Taiwan

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Taiwan

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Chung-hua Min-kuo/Republic of China Area 36,179 sq km/13,968 sq mi Capital Taipei Language Chinese (dialects include Mandarin (official), Min, and Hakka) Religion officially atheist; Buddhist 23%, Taoist 18%, I-Kuan Tao 4%, Christian 3%, Confucian and other 3% Time difference GMT +8 Major holidays 1–3 January, 29 March, 5 April, 1 July, 28 September, 10, 25, 31 October, 12 November, 25 December; variable: New Year (Chinese, January/February, 3 days), Dragon Boat Festival (June), Mid-Autumn Festival (September/October)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, Panchiao, Chungho, Sanchung Major ports Kaohsiung, Keelung Physical features island (formerly Formosa) off People's Republic of China; mountainous, with lowlands in west; Penghu (Pescadores), Jinmen (Quemoy), Mazu (Matsu) islands Airports two international airports and 14 domestic airports; total passengers carried: 37,900 (2003 est) Railways total length: 1,108 km/689 mi; total passenger journeys: 478.2 million (2003) Roads total road network: 36,288 km/22,548 mi, of which 95.5% paved (2001 est); passenger cars: 212.3 per 1,000 people (2000 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Chen Shui-bian from 2000 Head of government Chang Chun-hsiung from 2007 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 16 counties, five municipalities, and two special municipalities (Taipei and Kaohsiung) Political parties Nationalist Party of China (Kuomintang: KMT; known as Guomindang outside Taiwan), anticommunist, Chinese nationalist; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), centrist-pluralist, proself-determination grouping; Workers' Party (Kuntang), left of centre Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 290,000; plus 1,657,000 reservists and paramilitary forces of 26,700 (2006 est) Conscription military service is compulsory for 20 months Defence spend (% GDP) 2 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 2.4 (2000 est) Health spend (% GDP) 5.4 (2000 est)


ECONOMY

Currency new Taiwan dollar GDP (US$) 420 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 4 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 286.8 billion (2002 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 22,900 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 1% (2006 est) Unemployment 3.9% (2006 est) Labour force 7.5% agriculture, 35.2% industry, 57.3% services (2002) Foreign debt (US$) 88.9 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners China, Japan, Hong Kong, USA, Japan, South Korea Resources coal, copper, marble, dolomite; small reserves of petroleum and natural gas Industries electronics, plastic and rubber goods, textiles and clothing, base metals, vehicles, aircraft, ships, footwear, cement, fertilizers, paper Exports machinery and electrical equipment, base metals and metal articles, plastic and rubber products, textiles and clothing, machinery, information and communication products, vehicles and transport equipment, footwear, headwear, umbrellas, toys, games, sports equipment. Principal market: China 21.6% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, minerals, chemicals, base metals and products, basic manufactures, textile products, crude petroleum, plastics, precision instruments, clocks and watches. Principal source: Japan 25.3% (2005) Arable land 24% (2006 est) Agricultural products rice, tea, bananas, pineapples, sugar cane, maize, sweet potatoes, soybeans, peanuts; fishing; forest resources


POPULATION

Population 23,036,000 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.1% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 637 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 81 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 21%, 15–59 68%, 60+ 11% (2001 est) Ethnic groups 98% Han Chinese and 2% aboriginal by descent; around 84% are Taiwan-born and 14% are ‘mainlanders’ Life expectancy 74 (men); 80 (women) (2001 est) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 6 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 97% (men); 95% (women) (2003 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 1,000 people) 1.6 (2002 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 6 (2002 est)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 59.8 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 97.4 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 744 (1994) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 439 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 52.8 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 58 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

7th century AD Island occupied by aboriginal community of Malayan descent; immigration of Chinese from mainland began, but remained limited before 15th century. 1517 Sighted by Portuguese vessels en route to Japan and named Ilha Formosa (‘beautiful island’). 1624 Occupied and controlled by Dutch. 1662 Dutch defeated by Chinese Ming general, Cheng Ch'eng-kung (Koxinga), whose family came to rule Formosa for a short period. 1683 Annexed by China's rulers, the Manchu Qing. 1786 Major rebellion against Chinese rule. 1860 Ports opened to Western trade. 1895 Ceded ‘in perpetuity’ to Japan under Treaty of Shominoseki at end of Sino-Japanese war. 1945 Recovered by China's Nationalist Guomindang government at end of World War II. 1947 Rebellion against Chinese rule brutally suppressed. 1949 Flight of Nationalist government, led by Generalissimo Jiang Jie Shi (Chiang Kai-shek), to Taiwan after Chinese communist revolution. They retained the designation of Republic of China (ROC), claiming to be the legitimate government for all China, and were recognized by USA and United Nations (UN). Taiwan replaced Formosa as the name of the country. 1950s onwards Rapid economic growth as Taiwan became a successful export-orientated Newly Industrializing Country (NIC). 1954 US–Taiwanese mutual defence treaty. 1971 Expulsion from UN as USA adopted new policy of détente towards communist China. 1972 Commencement of legislature elections as a programme of gradual democratization and Taiwanization was launched by the mainlander-dominated Guomindang. 1975 President Jiang Jie Shi died; replaced as Guomindang leader by his son, Jiang Ching-kuo. 1979 USA severed diplomatic relations and annulled the 1954 security pact. 1986 Centrist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) formed as opposition to nationalist Guomindang. 1987 Martial law lifted; opposition parties legalized; press restrictions lifted. 1988 President Jiang Ching-kuo died; replaced by Taiwanese-born Lee Teng-hui. 1990 Chinese-born Guomindang members became minority in parliament. 1991 President Lee Teng-hui declared end to civil war with China. Constitution amended. Guomindang won landslide victory in elections to new National Assembly, ‘superparliament’. 1993 Cooperation pact signed with China. 1996 Lee Teng-hui elected president in first Chinese democratic elections. 1997 Government narrowly survived no-confidence motion. Vincent Siew became prime minister. 1998 President Lee Teng-hui announced reunion with mainland China impossible until Beijing adopted democracy. Ruling Guomindang increased majority in parliamentary and local elections. 2000 Despite Chinese invasion threats if Taiwan made moves towards independence, pro-independence Chen Shui-bian elected president; appointed Tang Fei (member of former government) prime minister. Tang Fei resigned; replaced by Chang Chun-hsiung. 2001 Taiwan partially lifted 52-year ban on direct trade and communications with China. Guomindang party lost parliamentary majority for first time. 2002 Taiwan entered World Trade Organization (WTO), just weeks after China entered. 2003 Taiwan last to be removed from World Health Organization's list of countries badly affected by Sars virus. Bill allowing referendum on independence should China attack approved by parliament. 2004 President Chen Shui-bian narrowly re-elected. 2005 First direct flights between Taiwan and China since 1949 marked Lunar New Year. Guomindang leader Lien Chan visited China; first meeting between Chinese Nationalist and Communist leaders since 1949. Taipei Ma Ying Jeou elected Guomindang's leader. Opposition Guomindang made significant gains in municipal elections. 2006 Government scrapped National Unification Council (set up to deal with reunification with mainland China); China viewed move as potentially disastrous. President Chen withstood second attempt by parliament to force referendum on his rule. Protests held by opponents and supporters. 2007 Newspaper reported that Taiwan test-fired cruise missile capable of hitting some Chinese cities. Nation tried to join UN as Taiwan (rather than official title of Republic of China); request rejected.


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