1983 Edition

Agriculture

most arable land intensely farmed — 60% cultivated land under irrigation; main crops — rice, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, citrus fruits; food shortages — wheat, corn, soybeans

Aid

economic commitments — US authorizations, including Ex-lm (FY46-82), $4.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF(1970-81), $275 million; militaryUS (FY46-81), $4.4 billion authorized

Airfields

42 total, 39 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m, 17 with runways 2,440 3,659 m, 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Area

35,981 km2 (Taiwan and Pescadores); 55% forest, 24% cultivated, 6% pasture, 5% other (urban, industrial, waste, or water) Water

Branches

five independent branches (executive, legislative, judicial, plus traditional Chinese functions of examination and control), dominated by executive branch; President and Vice President elected by National Assembly

Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force

Capital

Taipei

Central government expenditure

$12.6 billion (FY82)

Coastline

990 km Taiwan, 459 km offshore islands People

Elections

national level — Legislative Yuan every three years; National Assembly and Control Yuan every six years; no general election held since 1948 election on mainland (partial elections for Taiwan province representatives in December 1969, 1972, 1975, 1980, and 1983); local level— provincial assembly, county and municipal executives every four years; county and municipal assemblies every four years Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang, or National Party, led by Chairman Chiang Ching-kuo; two insignificant parties are Democratic Socialist Party and Young China Party

Electric power

1 1,870,000 kW capacity (1982); 40.9 billion kWh produced (1982), 2,216 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

84% Taiwanese, 14% mainland Chinese, 2% aborigine

Exports

$25.2 billion (f.o.b., 1983); 21.7% textiles, 17.6% electrical machinery, 8.7% other machinery and equipment, 3.3% plywood and wood products, 7% basic metals and metal products, 6.9% foodstuffs

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June Communications

Fishing

catch 922,520 metric tons (1982)

GNP

$49.8 billion (1983, $2,673 per capita; real growth, 7. 14% (1983)

Government leaders

CHIANG Ching-kuo, President; SUN Yiin-hsiian, Premier

Highways

network totals 17,500 km (12,900 km are bitumous or concrete surface); 3,500 km are crushed stone or gravel surface; and 1,100 km are graded earth

Imports

$20.3 billion (c.i.f., 1983); 20.6% crude oil, 15.9% machinery and equipment, 10.6% electrical machinery, 10.0% chemical products, 8.7% basic metals, 6.9% foodstuffs Taiwan (continued) West Bank and Caza Strip

Labor force

6,764,000(1983); 20% agriculture, 41% industry and commerce, 30% services, 7% civil administration; 1.3% unemployment (1979)

Language

Mandarin Chinese (official); Taiwanese and Hakka dialects also used

Legal system

based on civil law system; constitution adopted 1947, though 1948 amendments set most of the constitution aside; martial law declared in 1949 still in effect; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

3 nm (fishing 12 nm)

Literacy

about 89.7%

Major industries

textiles, clothing, chemicals, electronics, food processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding

Major trade partners

exports — 44% US, 11% Japan; imports— 25% Japan, 23% US (1983)

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; member of ADB and seeking to join GATT and/or MFA; attempting to retain membership in ICAC, ISO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IWC— International Wheat Council, PCA; suspended from IAEA in 1972 but still allows IAEA controls over extensive atomic development Economy

Military budget

est. expenditures for national defense for fiscal year ending 30 June 1984, $3.8 billion; about 47% of central government budget SYRIA Mediterranean Sn ISRAEL/ f~\ } WEST } f , BANK' Israeli occupied-jtttus \ to la determined ^ J e r u s ilem GAZA , STRIP/^ <( ' 1349 Armisti er m /. tsm

Military manpower

males 15-49, 5,144,000; 4,044,000 fit for military service; about 209,000 currently reach military age (19) annually

Monetary conversion rate

NT (New Taiwan) $40.2=US$1 (December 1983)

National holiday

10 October

Nationality

noun — Chinese (sing., pi.); adjective — Chinese

Official name

Taiwan

Organized labor

about 15% of 1978 labor force (government controlled) Government

Other political or pressure groups

loose coalition of oppositionist/independent politicians has emerged in the past five years

Pipelines

615 km refined products, 97 km natural gas

Political subdivisions

16 counties, 5 cities, 2 special municipalities (Taipei and Kaoshiung)

Population

19,117,000, excluding the population of Quemoy and Matsu Islands and foreigners (July 1984), average annual growth rate 1.7%

Ports

5 major, 5 minor

Railroads

about 1,091 km common carrier lines and 3,500 km industrial lines; common carrier lines consist of three lines — the electrified West Line, 828 km long, of which 365 km are double-tracked; the 178-km-long East Line; and the 85-km-long North Link Line; all lines are 1 .067-meter gauge; a 98.25 km South Link Line to complete the rail encirclement of Taiwan is under construction; common carrier lines owned by government and operated by Railway Administration (TRA) under Ministry of Communications; industrial lines owned and operated by government enterprises

Religion

93% mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist; 4.5% Christian; 2.5% other

Suffrage

universal over age 20

Telecommunications

very good international and domestic service; 2.7 million telephones; about 100 radio broadcast stations with 270 AM and 12 FM transmitters; 12 TV stations and 6 repeaters; 8 million radio receivers and 3.6 million TV receivers; 2 INTELSAT ground stations; tropospheric scatter links to Hong Kong and the Philippines available but inactive; submarine cables to Okinawa (Japan), the Philippines, and Guam Defense Forces

Type

one-party presidential regime

Voting strength

(1983 Legislative Yuan elections) 62 seats Kuomintang, 19 seats independents; 1981 local elections, with 63% turnout of eligible voters, Kuomintang received 71% of the popular vote, non-Kuomintang 29%