Background: In 1895 military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan 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 using the 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within the governing structure. 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 eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

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
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); 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 3,952 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 24%
Permanent crops: 1%
Other: 75% (2001)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons

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

Population: 23,036,087 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 0.61% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 0.9% (2005)

Nationality
Noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)
Note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan
Adjective: Taiwan

Ethnic 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 19.4% (male 2,330,951/female 2,140,965)
15-64 years: 70.8% (male 8,269,421/female 8,040,169)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 1,123,429/female 1,131,152) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 34.6 years
Male: 34.1 years
Female: 35 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.61% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 12.56 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 6.48 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.1 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.09 male/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male/female
Total population: 1.04 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.29 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.97 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.55 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.43 years
Male: 74.67 years
Female: 80.47 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.1%
Male: NA%
Female: NA% (2003)

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

Government type: multiparty democracy

Capital
Name: Taipei
Geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions
Counties: Chang-hua, Chia-i, Hsin-chu, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung (county), Kin-men, Lien-chiang, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan, T'ai-pei (county), T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin
Municipalities: Chia-i, Chi-lung, Hsin-chu, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan
Special municipalities: Kao-hsiung city, T'ai-pei city
Note: Taiwan generally uses Wade-Giles system for romanization; special municipality of Taipei adopted standard pinyin romanization for street and place names within city boundaries, other local authorities have selected a variety of romanization systems

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

Constitution: 25 December 1946; amended in 1992 1994 1997 1999 2000 2005

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000) and Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000)
Head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) SU Tseng-chang (since 25 January 2006) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) TSAI Ing-wen (since 25 January 2006)
Cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president
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 20 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2008); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier
Election results: CHEN Shui-bian re-elected president; percent of vote - CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 50.1%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 49.9%

Legislative branch
Note: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by National Assembly in June 2005, number of seats in legislature will be reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with election in 2007; amendments also eliminated National Assembly thus giving Taiwan a unicameral legislature
Elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2007); National Assembly - last held 14 May 2005; dissolved in June 2005
Election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP 38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%; seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7, independents 4; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPP 42.5%, KMT 38.9%, TSU 7%, PFP 6%, others 6.6%; seats by party - DPP 127, KMT 117, TSU 21, PFP 18, others 17 (2005)

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

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [YU Shyi-kun]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu)]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [SU Chin-chiang]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or NP

International organization participation
Note: Taiwan has acquired observer status on the competition committee and special observer status on the Trade Committee of the OECD, and is seeking observer status with the backing of the US in WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through an unofficial 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 an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan; US office at 1700 N. Moore St. Suite 1700 Arlington VA 22,209-1996 telephone: [1] (703) 525-8,474 FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices at #7 Lane 134 Hsin Yi Road Section 3 Taipei Taiwan telephone: [886] (2) 2,162-2000 FAX: [886] (2) 2,162-2,251; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road 5th Floor Kao-hsiung Taiwan telephone: [886] (7) 238-7,744 FAX: [886] (7) 238-5,237; and the American Trade Center Room 3,208 International Trade Building Taipei World Trade Center 333 Keelung Road Section 1 Taipei Taiwan 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

Economy 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. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 2% to GDP down from 32% in 1952. Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia. China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and in 2005 Taiwan's third-largest source of imports after Japan and the US. Taiwan has benefited from cross-Strait economic integration and a sharp increase in world demand to achieve substantial growth in its export sector and a seven-year-high real GDP growth of 6.1% in 2004. However excess inventory higher international oil prices and rising interest rates dampened consumption in developed markets and GDP growth dropped to 3.8% in 2005. The service sector which accounts for 69% of Taiwan's GDP has continued to expand while unemployment and inflation rates have declined.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $630 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $27,500 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.8%
Industry: 25.9%

Agriculture products: rice corn vegetables fruit tea; pigs poultry beef milk; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 10.6 million (2005 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 6%
By occupation industry: 35.8%
By occupation services: 58.2% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.1% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line: 0.9% (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 6.7%
Highest 10: 41.1% (2002 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $41.67 billion
Expenditures: $50.26 billion; including capital expenditures of $14.4 billion (2005 est.)

Public debt: 33.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.3% (2005 est.)

Current account balance: $16.22 billion (2005 est.)

Exports: $189.4 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: computer products and electrical equipment metals textiles plastics and rubber products chemicals (2002)
Partners: China 21.6% US 16.22% Hong Kong 15.1% Japan 7.7% (2005)

Imports: $181.6 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment 44.5% minerals precision instruments (2002)
Partners: Japan 25.3% US 11.6% China 11% South Korea 7.3% Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $258 billion (2005 est.)

Debt external: $87.5 billion (2005 est.)

Exchange rates: new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 31.71 (2005) 34.418 (2004) 34.575 (2003) 33.8 (2002) 33.09 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 218.3 billion kWh (2004)
Consumption: 206.1 billion kWh (2004)
Exports: 0 kWh (2004)
Imports: 0 kWh (2004)

Natural gas
Production: 970 million m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 8.45 billion m³ (2003 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Imports: 7.48 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Proven reserves: 76.46 billion m³ (2005)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 13.615 million (2005)
Mobile cellular: 22.17 million (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: provides telecommunications service for every business and private need
Domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
International: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

Internet
Country code: .tw
Hosts: 4,320,310 (2006)
Users: 13.21 million (2005)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 2.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 19-35 years of age for military service; service obligation 16 months (to be shortened to 12 months in 2008); women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles (2005)

Airports: 42 (2006)
With paved runways total: 38
With paved runways over 3047 m: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 4
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Heliports: 3 (2006)

Pipelines: condensate 25 km; gas 661 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 2,497 km
Narrow gauge: 1,097 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified)
Note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau) used to carry products and limited numbers of passengers (2005)

Roadways
Total: 37,299 km
Paved: 35,621 km (including 1,789 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 1,678 km (2002)

Merchant marine
Total: 112 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,798,992 GRT/4,652,921 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 35, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, container 25, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2
Foreign owned: 3 (Hong Kong 3)
Registered in other countries: 463 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 2, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 6, Italy 10, Liberia 69, Malta 2, Panama 308, Singapore 59, UK 1, US 1, unknown 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Chi-lung (Keelung) Hua-lien Kao-hsiung Su-ao T'ai-chung

Disputes international: involved in complex dispute with China Malaysia Philippines Vietnam and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; 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

Illicit drugs: regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; renewal of domestic methamphetamine production is a problem