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

at birth:

1.09 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.083 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.967 male(s)/female

total population:

1.026 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

noun:

Taiwan (singular and plural)

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

adjective:

Taiwan

definition:

age 15 and over can read and write

total population:

96.1%

male:

NA%

female:

NA% (2003)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Taiwan

local long form:

none

local short form:

T'ai-wan

former:

Formosa

name:

Taipei

geographic coordinates:

25 03 N, 121 30 E

time difference:

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

chief of state:

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

head of government:

• Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) CHANG Chun-hsiung (since 21 May 2007);
• Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) CHIOU I-jen (since 21 May 2007)

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);
• election last held 20 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2008);
• premier appointed by the president;
• vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier

election results:

CHEN Shui-bian re-elected president; percent of vote - CHEN Shui-bian 50.1%, LIEN Chan 49.9%

• Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [CHEN Shui-bian];
• Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [WU Po-hsiung];
• People First Party or PFP [James SOONG];
• Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [HUANG Kun-hui];
• other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or NP

• none;
• unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), which has its headquarters in Taipei and in the US in Washington, DC;
• there are also branch offices called Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in 12 other US cities

• 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 at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385);
• Taiwan offices at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2162-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2162-2251;
• #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 238-7744, FAX: [886] (7) 238-5237;
• 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

agriculture:

5.5%

industry:

36%

services:

58.5% (2005 est.)

lowest 10%:

6.7%

highest 10%:

41.1% (2002 est.)

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

general assessment:

provides telecommunications service for every business and private need

domestic:

thoroughly modern; completely digitalized

international:

• country code - 886;
• 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:

2,502 km

narrow gauge:

1,102 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified)

note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau) used to carry products and limited numbers of passengers (2006)

total:

37,299 km

paved:

35,621 km (includes 789 km of expressways)

unpaved:

1,678 km (2002)

• 19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service;
• service obligation 16 months (to be shortened to 14 months as of July 2007 and to 12 months in 2008);
• women may enlist;
• women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles;
• reserve obligation to age 30 (2007)

males age 19-49:

5,883,828

females age 19-49:

5,680,773 (2005 est.)

males age 19-49:

4,749,537

females age 19-49:

4,644,607 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

174,173

females age 19-49:

163,683 (2005 est.)

• involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands;
• 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

• regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals;
• transshipment point for drugs to Japan;
• major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin;
• rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs