Taiwan

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

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

party to:

none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status

0-14 years:

21% (male 2,464,290; female 2,268,627)

15-64 years:

70% (male 8,010,014; female 7,774,296)

65 years and over:

9% (male 1,053,975; female 976,807) (2002 est.)

at birth:

1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.08 male(s)/female

total population:

1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Chinese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Chinese

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Taiwan

local short form:

T'ai-wan

local long form:

none

former:

Formosa

• 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);
• Taiwan is further subdivided into 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

chief of state:

President Shui-bian CHEN (since 20 May 2000) and Vice President Annette Hsiu-lien LU (since 20 May 2000)

election results:

Shui-bian CHEN elected president; percent of vote - Shui-bian CHEN (DPP) 39.3%, James SOONG (independent) 36.84%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 23.1%, HSU Hsin-liang (independent) 0.63%, LEE Ao (CNP) 0.13%

elections:

• president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms;
• election last held 18 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004);
• premier appointed by the president;
• vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier

head of government:

Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) Shyi-kun YU (since 1 February 2002) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) Hsin-yi LIN (since 1 February 2002)

cabinet:

Executive Yuan appointed by the president

• Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Frank Chang-ting HSIEH, chairman];
• Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman];
• People First Party or PFP [James Chu-yu SOONG, chairman];
• Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [Chu-wen HUANG, chairman];
• other minor parties

• none;
• unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan;
• US office located at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385);
• Taiwan offices located at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2709-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2702-7675;
• #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX: [886] (7) 223-8237;
• and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2) 2757-7162

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea;
• pigs, poultry, beef, milk;
• fish

• 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99);
• 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00;
• calendar year (after FY00)

general assessment:

provides telecommunications service for every business and private need

domestic:

thoroughly modern; completely digitalized

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 (1999)

total:

1,108 km

narrow gauge:

1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified)

note: in addition to the above routes in common carrier service, there are several thousand kilometers of 1.067-m gauge routes that are dedicated to industrial use (2001)

total:

34,901 km

paved:

31,271 km (including 538 km of expressways)

unpaved:

3,630 km (1998 est.)

total:

152 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,262,451 GRT/6,596,950 DWT

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Hong Kong 3, Japan 1 (2002 est.)

ships by type:

bulk 40, cargo 28, combination bulk 3, container 53, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 2

• involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
• Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam;
• claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as does China