World Facts Index > Taiwan > Kaohsiung, Taipei
 In
1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan reverted to
Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the
mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a
government using the 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next
five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the
local population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its
first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic
Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one
of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues
continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the
question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic
reform.
Geography of Taiwan
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Location:
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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 |
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Coordinates:
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23 30 N, 121 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 35,980 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
water: 3,720 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km |
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Area comparative:
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slightly smaller than
Maryland and Delaware combined |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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1,566.3 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; marine; rainy
season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is
persistent and extensive all year |
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Terrain:
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eastern two-thirds mostly
rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: South
China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m |
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Natural resources:
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small deposits of coal,
natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes and typhoons |
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Environment current issues:
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air pollution; water
pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of
drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level
radioactive waste disposal |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location adjacent
to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait
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Population of Taiwan
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Population:
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22,920,946 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.4% (male 2,330,951/female 2,140,965)
15-64 years: 70.8% (male 8,269,421/female 8,040,169)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 1,123,429/female 1,131,152) |
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Median age:
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34.6 years |
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Growth rate:
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0.61% |
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Infant mortality:
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6.29 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.43 years
male: 74.67 years
female: 80.47 years |
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Fertility rate:
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1.57 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
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noun: Chinese/Taiwanese (singular
and plural)
adjective: Chinese/Taiwanese |
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Ethnic groups:
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Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland
Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% |
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Religions:
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mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist
93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% |
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Languages:
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Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese
(Min), Hakka dialects |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1%
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional short form: Taiwan
local short form: T'ai-wan
former: Formosa |
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Government type:
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multiparty democratic regime headed by
popularly-elected president and unicameral legislature |
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Capital:
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Taipei |
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Administrative divisions:
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includes central island of Taiwan plus numerous smaller
islands near central island and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided
into 18 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities (shih, singular and
plural), and 2 special municipalities (chuan-shih, singular and plural) |
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National holiday:
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Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese
Revolution), 10 October (1911) |
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Constitution:
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25 December 1946; amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000,
2005 |
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Legal system:
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based on civil law system |
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Suffrage:
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20 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President MA Ying-jeou (since 20
May 2008); Vice President Vincent SIEW (since 20 May 2008)
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIO Chao-shiuan
(since 20 May 2008); Vice Premier (Vice President of Executive Yuan) Paul CHIU
(CHANG-hsiung) (since 20 May 2008)
cabinet: Executive Yuan - (ministers appointed by president on recommendation of
premier)
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular
vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); premier appointed by the
president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the
premier. |
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Legislative branch:
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Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote,
41 elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political
parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on basis of proportion of
island-wide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected by popular
vote among aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms); National Assembly (300
seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by parties and elected by proportional
representation six to nine months after Legislative Yuan calls to amend Constitution,
impeach president, or change national borders) - see note
note: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by National Assembly in
June 2005, number of seats in legislature will be reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with
election in 2007; amendments also eliminated National Assembly thus giving Taiwan a
unicameral legislature |
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Judicial branch:
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Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the
president with consent of the Legislative Yuan) |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Taiwan independence movement, various business and
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
opposition parties in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on the island's
national identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan currently enjoys de
facto independence and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or
independence - that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan
independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China;
goals 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. |
Economy
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance
of investment and foreign trade by the authorities. In keeping with this
trend, some large, state-owned banks and industrial firms are being
privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization.
The island runs a large trade surplus, and its foreign reserves are among the
world's largest. Despite restrictions on cross-strait links, China has
overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and its
second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's
number one destination for foreign direct investment. Strong trade performance
in 2007 pushed Taiwan's GDP growth rate above 5%, and unemployment is below
4%.
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GDP:
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$698.6 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP growth rate:
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5.7% |
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GDP per capita:
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$27,600 |
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GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 25.9%
services: 72.3% |
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Inflation rate:
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2.3% |
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Labor force:
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10.6 million |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 6%
industry: 35.8%
services: 58.2% |
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Unemployment:
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3.9% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $41.67 billion
expenditures: $50.26 billion |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 71.4%
hydro: 6%
other: 0%
nuclear: 22.6% |
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Industries:
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electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals,
textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing |
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Agriculture:
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rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs,
poultry, beef, milk, fish |
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Exports:
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computer products and electrical equipment,
metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals |
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Export partners:
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China 21.6%, US 16.22%, Hong Kong 15.1%, Japan 7.7% |
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Imports:
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machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%,
minerals, precision instruments |
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Import partners:
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Japan 25.3%, US 11.6%, China 11%, South Korea 7.3% |
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Currency:
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new Taiwan dollar (TWD) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |