$NA
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Industries:
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, car assembly
Industrial production growth rate:
2.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Electricity - production:
36.5 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Electricity - consumption:
27.35 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.4 billion kWh (2007)
Oil - production:
426,100 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33
Oil - consumption:
256,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Oil - exports:
155,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Oil - imports:
58,710 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Oil - proved reserves:
2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Natural gas - production:
6.04 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Natural gas - consumption:
6.18 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m country comparison to the world: 109
Natural gas - imports:
140 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Natural gas - proved reserves:
240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Current account balance:
-$791 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112 $402 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$13.97 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $11.75 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
Exports - partners:
Iraq 30.9%, Germany 9.8%, Lebanon 9.7%, Italy 6.4%, France 5.5%,
Egypt 5.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.1% (2008)
Imports:
$15.97 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 $12.27 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 11.7%, China 8.7%, Russia 6.4%, Italy 5.9%, Egypt 5.8%,
UAE 5.8%, Turkey 4.3%, Iran 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.765 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $6.507 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.167 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $6.633 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar - 46.5281 (2008 est.), 50.0085 (2007), 51.689 (2006), 50 (2005), 48.5 (2004)
note: data for 2004-06 are the public sector rate; data for 2002-03 are the parallel market rate in 'Amman and Beirut; the official rate for repaying loans was 11.25 Syrian pounds per US dollars during 2004-06,
Communications ::Syria
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.633 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 42
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.056 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 71
Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology
domestic: the number of fixed-line connections has increased markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing with telephone subscribership reaching 40 per 100 persons in 2008;
international: country code - 963; submarine cable connection to Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code:
.sy
Internet hosts:
7,879 (2009) country comparison to the world: 125
Internet users:
3.565 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 54
Transportation ::Syria
Airports:
104 (2009) country comparison to the world: 58
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 29
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 59 (2009)
Heliports:
7 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 2,900 km; oil 2,000 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,052 km country comparison to the world: 72 standard gauge: 1,801 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 97,401 km country comparison to the world: 43 paved: 19,490 km (includes 1,103 km of expressways)
unpaved: 77,911 km (2006)
Waterways:
900 km (not economically significant) (2008) country comparison to the world: 69
Merchant marine:
total: 77 country comparison to the world: 58 by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 65, carrier 4, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 7 (Jordan 2, Lebanon 3, Romania 2)
registered in other countries: 196 (Barbados 1, Bolivia 2, Cambodia 48, Comoros 4, Cyprus 2, Dominica 2, Georgia 49, Hong Kong 1, North Korea 1, Lebanon 2, Libya 2, Malta 6, Moldova 1, Panama 32, Saint Kitts and Nevis 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Sierra Leone 18, Slovakia 2, Togo 2, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Latakia, Tartus
Military ::Syria
Military branches:
Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab
Air and Air Defense Forces (includes Air Defense Command) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy); women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,251,875
females age 16-49: 4,966,367 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,360,934
females age 16-49: 4,344,895 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 213,513
female: 201,055 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.9% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Transnational Issues ::Syria
Disputes - international:
Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shabaa farms in the Golan Heights; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan; approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1-1.4 million (Iraq); 522,100 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))
IDPs: 305,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967
Arab-Israeli War) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Syria is a destination and transit country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant number of women and children in the large and expanding Iraqi refugee community in Syria are reportedly forced into commercial sexual exploitation by Iraqi gangs or, in some cases, their families; women from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone are recruited for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face conditions of involuntary servitude, including long hours, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, threats, and physical or sexual abuse
tier rating: Tier 3 - Syria again failed to report any law enforcement efforts to punish trafficking offenses in 2007; in addition, the government did not offer protection services to victims of trafficking and may have arrested, prosecuted, or deported some victims for prostitution or immigration violations; Syria has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
Illicit drugs:
a transit point for opiates, hashish, and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Taiwan (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Taiwan
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 local 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 Taiwan's eventual status - as well as domestic political and economic reform.
Geography ::Taiwan
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 references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 35,980 sq km country comparison to the world: 138 land: 32,260 sq km
water: 3,720 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,566.3 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
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
Total renewable water resources:
67 cu km (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; typhoons
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status
Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait
People ::Taiwan
Population:
22,974,347 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 1,996,905/female 1,844,611)
15-64 years: 72.6% (male 8,416,300/female 8,267,675)
65 years and over: 10.7% (male 1,183,382/female 1,265,474) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 36.5 years
male: 35.9 years
female: 37.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.227% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Birth rate:
8.99 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 210
Death rate:
6.76 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Net migration rate:
0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 185 male: 5.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.96 years country comparison to the world: 52 male: 75.12 years
female: 81.05 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.14 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 220
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
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%, indigenous 2%
Religions:
mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Languages:
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1%
male: NA
female: NA (2003)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Taiwan
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:
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), 5 municipalities (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities (chih-hsia-shih, singular and plural)
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; names for administrative divisions that follow are taken from the Taiwan Yearbook 2007 published by the Government Information Office in Taipei.
counties: Changhua, Chiayi [county], Hsinchu [county], Hualien,
Kaohsiung [county], Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu,
Pingtung, Taichung [county], Tainan [county], Taipei [county],
Taitung, Taoyuan, Yilan, and Yunlin
municipalities: Chiayi [city], Hsinchu [city], Keelung, Taichung [city], Tainan [city]
special municipalities: Kaohsiung [city], Taipei [city]
National holiday:
Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)
Constitution:
adopted on 25 December 1946; effective 25 December 1947; amended in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2005
Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President MA Ying-jeou (since 20 May 2008); Vice President Vincent SIEW (since 20 May 2008)
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) WU Den-yih (since 10 September 2009); Vice Premier (Vice President of Executive Yuan) Eric Liluan CHU (since 10 September 2009)
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 22 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); 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 58.45%, Frank HSIEH 41.55%
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; to serve four-year terms); parties must receive 5% of vote to qualify for at-large seats
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 12 January 2008 (next to be held in December 2011 or January 2012)
election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT 53.5%, DPP 38.2%, NPSU 2.4%, PFP 0.3%, others 1.6%, independents 4%; seats by party - KMT 81, DPP 27, NPSU 3, PFP 1, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [TSAI Ing-wen]; Kuomintang or
KMT (Nationalist Party) [WU Po-hsiung], MA Ying-jeou elected in July
2009, takes office on 12 September 2009; Non-Partisan Solidarity
Union or NPSU [LIN Pin-kuan]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Organization for Taiwan Nation Building; World United Formosans for
Independence
other: environmental groups; independence movement; various business 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 public consensus has developed that the government enjoys popular sovereignty and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding unification or independence - that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; public opinion polls consistently show a substantial majority of Taiwan people supports maintaining Taiwan's status quo for the foreseeable future; 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; advocates of eventual unification predicate their goal on the democratic transformation of the mainland
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, BCIE, ICC, IOC, ITUC, WCL, WFTU, 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
representative: Jason C. YUAN
office: 4201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] 202 895-1800
Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (branch offices): Atlanta,
Boston, Chicago, Guam, Houston, Honolulu, Kansas City, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation 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
director: William A. STANTON
office: #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan
telephone: [1] [886] (02) 2162-2000
FAX: [1] [886] (07) 238-7744
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
Economy ::Taiwan
Economy - overview:
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing government guidance of investment and foreign trade. In keeping with this trend, some large, state-owned banks and industrial firms have been privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The island runs a large trade surplus, and its foreign reserves are among the world's largest. Recently opened cross-strait travel, transportation, and tourism links are likely to increase Taiwan and China's economic interdependence. In 2008 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. Growth fell to 0.1% in 2008 because of the global slowdown.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$713.7 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20 $713 billion (2007 est.)
$674.5 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$391.4 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 197 5.7% (2007 est.)
4.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$31,100 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 $31,200 (2007 est.)
$29,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.7%
industry: 25.1%
services: 73.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
10.85 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 5.1%
industry: 36.8%
services: 58% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 3.9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
0.95% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 6.7%
highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Budget:
revenues: $73.02 billion
expenditures: $77.96 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
29.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 73 32.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 1.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1.5% (January 2009)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
4.06% (2008 est.)
Stock of quasi money:
$618 billion (November 2008) country comparison to the world: 7 $NA (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$677.8 billion (November 2008) country comparison to the world: 17 $NA (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 20 $654 billion (28 December 2007)
$654 billion (28 December 2007)
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:
-1.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Electricity - production:
225 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Electricity - consumption:
233 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
12,310 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Oil - consumption:
959,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Oil - exports:
303,500 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Oil - imports:
1.251 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Oil - proved reserves:
2.38 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Natural gas - production:
360 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Natural gas - consumption:
12.44 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 99
Natural gas - imports:
12.08 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.229 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Current account balance:
$24.89 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 $32.98 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$254.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 $246.5 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electronics, flat panels, machinery, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals, auto parts (2008)
Exports - partners:
China 29.2%, US 12%, Hong Kong 9.8%, Japan 6.9%, Singapore 4.6% (2008 est.)
Imports:
$236.7 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 $216.1 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
electronics, machinery, petroleum, precision instruments, organic chemicals, metals (2008)
Imports - partners:
Japan 19.3%, China 13%, US 10.9%, Saudi Arabia 6.3%, South Korea 5.5% (2008 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$296.4 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 $275 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$93.02 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $97.85 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$102.3 billion (2008) country comparison to the world: 34 $52.65 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$107.1 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25 $96.81 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar - 31.53 (2008 est.), 32.84 (2007), 32.534 (2006), 31.71 (2005), 34.418 (2004)
Communications ::Taiwan
Telephones - main lines in use:
14.273 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 19
Telephones - mobile cellular:
25.412 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 33
Telephone system:
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 21, FM 143, shortwave 1 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
76 (5 television networks with 46 digital and 30 analog stations) (2007)
Internet country code:
.tw
Internet hosts:
5.704 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 15
Internet users:
15.143 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 25
Transportation ::Taiwan
Airports:
42 (2009) country comparison to the world: 101
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 38
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Heliports:
4 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 406 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 1,588 km country comparison to the world: 81 standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,093 km 1.067-m gauge; 150 km .762-m gauge
note: the 150 km of .762 gauge track belongs primarily to Taiwan Sugar Corporation and Taiwan Forestry Bureau; some to other entities (2007)
Roadways:
total: 40,262 km country comparison to the world: 88 paved: 38,171 km (includes 976 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,091 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 102 country comparison to the world: 50 by type: bulk carrier 32, cargo 19, chemical tanker 1, container 24, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 3 (Canada 2, France 1)
registered in other countries: 536 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 1, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 2, Italy 13, Kiribati 5, Liberia 91, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 320, Philippines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 72, Thailand 1, UK 11, unknown 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Chilung (Keelung), Kaohsiung, Taichung
Military ::Taiwan
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard
Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service
Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command
Military service age and obligation:
19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service; service obligation 14 months (reducing to 1 year in 2009); women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense has announced plans to implement an incremental voluntary enlistment system beginning 2010, with 10% fewer conscripts each year thereafter, although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 3-4 months of military training (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,283,134
females age 16-49: 6,098,599 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,106,730
females age 16-49: 5,008,563 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 165,738
female: 154,123 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 75
Transnational Issues ::Taiwan
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, 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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Tajikistan (Central Asia)
Introduction ::Tajikistan
Background:
The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Much of present-day Sughd province was transferred from the Uzbek SSR to the newly formed Tajik SSR in 1929. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Sughd province. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992-97. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community since the beginning of the NATO intervention in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development and security assistance, which could create jobs and strengthen stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.
Geography ::Tajikistan
Location:
Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 71 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 143,100 sq km country comparison to the world: 95 land: 141,510 sq km
water: 2,590 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain:
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold
Land use:
arable land: 6.52%
permanent crops: 0.89%
other: 92.59% (2005)
Irrigated land:
7,220 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
99.7 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 11.96 cu km/yr (4%/5%/92%)
per capita: 1,837 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; floods
Environment - current issues:
inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR
People ::Tajikistan
Population:
7,349,145 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.3% (male 1,282,681/female 1,238,607)
15-64 years: 62.1% (male 2,260,552/female 2,303,034)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 112,334/female 151,937) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.9 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 22.4 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.878% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Birth rate:
26.9 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Death rate:
6.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Net migration rate:
-1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Urbanization:
urban population: 26% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 41.03 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 64 male: 45.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 35.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.33 years country comparison to the world: 166 male: 62.29 years
female: 68.52 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.99 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups:
Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census)
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
Languages:
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.5%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 10 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 132
Government ::Tajikistan
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
local short form: Tojikiston
former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Dushanbe
geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
Independence:
9 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)
Constitution:
6 November 1994
Legal system:
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMON (since 6 November 1994; head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Supreme Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6 November 2006 (next to be held in November 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Emomali RAHMON reelected president; percent of vote - Emomali RAHMON 79.3%, Olimjon BOBOEV 6.2%, other 14.5%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (34 seats; 25 members selected by local deputies, 8 appointed by the president; 1 seat reserved for the former president; to serve five-year terms) and the Assembly of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 25 March 2005 (next to be held in February 2010); Assembly of Representatives 27 February and 13 March 2005 (next to be held in February 2010)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDPT 29, CPT 2, independents 3; Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDPT 74.9%, CPT 13.6%, Islamic Revival Party 8.9%, other 2.5%; seats by party - PDPT 51, CPT 5, Islamic Revival Party 2, independents 5
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party of Tajikistan or APT [Amir QARAQULOV]; Democratic
Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV (imprisoned October 2005);
Rahmatullo VALIYEV, deputy]; Islamic Revival Party [Muhiddin
KABIRI]; Party of Economic Reform or PER [Olimjon BOBOEV]; People's
Democratic Party of Tajikistan or PDPT [Emomali RAHMON]; Social
Democratic Party or SDPT [Rahmatullo ZOYIROV]; Socialist Party or
SPT [Mirhuseyn NARZIEV]; Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi
SHABDOLOV]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
splinter parties recognized by the government but not by the base of the party: Democratic Party or DPT [Masud SOBIROV] (splintered from ISKANDAROV's DPT); Socialist Party or SPT [Abduhalim GHAFFOROV] (splintered from NARZIEV's SPT)
unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]
International organization participation:
ADB, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abdujabbor SHIRINOV
chancery: 1005 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 223-6090
FAX: [1] (202) 223-6091
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey Ann JACOBSON
embassy: 109-A Ismoili Somoni Avenue, Dushanbe 734019
mailing address: 7090 Dushanbe Place, Dulles, VA 20189
telephone: [992] (37) 229-20-00
FAX: [992] (37) 229-20-50
Flag description:
three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe
Economy ::Tajikistan
Economy - overview:
Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Because of a lack of employment opportunities in Tajikistan, nearly half of the labor force works abroad, primarily in Russia, supporting families in Tajikistan through remittances. The exact number of labor migrants is unknown, but estimated at around 1 million. Less than 7% of the land area is arable. Cotton is the most important crop, but this sector is burdened with debt and obsolete infrastructure. Mineral resources include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food processing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. Tajikistan's economic situation remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural reforms, corruption, weak governance, widespread unemployment, seasonal power shortages, and the external debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia in December 2002 including a $250 million write-off of Tajikistan's $300 million debt. Completion of the Sangtuda I hydropower dam - built with Russian investment - and the Sangtuda II and Rogun dams will add substantially to electricity output. If finished according to Tajik plans, Rogun will be the world's tallest dam. Tajikistan has also received substantial infrastructure development loans from the Chinese government to improve roads and an electricity transmission network. To help increase north-south trade, the US funded a $36 million bridge which opened in August 2007 and links Tajikistan and Afghanistan. While, Tajikistan has experienced steady economic growth since 1997, nearly two-thirds of the population continues to live in poverty. Economic growth reached 10.6% in 2004, but dropped below 8% in 2005-08, as the effects of higher oil prices and then the international financial crisis began to register - mainly in the form of lower prices for key commodities and lower remittances from Tajiks working in Russia, due to the declining economic conditions in that country.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$13.19 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 137 $12.22 billion (2007 est.)
$11.34 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.135 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 7.8% (2007 est.)
7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 190 $1,700 (2007 est.)
$1,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 22.7%
industry: 27.1%
services: 50.2% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.1 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 118
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 67.2%
industry: 7.5%
services: 25.3% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 2.4% (2007 est.)
note: official rates; actual unemployment is higher
Population below poverty line:
60% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 25.6% (2007 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.6 (2006) country comparison to the world: 99 34.7 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
12% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Budget:
revenues: $996.8 million
expenditures: $899.6 million (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
20.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 205 13.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 14 15% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
23.1% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$329.2 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$544 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 107 $350.3 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$889 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 109 $NA (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares: