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

at birth:

1.086 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.08 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.92 male(s)/female

total population:

1.02 male(s)/female (2010 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:

Taiwan

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)

• adopted on 25 December 1946;
• promulgated on 1 January 1947;
• effective 25 December 1947;
• amended numerous times

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) WU Den-yih (since 10 September 2009); Vice Premier (Vice President of Executive Yuan) Sean CHEN (since 17 May 2010)

cabinet:

Executive Yuan - (ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier); (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

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 on 22 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2012);
• premier appointed by the president;
• vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier

election results:

MA Ying-jeou elected president; percent of vote - MA Ying-jeou 58.45%, Frank HSIEH 41.55%

• unicameral Legislative Yuan (113 seats - 73 district members elected by popular vote, 34 at-large members elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, 6 elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; members to serve four-year terms);
• parties must receive 5% of vote to qualify for at-large seats

elections:

Legislative Yuan - last held on 12 January 2008 (next to be held in December 2011 or January 2012)

election results:

• Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT 53.5%, DPP 38.2%, NPSU 2.4%, PFP 0.3%, others 1.6%, independents 4%;
• seats by party - KMT 81, DPP 27, NPSU 3, PFP 1, independent 1;
• note - following the 2008 elections, several rounds of byelections were held to fill seats vacated as a result of corruption changes;
• seats by party as of December 2010 - KMT 74, DPP 33, NPSU 3, independent 2, vacant 1

• Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [TSAI Ing-wen];
• Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou];
• Non-Partisan Solidarity Union or NPSU [LIN Pin-kuan];
• People First Party or PFP [James SOONG]

• 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 nationaliam, 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: somewhat resembles the flag of Burma

agriculture:

5.1%

industry:

36.8%

services:

58% (2008 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA

highest 10%:

41.1% (2002)

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

• electronics, flat panels, machinery;
• metals;
• textiles, plastics, chemicals;
• optical, photographic, measuring, and medical instruments

general assessment:

provides telecommunications service for every business and private need

domestic:

thoroughly modern; completely digitalized

international:

• country code - 886;
• roughly 15 submarine fiber cables cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US;
• satellite earth stations - 2

• 5 free-to-air nationwide television networks operating roughly 75 TV stations;
• about 85% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV;
• national and regional radio networks with about 170 radio stations broadcasting (2008)

total:

1,582 km

country comparison to the world: 81

standard gauge:

345 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:

1,091 km 1.067-m gauge; 146 km .762-m gauge

note: the 146 km of .762 gauge track belongs primarily to Taiwan Sugar Corporation and Taiwan Forestry Bureau, some to other entities (2008)

total:

41,279 km

country comparison to the world: 88

paved:

40,843 km (includes 976 km of expressways)

unpaved:

436 km (2008)

• 19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service;
• service obligation 2 years;
• women may enlist;
• women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles;
• reserve obligation to age 30 (Army);
• the Ministry of Defense is in the process of implementing a voluntary enlistment system over the period 2010-2015, although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 4 months of military training (2010)

males age 16-49:

6,218,009

females age 16-49:

6,038,964 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

5,094,111

females age 16-49:

4,980,454 (2010 est.)

male:

166,141

female:

155,070 (2010 est.)

• 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

• 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