaohsiung 1.523 million; Taichung 1.225 million; Tainan 815,000 (2015)

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
International agreements party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male/female
25-54 years: 1 male/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.4 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 186

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.1 years
Male: 77 years
Female: 83.5 years
Rank: 40

Total fertility rate: 1.12 children born/woman (2016 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

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.5%
Male: 99.7%
Female: 97.3%

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: Taiwan
Former: Formosa
Etymology: 'Tayowan' was the name of the coastal sandbank where the Dutch erected their colonial headquarters on the island in the 17th century; the former name 'Formosa' means 'beautiful' in Portuguese

Government type: semi-presidential republic

Capital
Name: Taipei
Geographic coordinates: 25 02 N 121 31 E
Time difference: UTC+8

Administrative divisions: includes main island of Taiwan plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 13 counties (xian singular and plural) 3 cities (shi singular and plural) and 6 special municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan
Counties: Changhua Chiayi Hsinchu Hualien Kinmen Lienchiang Miaoli Nantou Penghu Pingtung Taitung Yilan Yunlin
Cities: Chiayi Hsinchu Keelung
Special municipalities: Kaohsiung New Taipei (city) Taichung (city) Tainan (city) Taipei (city) Taoyuan (city)
Note: Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems; while a modified Wade-Giles system still dominates the city of Taipei has adopted a Pinyin romanization for street and place names within its boundaries; other local authorities use different romanization systems

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 (2016)

Legal system: civil law system

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

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Taiwan
Dual citizenship recognized: yes except that citizens of Taiwan are not recognized as dual citizens of the People's Republic of China
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President TSAI Ing-wen ; Vice President CHEN Chien-jen (since 20 May 2016)
Head of government: Premier LIN Chuan (since 20 May 2016); Vice Premier LIN Hsi-yao Vice President of the Executive Yuan (since 20 May 2016)
Cabinet: Executive Yuan - ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier
Electionsappointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term ; election last held on 16 January 2016 (next to be held in 2020); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier
Election results: TSAI Ing-wen elected president; percent of vote - TSAI Ing-wen 56.1% Eric CHU Li-lun (KMT) 31.0% James SOONG Chu-yu (PFP) 12.8%; note - TSAI is the first woman elected president of Taiwan

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Legislative Yuan
Elections: Legislative Yuan - last held on 16 January 2016
Election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP 44.1% KMT 26.9% PFP 6.5% NPP 6.1% other 16.4%; seats by party - DPP 68 KMT 35 NPP 5 PFP 3 NPSU 1 independent 1

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court ; Constitutional Court (consists of the court president vice president and 13 justices)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court justices appointed by the president; Constitutional Court justices appointed by the president with approval of the Legislative Yuan; Supreme Court justices appointed for life; Constitutional Court justices appointed for 8-year terms with half the membership renewed every 4 years
Subordinate courts: high courts; district courts; hierarchy of administrative courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB (Taipei China) APEC (Chinese Taipei) BCIE ICC (national committees) IOC ITUC (NGOs) SICA (observer) WTO (Taipei China)

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: KAO Shuo-tai (since 5 June 2016)
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 Denver (CO) Hagatna (Guam) Houston Honolulu 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 telephone: [1] [886] 2,162-2000
From the us FAX: [1] [886] 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 colors: blue white red

National anthem
Name: 'Zhonghua Minguo guoge'
Lyrics and music: HU Han-min TAI Chi-t'ao and LIAO Chung-k'ai/CHENG Mao-Yun
Note: adopted 1930; also the song of the Kuomintang Party; it is informally known as 'San Min Chu I' or 'San Min Zhu Yi' ; because of political pressure from China 'Guo Qi Ge' (National Banner Song) is used at international events rather than the official anthem of Taiwan; the 'National Banner Song' has gained popularity in Taiwan and is commonly used during flag raisings

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 22

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 184

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 29

Gross national saving:
Rank: 12

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 52.3%
Government consumption: 13.9%
Investment in fixed capital: 20.7%
Investment in inventories: 0.1%
Exports of goods and services: 64.6%
Imports of goods and services: -51.6%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.8%
Industry: 36.5%
Services: 61.7%

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: -0.7% (2015 est.)
Rank: 168

Labor force: 11.64 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 51
By occupation agriculture: 5%
By occupation industry: 36%
By occupation services: 59%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 32

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 6.4%
Highest 10: 40.3%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 102

Budget
Revenues: $83.43 billion
Expenditures: $82.89 billion
Surplus or deficit: 0.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 34

Taxes and other revenues: 15.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 193

Public debt:
Note: data for central government
Rank: 136

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 38

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 119

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 169

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 12

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 16

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 18

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 15

Current account balance:
Rank: 6

Exports:
Rank: 16
Commodities: semiconductors petrochemicals automobile/auto parts ships wireless communication equipment flat display displays steel electronics plastics computers
Partners: China 27.1% Hong Kong 13.2% US 10.3% Japan 6.4% Singapore 4.4% (2012 est.)

Imports:
Rank: 17
Commodities: oil/petroleum semiconductors natural gas coal steel computers wireless communication equipment automobiles fine chemicals textiles
Partners: Japan 17.6% China 16.1% US 9.5% (2012 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 6

Debt external:
Rank: 37

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 51

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 21

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 258 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 16
Consumption: 249.5 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 14
Exports: 0 kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 208
Imports: 0 kWh (2015 est.)
Imports rank: 212
Installed generating capacity: 54 million kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 22
Generation sources fossil fuels: 75.6% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 99
Generation sources nuclear: 10.6% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 17
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 5.4% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 124
Generation sources other renewable sources: 8.4% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 44

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 196 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 99
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 200
Crude oil imports: 841,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 15
Crude oil proven reserves: 10.06 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 92

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 1.299 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 17
Products consumption: 818,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 23
Products exports: 352,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 25
Products imports: 363,100 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 18

Natural gas
Production: 1.294 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Production rank: 61
Consumption: 17.79 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 39
Exports: 0 m³ (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 198
Imports: 17.94 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 19
Proven reserves: 6.229 billion m³ (1 January 2016 es)
Proven reserves rank: 87

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 26.69 million Mt (2014 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 77

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 13,916,334
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59
Fixed lines rank: 18
Mobile cellular total: 29.681 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127
Mobile cellular rank: 43

Telephone system
General assessment: provides telecommunications service for every business and private need
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

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
Users total: 20.601 million
Users percent of population: 88%
Users rank: 36

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: starting with those born in 1994 males 18-36 years of age may volunteer for military service or must complete 4 months of compulsory military training (or substitute civil service in some cases); women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; for men born before December 1993 compulsory service (military or civil) is 1 year; for 8 years after discharge men are subject to training recall four times for periods not to exceed 20 days (2016)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 8
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 221

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: B (2016)

Airports: 37 (2013)
Rank: 107
With paved runways total: 35
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
With unpaved runways total: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1

Heliports: 31 (2013)

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

Railways
Total: 1597 km
Standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1102 km 1.067-m gauge ; 150 km 0.762-m gauge
Note: the 0.762-gauge track belongs to three entities: the Forestry Bureau Taiwan Cement and TaiPower
Rank: 78

Roadways
Total: 42,520 km
Paved: 42,078 km
Unpaved: 442 km
Rank: 85

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 112
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
Registered in other countries: 579 (2010)
Rank: 47

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Chilung Kaohsiung Hualian Taichung
Container port: Chilung (Keelung) (1,749,388) Kaohsiung (9,363,289) Taichung (1,383,578)
LNG terminal: Yung An (Kaohsiung) 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