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Background:
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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 using the 1947 constitution drawn up for all
of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually
democratized and incorporated the native population within its
governing structure. This culminated in 2000, when Taiwan underwent
its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the
Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island has
prospered to become 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. |
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Location:
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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 |
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Geographic coordinates:
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23 30 N, 121 00 E |
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Map references:
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Southeast Asia |
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Area:
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total: 35,980 sq
km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
water: 3,720 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than
Maryland and Delaware combined |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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1,566.3 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic
zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; marine; rainy
season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is
persistent and extensive all year |
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Terrain:
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eastern two-thirds
mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,997 m |
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Natural resources:
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small deposits of coal,
natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos |
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Land use:
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arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 75% |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes and
typhoons |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution; water
pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of
drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level
radioactive waste disposal |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: none
of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
because of Taiwan's international status |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location
adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait |
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Population:
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22,548,009 (July 2002
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 21%
(male 2,464,290; female 2,268,627)
15-64 years: 70% (male 8,010,014; female 7,774,296)
65 years and over: 9% (male 1,053,975; female 976,807) (2002
est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.78% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.21 births/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.08 deaths/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.08
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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6.8 deaths/1,000 live
births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
76.74 years
female: 79.71 years (2002 est.)
male: 73.99 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.76 children
born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Chinese
(singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese |
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Ethnic groups:
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Taiwanese (including
Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% |
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Religions:
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mixture of Buddhist,
Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% |
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Languages:
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Mandarin Chinese
(official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects |
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Literacy:
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definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 86% (1980 est.)
male: 93% (1980 est.)
female: 79% (1980 est.)
note: literacy for the total population has reportedly
increased to 94% (1998 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long
form: none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local short form: T'ai-wan
local long form: none
former: Formosa |
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Government type:
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multiparty democratic
regime headed by popularly elected president and unicameral
legislature |
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Capital:
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Taipei |
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Administrative divisions:
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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); Taiwan is
further subdivided into 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
note: Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization |
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National holiday:
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Republic Day
(Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911) |
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Constitution:
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1 January 1947, amended
in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil law
system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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20 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
President Shui-bian CHEN (since 20 May 2000) and Vice President
Annette Hsiu-lien LU (since 20 May 2000)
election results: Shui-bian CHEN elected president; percent of
vote - Shui-bian CHEN (DPP) 39.3%, James SOONG (independent) 36.84%,
LIEN Chan (KMT) 23.1%, HSU Hsin-liang (independent) 0.63%, LEE Ao (CNP)
0.13%
elections: president and vice president elected on the same
ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 18
March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); premier appointed by the
president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the premier
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan)
Shyi-kun YU (since 1 February 2002) and Vice Premier (Vice President
of the Executive Yuan) Hsin-yi LIN (since 1 February 2002)
cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Legislative
Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis
of the proportion of islandwide votes received by participating
political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies
on the basis of the proportion of islandwide votes received by
participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote among
the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and
unicameral National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates
nominated by parties and elected by proportional representation within
three months of a Legislative Yuan call to amend the Constitution,
impeach the president, or change national borders)
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 8 December 2001 (next
to be held NA December 2004); note - the National Assembly is a
nonstanding body and is called into session
election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party -
DPP 39%, KMT 30%, PFP 20%, TSU 6%, independents and other parties 5%;
seats by party - DPP 87, KMT 68, PFP 46, TSU 13, independents and
other parties 11 |
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Judicial branch:
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Judicial Yuan (justices
appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly; note
- beginning in 2003, justices will be appointed by the president with
consent of the Legislative Yuan) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Progressive
Party or DPP [Frank Chang-ting HSIEH, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT
(Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; People First Party or PFP
[James Chu-yu SOONG, chairman]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [Chu-wen
HUANG, chairman]; other minor parties |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Taiwan independence
movement, various business and environmental groups
note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable
within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political
liberalization and the increased representation of opposition parties
in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on the island's
national identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan
currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate
outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's people
must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose
the stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China;
goals of the Taiwan independence movement include establishing a
sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN; other organizations
supporting Taiwan independence include the World United Formosans for
Independence and the Organization for Taiwan Nation Building |
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International organization participation:
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APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC,
ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 located at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA
22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385);
Taiwan offices located at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3,
Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2709-2000, FAX: [886] (2)
2702-7675; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
telephone: [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX: [886] (7) 223-8237;
and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building,
Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan
10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2) 2757-7162 |
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Flag description:
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red with a dark blue
rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12
triangular rays |
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Economy - overview:
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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 provided the primary impetus for
industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign
reserves are the world's third largest. Agriculture contributes 2% to
GDP, down from 35% in 1952. Traditional labor-intensive industries are
steadily being moved offshore and replaced with more capital- and
technology-intensive industries. Taiwan has become a major investor in
China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam;
50,000 Taiwanese businesses are established in China. 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. The global economic downturn,
however, combined with poor policy coordination by the new
administration and increasing bad debts in the banking system, pushed
Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first whole year of negative growth
since 1947. Unemployment also reached a level not seen since the 1970s
oil crisis. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity
- $386 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-2.2% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity
- $17,200 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 2%
industry: 32%
services: 66% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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1% (2000 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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32.6 (2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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0.5% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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9.8 million (2001 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 56%, industry
36%, agriculture 8% (2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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4.5% (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $36
billion
expenditures: $36.1 billion, including capital expenditures of
$NA (2002 est.) |
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Industries:
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electronics, petroleum
refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food
processing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-5% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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149.78 billion kWh
(2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
69.48%
hydro: 5.82%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 24.7% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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139.295 billion kWh
(2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, corn, vegetables,
fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish |
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Exports:
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$122 billion (f.o.b.,
2001) |
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery and
electrical equipment 55%, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals |
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Exports - partners:
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US 23.5%, Hong Kong
21.1%, Europe 16%, ASEAN 12.2%, Japan 11.2% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$109 billion (f.o.b.,
2001) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and
electrical equipment 50%, minerals, precision instruments |
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Imports - partners:
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Japan 27.5%, US 17.9%,
Europe 13.6%, South Korea 6.4% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$40 billion (2000) |
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Currency:
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new Taiwan dollar (TWD)
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Currency code:
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TWD |
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Exchange rates:
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new Taiwan dollars per
US dollar - 34.494 (yearend 2001), 33.082 (yearend 2000), 31.395
(yearend 1999), 32.216 (1998), 32.052 (1997), 27.5 (1996) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July - 30 June (up to
FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year
(after FY00) |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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12.49 million
(September 2000) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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16 million (September
2000) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment:
provides telecommunications service for every business and private
need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: 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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 218, FM 333,
shortwave 50 (1999) |
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Radios:
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16 million (1994) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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29 (plus two repeaters)
(1997) |
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Televisions:
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8.8 million (1998) |
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Internet country code:
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.tw |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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8 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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11.6 million (2001)
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Railways:
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total: 1,108 km
narrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified)
note: in addition to the above routes in common carrier
service, there are several thousand kilometers of 1.067-m gauge routes
that are dedicated to industrial use (2001) |
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Highways:
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total: 34,901 km
paved: 31,271 km (including 538 km of expressways)
unpaved: 3,630 km (1998 est.) |
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Waterways:
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NA |
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Pipelines:
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petroleum products
3,400 km; natural gas 1,800 km (1999) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien,
Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 152 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,262,451 GRT/6,596,950 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a
flag of convenience: Hong Kong 3, Japan 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 40, cargo 28, combination bulk 3, container
53, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 2 |
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Airports:
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39 (2001) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 36
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 3 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2001) |
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Heliports:
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3 (2001) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy (including
Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces
Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command |
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Military manpower - military age:
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19 years of age (2002
est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49:
6,575,625 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49:
5,018,882 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males: 198,766
(2002 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$8,041,200,000 (FY01)
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.8% (FY01) |
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Transnational Issues |
Taiwan |
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Disputes - international:
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involved in complex
dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines,
Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but
claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; claims Japanese-administered
Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as does China |
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Illicit drugs:
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regional transit point
for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic
consumption of methamphetamine and heroin |
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