2021 Edition

Background

First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan, which then governed Taiwan for 50 years. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang, KMT) control after World War II. With the communist victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Nationalist-controlled Republic of China government and 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued to claim to be the legitimate government for mainland China and Taiwan based on a 1947 Constitution drawn up for all of China. Until 1987, however, the Nationalist government ruled Taiwan under a civil war martial law declaration dating to 1948. Beginning in the 1970s, Nationalist authorities gradually began to incorporate the native population into the governing structure beyond the local level. The democratization process expanded rapidly in the 1980s, leading to the then illegal founding of Taiwan’s first opposition party (the Democratic Progressive Party or DPP) in 1986 and the lifting of martial law the following year. Taiwan held legislative elections in 1992, the first in over forty years, and its first direct presidential election in 1996. In the 2000 presidential elections, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power with the KMT loss to the DPP and afterwards experienced two additional democratic transfers of power in 2008 and 2016. Throughout this period, the island prospered, became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers," and after 2000 became a major investor in mainland China as cross-Strait ties matured. The dominant political issues continue to be economic reform and growth as well as management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China.

Area

land

32,260 sq km

note

note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands

total

35,980 sq km

water

3,720 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Climate

tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year

Coastline

1,566.3 km

Elevation

highest point

Yu Shan 3,952 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

mean elevation

1,150 m

Geographic coordinates

23 30 N, 121 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait

Irrigated land

3,820 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

22.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 5.8% (2018 est.)

other

77.3% (2018 est.)

Location

Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes; typhoonsvolcanism: Kueishantao Island (401 m), east of Taiwan, is its only historically active volcano, although it has not erupted in centuries

Natural resources

small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, asbestos, arable land

Population distribution

distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts

Terrain

eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west

Age structure

0-14 years

12.42% (male 1,504,704/female 1,426,494)

15-24 years

11.62% (male 1,403,117/female 1,339,535)

25-54 years

45.51% (male 5,351,951/female 5,389,112)

55-64 years

14.73% (male 1,698,555/female 1,778,529)

65 years and over

15.72% (male 1,681,476/female 2,029,576) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

7.43 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

NA

Death rate

7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

22.2

potential support ratio

4.5 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

40

youth dependency ratio

17.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Han Chinese (including Holo, who compose approximately 70% of Taiwan's population, Hakka, and other groups originating in mainland China) more than 95%, indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples 2.3%

note

note 1: there are 16 officially recognized indigenous groups: Amis, Atayal, Bunun, Hla'alua, Kanakaravu, Kavalan, Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai, Saisiyat, Sakizaya, Seediq, Thao, Truku, Tsou, and Yami; Amis, Paiwan, and Atayal are the largest and account for roughly 70% of the indigenous populationnote 2: although not definitive, the majority of current genetic, archeological, and linguistic data support the theory that Taiwan is the ultimate source for the spread of humans across the Pacific to Polynesia; the expansion (ca. 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1200) took place via the Philippines and eastern Indonesia and reached Fiji and Tonga by about 900 B.C.; from there voyagers spread across the rest of the Pacific islands over the next two millennia

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

4.35 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.03 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Mandarin (official), Taiwanese (Min Nan), Hakka dialects, approximately 16 indigenous languages

major-language sample(s)

世界概況  –  不可缺少的基本消息來源 (Mandarin)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.14 years (2021 est.)

male

77.93 years

total population

80.95 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.3% (2014)

male

99.7%

total population

98.5%

Major urban areas - population

4.435 million New Taipei City, 2.731 million TAIPEI (capital), 2.272 million Taoyuan, 1.542 million Kaohsiung, 1.338 million Taichung, 857,000 Tainan (2021)

Median age

female

43.1 years (2020 est.)

male

41.5 years

total

42.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Taiwan (or Taiwanese)

note

note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan

noun

Taiwan (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Population

23,572,052 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts

Population growth rate

0.04% (2021 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.83 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.07 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

79.3% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

includes main island of Taiwan plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 13 counties (xian, singular and plural), 3 cities (shi, singular and plural), and 6 special municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan counties: Changhua, Chiayi, Hsinchu, Hualien, Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taitung, Yilan, Yunlin cities: Chiayi, Hsinchu, Keelung special municipalities: Kaohsiung (city), New Taipei (city), Taichung (city), Tainan (city), Taipei (city), Taoyuan (city)

note

note: Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems; while a modified Wade-Giles system still dominates, the city of Taipei has adopted a Pinyin romanization for street and place names within its boundaries; other local authorities use different romanization systems

Capital

etymology

the Chinese meaning is "Northern Taiwan," reflecting the city's position in the far north of the island

geographic coordinates

25 02 N, 121 31 E

name

Taipei

time difference

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Taiwan

dual citizenship recognized

yes, except that citizens of Taiwan are not recognized as dual citizens of the People's Republic of China

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by at least one fourth of the Legislative Yuan membership; passage requires approval by at least three-fourths majority vote of at least three fourths of the Legislative Yuan membership and approval in a referendum by more than half of eligible voters; revised several times, last in 2005

history

previous 1912, 1931; latest adopted 25 December 1946, promulgated 1 January 1947, effective 25 December 1947

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Taiwan

etymology

"Tayowan" was the name of the coastal sandbank where the Dutch erected their colonial headquarters on the island in the 17th century; the former name "Formosa" means "beautiful" in Portuguese

former

Formosa

local long form

none

local short form

Taiwan

Diplomatic representation from the US

branch office(s)

American Institute in TaiwanNo. 100, Jinhu Road,Neihu District 11461, Taipei City

chief of mission

the US does not have an embassy in Taiwan; commercial and cultural relations with the people of Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts; it is managed by Director Sandra OUDKIRK (since July 2021)

email address and website

TaipeiACS@state.govhttps://www.ait.org.tw/

FAX

[886] 2-2162-2251

mailing address

4170 AIT Taipei Place, Washington DC  20521-4170

other offices

Kaohsiung (Branch Office)

telephone

[886] 2-2162-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

none; commercial and cultural relations with its citizens in the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts, represented by HSIAO Bi-khim (since 20 July 2020); office: 4201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: [1] (202) 895-1800

Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (branch offices)

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver (CO), Houston, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Yuan - ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier

chief of state

President TSAI Ing-wen (since 20 May 2016; re-elected on 11 Jan 2020); Vice President LAI Ching-te (since 20 May 2020)

election results

TSAI Ing-wen elected president; percent of vote - TSAI Ing-wen (DPP) 57.1%, HAN Kuo-yu (KMT) 38.6%; note - TSAI is the first woman elected president of Taiwan

elections/appointments

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 11 January 2020 (next to be held on 11 January 2024); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier

head of government

Premier SU Tseng-chang (President of the Executive Yuan) (since 11 January 2019); Vice Premier SHEN Jong-chin, Vice President of the Executive Yuan (since 19 June 2020)

Flag description

red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays; the blue and white design of the canton (symbolizing the sun of progress) dates to 1895; it was later adopted as the flag of the Kuomintang Party; blue signifies liberty, justice, and democracy, red stands for fraternity, sacrifice, and nationalism, and white represents equality, frankness, and the people's livelihood; the 12 rays of the sun are those of the months and the twelve traditional Chinese hours (each ray equals two hours)

note

note: similar to the flag of Samoa

Government type

semi-presidential republic

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ADB (Taipei, China), APEC (Chinese Taipei), BCIE, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), SICA (observer), WTO (Taipei, China);

note

note - separate customs territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and approximately 100 judges organized into 8 civil and 12 criminal divisions, each with a division chief justice and 4 associate justices); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 13 justices)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court justices appointed by the president; Constitutional Court justices appointed by the president, with approval of the Legislative Yuan; Supreme Court justices serve for life; Constitutional Court justices appointed for 8-year terms, with half the membership renewed every 4 years

subordinate courts

high courts; district courts; hierarchy of administrative courts

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Legislative Yuan (113 seats; 73 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 34 directly elected in a single island-wide constituency by proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat aboriginal constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 34.0%, Kuomintang (KMT) 33.4%, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) 11.2%, New Power Party (NPP) 7.5%; seats by party - DPP 61, KMT 38, TPP 5, NPP 3

elections

last held on 11 January 2020 (next to be held on 11 January 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

HU Han-min, TAI Chi-t'ao, and LIAO Chung-k'ai/CHENG Mao-Yun

name

"Zhonghua Minguo guoge" (National Anthem of the Republic of China)

note

note: adopted 1930; also the song of the Kuomintang Party; it is informally known as "San Min Chu I" or "San Min Zhu Yi" (Three Principles of the People); because of political pressure from China, "Guo Qi Ge" (National Banner Song) is used at international events rather than the official anthem of Taiwan; the "National Banner Song" has gained popularity in Taiwan and is commonly used during flag raisings

National holiday

Republic Day (National Day), 10 October (1911); note - celebrates the anniversary of the Chinese Revolution, also known as Double Ten (10-10) Day

National symbol(s)

white, 12-rayed sun on blue field; national colors: blue, white, red

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [TSAI Ing-wen]Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [CHU Chi-luan, aka Eric CHU]Taiwan People's Party or TPP [KO Wen-je]New Power Party or NPP [KAO Yu-ting]Taiwan Statebuilding Party or TSP [CHEN Yi-chi] (2021)

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal; note - in mid-2016, the Legislative Yuan drafted a constitutional amendment to reduce the voting age to 18, but it has not passed as of December 2017

Agricultural products

rice, vegetables, pork, cabbages, poultry, sugar cane, milk, eggs, pineapples, tropical fruit

Budget

expenditures

92.03 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

91.62 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA- (2016)

Moody's rating

Aa3 (1994)

Standard & Poors rating

AA- (2002)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

$70.843 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$65.173 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$196.276 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$189.684 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy that is driven largely by industrial manufacturing, and especially exports of electronics, machinery, and petrochemicals. This heavy dependence on exports exposes the economy to fluctuations in global demand. Taiwan's diplomatic isolation, low birth rate, rapidly aging population, and increasing competition from China and other Asia Pacific markets are other major long-term challenges.Following the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed with China in June 2010, Taiwan in July 2013 signed a free trade deal with New Zealand - Taipei’s first-ever with a country with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations - and, in November of that year, inked a trade pact with Singapore. However, follow-on components of the ECFA, including a signed agreement on trade in services and negotiations on trade in goods and dispute resolution, have stalled. In early 2014, the government bowed to public demand and proposed a new law governing the oversight of cross-Strait agreements, before any additional deals with China are implemented; the legislature has yet to vote on such legislation, leaving the future of ECFA uncertain. President TSAI since taking office in May 2016 has promoted greater economic integration with South and Southeast Asia through the New Southbound Policy initiative and has also expressed interest in Taiwan joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership as well as bilateral trade deals with partners such as the US. These overtures have likely played a role in increasing Taiwan’s total exports, which rose 11% during the first half of 2017, buoyed by strong demand for semiconductors.Taiwan's total fertility rate of just over one child per woman is among the lowest in the world, raising the prospect of future labor shortages, falling domestic demand, and declining tax revenues. Taiwan's population is aging quickly, with the number of people over 65 expected to account for nearly 20% of the island's total population by 2025.The island runs a trade surplus with many economies, including China and the US, and its foreign reserves are the world's fifth largest, behind those of China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland. In 2006, China overtook the US to become Taiwan's second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment. Taiwan since 2009 has gradually loosened rules governing Chinese investment and has also secured greater market access for its investors on the mainland. In August 2012, the Taiwan Central Bank signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cross-Strait currency settlement with its Chinese counterpart. The MOU allows for the direct settlement of Chinese renminbi (RMB) and the New Taiwan dollar across the Strait, which has helped Taiwan develop into a local RMB hub.Closer economic links with the mainland bring opportunities for Taiwan’s economy but also pose challenges as political differences remain unresolved and China’s economic growth is slowing. President TSAI’s administration has made little progress on the domestic economic issues that loomed large when she was elected, including concerns about stagnant wages, high housing prices, youth unemployment, job security, and financial security in retirement. TSAI has made more progress on boosting trade with South and Southeast Asia, which may help insulate Taiwan’s economy from a fall in mainland demand should China’s growth slow in 2018.

Exchange rates

currency

New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

30.363 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

31.911 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

30.8395 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

30.472 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

28.211 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2017

$382.736 billion (2017 est.)

Exports 2018

$383.484 billion (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$388.49 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

integrated circuits, office machinery/parts, computers, refined petroleum, liquid crystal displays (2019)

Exports - partners

China 26%, United States 14%, Hong Kong 12%, Japan 7%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

65.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption

14.1% (2017 est.)

household consumption

53% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-52.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.8% (2017 est.)

industry

36% (2017 est.)

services

62.1% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$611.391 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2000

32.6 (2000)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

33.6 (2014)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

40.3% (2010)

lowest 10%

6.4% (2010)

Imports

Imports 2017

$303.067 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$305.428 billion (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$308.744 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

integrated circuits, crude petroleum, photography equipment, natural gas, refined petroleum (2019)

Imports - partners

China 21%, Japan 16%, United States 11%, South Korea 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3.9% (2017 est.)

Industries

electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0.6% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

1.3% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

0.5% (2019 est.)

Labor force

11.498 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

4.9%

industry

35.9%

services

59.2% (2016 est.)

Population below poverty line

1.5% (2012 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data for central government

Public debt 2016

36.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

35.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$1,083,384,000,000 (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$1,113,126,000,000 (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1,143,277,000,000 (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3.31% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

2.75% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.71% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2017

$23,865 (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2018

$24,502 (2018 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$439 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$456.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

16% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

3.69% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

3.73% (2019 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

846,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

196 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

2.38 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

237.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

4% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

11% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

49.52 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

246.1 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

22.45 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

22.14 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

237.9 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

6.229 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

962,400 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

349,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

418,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

924,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

24.99 (2020 est.)

total

5,952,411 (2020)

Broadcast media

5 nationwide television networks operating roughly 22 TV stations; more than 300 satellite TV channels are available; about 60% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV; 99.9% of households subscribe to digital cable TV; national and regional radio networks with about 171 radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.tw

Internet users

percent of population

88.96% (2020 est.)

total

21.45 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line 55 per 100 and mobile-cellular 123 per 100 (2019)

general assessment

dynamic telecommunications industry defined by excellent infrastructure and competitive mobile market; solid availability of fixed and mobile broadband networks; investors attracted to regulatory certainty, market maturity, an educated workforce, and ICT sector at the heart of economic development; 4G LTE service with fiber is the most popular platform; 5G to 80% of subscribers; government funds development of 5G and IoT market; concerns include China’s efforts to influence media and ICT policy (2020)

international

country code - 886; landing points for the EAC-C2C, APCN-2, FASTER, SJC2, TSE-1, TPE, APG, SeaMeWe-3, FLAG North Asia Loop/REACH North Asia Loop, HKA, NCP, and PLCN submarine fiber cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

53.54 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

12,750,429 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

123.2 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

29,351,150 (2020)

Airports

total

37 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

10

2,438 to 3,047 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

8

over 3,047 m

8

total

35

under 914 m

2 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

total

2

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

B

Heliports

31 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 37, container ship 49, general cargo 57, oil tanker 33, other 253 (2021)

total

429

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

216

number of registered air carriers

7 (2020)

Pipelines

25 km condensate, 2,200 km gas, 13,500 km oil (2018)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Kaohsiung (10,428,634), Taichung (1,793,966), Taipei (1,620,392) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Yung An (Kaohsiung), Taichung

major seaport(s)

Keelung (Chi-lung), Kaohsiung, Hualian, Taichung

Railways

narrow gauge

1,118.1 km 1.067-m gauge (793.9 km electrified) (2018)

note

150 0.762-m gauge note: the 0.762-gauge track belongs to three entities: the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower

standard gauge

345 km 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified) (2018)

total

1,613 km (2018)

Roadways

paved

42,793 km (includes 1,348 km of highways and 737 km of expressways) (2017)

total

43,206 km (2017)

unpaved

413 km (2017)

Military - note

the US Taiwan Relations Act of April 1979 states that the US shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and shall maintain the capacity of the US to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan (2021)

Military and security forces

Taiwan Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force; Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (a law enforcement organization with homeland security functions during peacetime and national defense missions during wartime) (2021)

note

note - the Armed Forces also have Military Police and Armed Forces Reserve commands

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Taiwan military has approximately 170,000 active duty troops (90,000 Army; 40,000 Navy, including approximately 10,000 marines; 40,000 Air Force) (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Taiwan military is armed mostly with second-hand weapons and equipment provided by the US; Taiwan also has a domestic defense industry capable of building and upgrading a range of weapons systems, including surface naval craft and submarines (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

1.8% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.8% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.8% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.1% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

2.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

starting with those born in 1994, males 18-36 years of age may volunteer for military service or must complete 4 months of compulsory military training (or substitute civil service in some cases); men born before December 1993 are required to complete compulsory service for 1 year (military or civil); men are subject to training recalls up to four times for periods not to exceed 20 days for 8 years after discharge; women may enlist, but are restricted to noncombat roles in most cases; as part of its transition to an all-volunteer military in December 2018, the last cohort of one-year military conscripts completed their service obligations (2021)

Disputes - international

involved in complex dispute with Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam over the Spratly Islands, and with China and the Philippines over Scarborough Reef; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands are occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003, China and Taiwan became more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea where all parties engage in hydrocarbon prospecting

Illicit drugs

major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

Climate

tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year

Environment - current issues

air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal

Land use

agricultural land

22.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 5.8% (2018 est.)

other

77.3% (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

67 cubic meters (2011)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

79.3% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

7.336 million tons (2015 est.)