Taiwan
multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly
Taiwan as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan, however it 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 that over five decades has gradually democratized and incorporated native Taiwanese within its structure. Throughout this period, the island has prospered as one of East Asia's economic tigers. The dominant political issue continues to be the relationship between Taiwan and Mainland China and the question of eventual reunification.
Geography
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
17 fieldsLand useshare of 35,980 sq km
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
Climate
- tropical;
- marine;
- rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August);
- cloudiness is persistent and extensive 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
Environment--international agreements
- party to:
- none of the selected agreements
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 22% (male 2,515,398; female 2,338,506)
- 15-64 years:
- 70% (male 7,825,953; female 7,574,836)
- 65 years and over:
- 8% (male 989,040; female 869,517) (1999 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1.14 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Literacy
- definition:
- age 15 and over can read and write
- total population:
- 94% (1998 est.)
- male:
- 93% (1980 est.)
- female:
- 79% (1980 est.)
Government
Multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly; Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) Vincent SIEW (since 1 September 1997) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) LIU Chao-shiuan (since 10 December 1997)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislative Yuan, 334 seatsseats by party
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Taiwan
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- T'ai-wan
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President LEE 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)
- head of government:
- Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) Vincent SIEW (since 1 September 1997) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) LIU Chao-shiuan (since 10 December 1997)
- 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:
- LEE Teng-hui elected president; percent of vote--LEE Teng-hui 54%, PENG Ming-min 21%, LIN Yang-kang 15%, and CHEN Li-an 10%
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats--168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote among the aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and unicameral National Assembly (334 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- Legislative Yuan--last held 5 December 1998 (next to be held NA December 2001); 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 29%, CNP 7%, independents 10%, other parties 8%;
- seats by party--KMT 123, DPP 70, CNP 11, independents 15, other parties 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
Judicial branch
Judicial Yuan, justices appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly
Political pressure groups and leaders
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;
advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the ruling party's traditional stand that the island will eventually reunify 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
Diplomatic representation in the US
none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through a private instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities
Diplomatic representation from the US
none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through a private institution, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung
Flag description
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
Economy
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with | gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by | government authorities and partial government ownership of some | large banks and industrial firms.
31 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1997)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy--overview
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities and partial government ownership of some large banks and industrial firms. Real growth in GDP has averaged about 8.5% a year during the past three decades.
Export growth has been even faster and has provided the impetus for industrialization. Inflation and unemployment are low, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 3% to GDP, down from 35% in 1952. Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being moved off-shore and 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. Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from "the Asian flu" in 1998.
Industries
electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum refining
Agriculture--products
- rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, vegetables, fruit, tea;
- pigs, poultry, beef, milk;
- fish
Exports--commodities
machinery and electrical equipment 21.7%, electronic products 14.8%, information/communications 11.8%, textile products 11.6% (1997)
Imports--commodities
machinery and electrical equipment 16.5%, electronic products 16.3%, chemicals 10.0%, precision instrument 5.6% (1997)
Exchange rates
New Taiwan dollars per US$1--32.45 (yearend 1997), 27.5 (1996), 27.4 (1995), 26.2 (1994)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
- domestic:
- extensive microwave radio relay trunk system on east and west coasts
- international:
- satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean);
- submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 180 ships by type(1998 est.)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 4,600 km (519 km electrified); note--1,108 km belongs to the Taiwan Railway Administration and the remaining 3,492 km is dedicated to industrial use
- narrow gauge:
- 4,600 km 1.067-m
Military
Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, | Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, | Combined Service Forces
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes--international
- 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;
- claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as does China
Illicit drugs
considered an important heroin transit point; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamines and heroin
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Taiwan.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/taiwan/1999.