Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Taiwan
local long form:
none
local short form:
T'ai-wan
Digraph:
TW
Type:
multiparty democratic regime; opposition political parties legalized
in March, 1989
Capital:
Taipei
Administrative divisions:
some of the ruling party in Taipei claim to be the government of all
China; in keeping with that claim, the central administrative
divisions include 2 provinces (sheng, singular and plural) and 2
municipalities* (shih, singular and plural) - Fu-chien (some 20
offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu),
Kao-hsiung*, T'ai-pei*, and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the
Pescadores islands); the more commonly referenced administrative
divisions are those of Taiwan Province - 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
National holiday:
National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of the Revolution)
Constitution:
1 January 1947, amended in 1992, presently undergoing revision
Legal system:
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President LI Teng-hui (since 13 January 1988); Vice President LI
Yuan-zu (since 20 May 1990)
head of government:
Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN Chan (since 23 February
1993); Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh
(since 23 February 1993) presidential election last held 21 March 1990
(next to be held NA March 1996); results - President LI Teng-hui was
reelected by the National Assembly; vice presidential election last
held 21 March 1990 (next election will probably be a direct popular
election and will be held NA March 1996); results - LI Yuan-zu was
elected by the National Assembly
cabinet:
Executive Yuan; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Yuan and unicameral National Assembly
Legislative Yuan:
elections last held 19 December 1992 (next to be held near the end of
1995); results - KMT 60%, DPP 31%, independents 9%; seats - (304
total, 161 elected) KMT 96, DPP 50, independents 15
National Assembly:
elections - first National Assembly elected in November 1946 with a
supplementary election in December 1986; second and present National
Assembly elected in December 1991; seats - (403 total) KMT 318, DPP
75, other 10; (next election to be held in 1997)
Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan
Political parties and leaders:
Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party), LI Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP); Chinese New Party (CNP); Labor Party (LP)
Other political or pressure groups:
Taiwan independence movement, various 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 the opposition Democratic
Progressive Party in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on
the island's national identity; advocates of Taiwan independence, both
within the DPP and the ruling Kuomintang, oppose the ruling party's
traditional stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland
China; the aims 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
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, BCIE, ICC, IOC, COCOM
(cooperating), WCL
Diplomatic representation in US:
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
US diplomatic representation:
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, Hsin 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 GDP, 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, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The tightening of labor markets
has led to an influx of foreign workers, both legal and illegal.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $224 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
6% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$10,600 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
1.5% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$30.3 billion
expenditures:
$30.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Exports:
$85 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
electrical machinery 19.7%, electronic products 19.6%, textiles 10.9%,
footwear 3.3%, foodstuffs 1.0%, plywood and wood products 0.9% (1993
est.)
partners:
US 27.6%, Hong Kong 21.7%, EC countries 15.2%, Japan 10.5% (1993 est.)
Imports:
$77.1 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities:
machinery and equipment 15.7%, electronic products 15.6%, chemicals
9.8%, iron and steel 8.5%, crude oil 3.9%, foodstuffs 2.1% (1993 est.)
partners:
Japan 30.1%, US 21.7%, EC countries 17.6% (1993 est.)
External debt:
$620 million (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3.6% (1993 est.); accounts for more than 40% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
18,382,000 kW
production:
98.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
4,718 kWh (1992)
Industries:
electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood,
sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum refining
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; not self-sufficient
in wheat, soybeans, corn; fish catch increasing, reached 1.4 million
metric tons in 1988
Illicit drugs:
an important heroin transit point; also a major drug money laundering
center
Economic aid:
recipient:
US, including Ex-Im (FY46-82), $4.6 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $500 million
Currency:
1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 26.6 (1993), 25.4 (1992), 25.748 (1991),
27.108 (1990), 26.407 (1989)
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:
total:
20,041 km
paved:
bituminous, concrete pavement 17,095 km
unpaved:
crushed stone, gravel 2,371 km; graded earth 575 km
Pipelines:
petroleum products 615 km; natural gas 97 km
Ports:
Kao-hsiung, Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Su-ao, T'ai-tung
Merchant marine:
212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,910,453 GRT/9,098,315 DWT,
bulk 54, cargo 38, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 2, combination
ore/oil 2, container 85, oil tanker 17, passenger-cargo 1,
refrigerated cargo 11, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports:
total:
40
usable:
38
with permanent-surface runways:
36
with runways over 3,659 m:
3
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
16
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
7
Telecommunications:
best developed system in Asia outside of Japan; 7,800,000 telephones;
extensive microwave radio relay 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), Philippines, Guam,
Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western
Europe
@Taiwan, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense
Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Military Police Command
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 6,205,707; fit for military service 4,806,456; reach
military age (19) annually 192,083 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $12.1 billion, 5% of GNP (FY93/94 est.)
@Tajikistan, Geography
Location:
Central Asia, between Uzbekistan and China
Map references:
Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian States,
Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
143,100 sq km
land area:
142,700 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
total 3,651 km, Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km,
Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
boundary with China in dispute; territorial dispute with Kyrgyzstan on
northern boundary in Isfara Valley area; Afghanistan's and other
foreign support to Tajik rebels based in northern Afghanistan
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
Natural resources:
significant hydropower potential, some petroleum, uranium, mercury,
brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten
Land use:
arable land:
6%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
23%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
71%
Irrigated land:
6,940 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity;
industrial pollution; excessive pesticides; Tajikistan is part of the
basin of the shrinking Aral Sea which suffers from severe
overutilization of available water for irrigation and associated
pollution
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
NA
Note:
landlocked
@Tajikistan, People