Data code: TW
Government type: multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly elected president
National capital: Taipei
Administrative divisions: since in the past the authorities claimed to be the government of all China, 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); note - 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 (succeeded to the presidency following the death of President CHIANG Ching-kuo 13 January 1988, elected by the National Assembly 21 March 1990, elected by popular vote in the first-ever direct elections for president 23 March 1996); Vice President LIEN Chan (since 20 May 1996); note - LIEN Chan serves as both vice president and premier head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN Chan (since 23 February 1993) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh (since 23 February 1993); note - LIEN Chan serves as both vice president and premier cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 23 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier election results : LI Teng-hui elected president; percent of vote - LI Teng-hui 54%, PENG Ming-min 21%, LIN Yang-kang 15%, and CHEN Li-an 10%
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan (164 seats - 128 elected by popular vote, 36 indirectly elected on the basis of proportional representation; members serve three-year terms; note - national conference agreed to change the term to four years, pending ratification by the National Assembly) and unicameral National Assembly (334 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections : Legislative Yuan - last held 2 December 1995 (next to be held NA December 1998); National Assembly - last held 23 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT 46%, DPP 33%, CNP 13%, independents 8%; seats by party - KMT 85, DPP 54, CNP 21, independents 4; note - since the election, there has been a change in the distribution of seats, the new distribution is as follows - KMT 83, DPP 54, CNP 21, independents 6; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - KMT 55%, DPP 30%, CNP 14%, other 1%; seats by party - KMT 183, DPP 99, CNP 46, other 6