1994 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1994 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
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
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
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
Area
total area: 35,980 sq km land area: 32,260 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland and Delaware combined note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
Birth rate
15.6 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Branches
Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Military Police Command
Budget
revenues: $30.3 billion expenditures: $30.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Capital
Taipei
Climate
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Coastline
1,448 km
Constitution
1 January 1947, amended in 1992, presently undergoing revision
Currency
1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
Death rate
5.63 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $12.1 billion, 5% of GNP (FY93/94 est.)
Digraph
TW
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
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
Electricity
capacity: 18,382,000 kW production: 98.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,718 kWh (1992)
Environment
current issues: water pollution from industrial emissions, untreated sewage; air pollution; contamination of drinking water supplies natural hazards: subject to earthquakes and typhoons international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic divisions
Taiwanese 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
Exchange rates
New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 26.6 (1993), 25.4 (1992), 25.748 (1991), 27.108 (1990), 26.407 (1989)
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
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.)
External debt
$620 million (1992 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
Flag
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
Highways
total: 20,041 km paved: bituminous, concrete pavement 17,095 km unpaved: crushed stone, gravel 2,371 km; graded earth 575 km
Illicit drugs
an important heroin transit point; also a major drug money laundering center
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.)
Industrial production
growth rate 3.6% (1993 est.); accounts for more than 40% of GDP
Industries
electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum refining
Infant mortality rate
5.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.2% (1993 est.)
International disputes
involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Judicial branch
Judicial Yuan
Labor force
7.9 million by occupation: industry and commerce 53%, services 22%, agriculture 15.6%, civil administration 7% (1989)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 55% other: 15%
Languages
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Legal system
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.25 years male: 72.01 years female: 78.66 years (1994 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 86% male: 93% female: 79%
Location
Eastern Asia, off the southeastern coast of China, between Japan and the Philippines
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.)
Map references
Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
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
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
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Taiwan local long form: none local short form: T'ai-wan
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)
National holiday
National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of the Revolution)
National product
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $224 billion (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$10,600 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
6% (1993 est.)
Nationality
noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese
Natural resources
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Net migration rate
-0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
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
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.
Pipelines
petroleum products 615 km; natural gas 97 km
Political parties and leaders
Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party), LI Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); Chinese New Party (CNP); Labor Party (LP)
Population
21,298,930 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate
0.96% (1994 est.)
Ports
Kao-hsiung, Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Su-ao, T'ai-tung
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
Religions
mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal
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
Terrain
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Total fertility rate
1.81 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Type
multiparty democratic regime; opposition political parties legalized in March, 1989
Unemployment rate
1.5% (1992 est.)
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