:Taiwan Government
Legislative Yuan:
last held 2 December 1989 (next to be held NA December 1992); results - KMT
65%, DPP 33%, independents 2%; seats - (304 total, 102 elected) KMT 78, DPP
21, independents 3
Elections:
National Assembly:
first National Assembly elected in November 1947 with a supplementary
election in December 1986; second National Assembly elected in December 1991
Member of:
expelled from UN General Assembly and Security Council on 25 October 1971
and withdrew on same date from other charter-designated subsidiary organs;
expelled from IMF/World Bank group April/May 1980; seeking to join GATT;
attempting to retain membership in INTELSAT; suspended from IAEA in 1972,
but still allows IAEA controls over extensive atomic development; APEC,
AsDB, ICC, ICFTU, IOC
Diplomatic representation:
none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US
are maintained through a private instrumentality, the Coordination Council
for North American Affairs (CCNAA) with headquarters in Taipei and field
offices in Washington and 10 other US cities with all addresses and
telephone numbers NA
US:
unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of Taiwan are
maintained through a private institution, the American Institute in Taiwan
(AIT), which has offices in Taipei at #7, Lane 134, Hsiu Yi Road, Section 3,
telephone [886] (2) 709-2000, and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3d Road,
telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, and the American Trade Center at
Room 3207 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333
Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone [886] (2) 720-1550
Flag:
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a
white sun with 12 triangular rays
:Taiwan Economy
Overview:
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with considerable government
guidance of investment and foreign trade and partial government ownership of
some large banks and industrial firms. Real growth in GNP has averaged about
9% a year during the past three decades. Export growth has been even faster
and has provided the impetus for industrialization. Agriculture contributes
about 4% to GNP, down from 35% in 1952. Taiwan currently ranks as number 13
among major trading countries. Traditional labor-intensive industries are
steadily being replaced with more capital- and technology-intensive
industries. Taiwan has become a major investor in China, Thailand,
Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The tightening of labor markets
has led to an influx of foreign workers, both legal and illegal.
GNP:
purchasing power equivalent - $150.8 billion, per capita $7,380; real growth
rate 5.2% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.1% (1990); 3.8% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
1.7% (1990); 1.5% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $30.3 billion; expenditures $30.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$67.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
electrical machinery 18.2%, textiles 15.6%, general machinery and equipment
14.8%, basic metals and metal products 7.8%, foodstuffs 1.7%, plywood and
wood products 1.6% (1989)
partners:
US 36.2%, Japan 13.7% (1989)
Imports:
$54.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
machinery and equipment 15.3%, basic metals 13.0%, chemical and chemical
products 11.1%, crude oil 5%, foodstuffs 2.2% (1989)
partners:
Japan 31%, US 23%, FRG 5% (1989)
External debt:
$1.1 billion (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 6.5% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
17,000,000 kW capacity; 76,900 million kWh produced, 3,722 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar
milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum
Agriculture:
accounts for 4% of GNP and 16% of labor force (includes part-time farmers);
heavily subsidized sector; major crops - vegetables, rice, fruit, tea;
livestock - hogs, poultry, beef, milk, cattle; not self-sufficient in wheat,
soybeans, corn; fish catch increasing, 1.4 million metric tons (1988)
Economic aid:
US, including Ex-Im (FY46-82), $4.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA
and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $500 million
Currency:
New Taiwan dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
:Taiwan Economy
Exchange rates:
New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 25.000 (February 1992), 25.748 (1991), 27.108
(1990), 26.407 (1989) 28.589 (1988), 31.845 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Taiwan Communications
Railroads:
about 4,600 km total track with 1,075 km common carrier lines and 3,525 km
industrial lines; common carrier lines consist of the 1.067-meter gauge 708
km West Line and the 367 km East Line; a 98.25 km South Link Line connection
was completed in late 1991; common carrier lines owned by the government and
operated by the Railway Administration under Ministry of Communications;
industrial lines owned and operated by government enterprises
Highways:
20,041 km total; 17,095 km bituminous or concrete pavement, 2,371 km crushed
stone or gravel, 575 km graded earth
Pipelines:
petroleum products 615 km, natural gas 97 km
Ports:
Kao-hsiung, Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Su-ao, T'ai-tung
Merchant marine:
213 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,491,539 GRT/9,082,118 DWT; includes
1 passenger, 42 cargo, 15 refrigerated cargo, 73 container, 17 petroleum
tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 58 bulk, 1
roll-on/roll-off, 2 combination bulk
Airports:
40 total, 39 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over
3,659 m; 16 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
best developed system in Asia outside of Japan; 7,800,000 telephones;
extensive microwave transmission links on east and west coasts; broadcast
stations - 91 AM, 23 FM, 15 TV (13 repeaters); 8,620,000 radios; 6,386,000
TVs (5,680,000 color, 706,000 monochrome); satellite earth stations - 1
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; submarine cable links to
Japan (Okinawa), the Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
:Taiwan Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Taiwan General Garrison
Headquarters, Ministry of National Defense
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 5,982,717; 4,652,586 fit for military service; about 180,706
currently reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $9.16 billion, 4.5% of GNP (FY92)