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Compare Bulgaria (2003) - Taiwan (2001)

Compare Bulgaria (2003) z Taiwan (2001)

 Bulgaria (2003)Taiwan (2001)
 BulgariaTaiwan
Administrative divisions 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 14.2% (male 549,142; female 520,057)


15-64 years: 68.8% (male 2,551,548; female 2,632,978)


65 years and over: 17% (male 535,165; female 749,039) (2003 est.)
0-14 years:
21.22% (male 2,470,270; female 2,276,108)

15-64 years:
69.97% (male 7,944,451; female 7,707,250)

65 years and over:
8.81% (male 1,034,230; female 938,152) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish
Airports 216 (2002) 39 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 128


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 20


1,524 to 2,437 m: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 92 (2002)
total:
35

over 3,047 m:
8

2,438 to 3,047 m:
9

1,524 to 2,437 m:
8

914 to 1,523 m:
7

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 88


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 74 (2002)
total:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Area total: 110,910 sq km


land: 110,550 sq km


water: 360 sq km
total:
35,980 sq km

land:
32,260 sq km

water:
3,720 sq km

note:
includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
Area - comparative slightly larger than Tennessee slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Background The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878, but having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, it fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into NATO and the EU - with which it began accession negotiations in 2000. 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 using the 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within its governing structure. Throughout this period, the island has prospered to become one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issue continues to be the relationship between Taiwan and China and the question of eventual reunification.
Birth rate 8.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 14.31 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.57 billion


expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues:
$42.74 billion

expenditures:
$48.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Sofia Taipei
Climate temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Coastline 354 km 1,566.3 km
Constitution adopted 12 July 1991 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria


conventional short form: Bulgaria
conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Taiwan

local long form:
none

local short form:
T'ai-wan

former:
Formosa
Currency lev (BGL) new Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Death rate 14.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $10.3 billion (yearend 2002) $40 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW


embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia 1000


mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740


telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100


FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77
none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through a private corporation, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia (telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474 and FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385) and offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone [886] (2) 2709-2000, FAX [886] (2) 2702-7675, and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX [886] (7) 223-8237, and the American Trade Center at Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX [886] (2) 2757-7162
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA


chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174


FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973


consulate(s): New York
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) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities
Disputes - international joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with Romania based on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920 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
Economic aid - recipient $300 million (2000 est.) -
Economy - overview Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. As a result, the government became committed to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 has supported government efforts to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment. Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Real growth in GDP has averaged about 8% during the past three decades. Exports have grown even faster and have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. Inflation and unemployment are low; the trade surplus is substantial; and foreign reserves are the world's fourth largest. Agriculture contributes 3% to GDP, down from 35% in 1952. Traditional labor-intensive industries are steadily being moved offshore 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 financial crisis in 1998-99. Growth in 2001 will depend largely on conditions in Taiwan's export markets and may be about 5%.
Electricity - consumption 32.52 billion kWh (2001) 129.899 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 6.79 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 830 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 41.38 billion kWh (2001) 139.676 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 47.8%


hydro: 8.1%


nuclear: 44.1%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel:
67.26%

hydro:
6.32%

nuclear:
26.42%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Black Sea 0 m


highest point: Musala 2,925 m
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m

highest point:
Yu Shan 3,997 m
Environment - current issues air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes 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: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to:
none of the selected agreements

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (1998) Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
Exchange rates leva per US dollar - 2.08 (2002), 2.18 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84 (1999), 1.76 (1998)


note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July 1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev
new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 33.082 (yearend 2000), 31.395 (yearend 1999), 32.216 (1998), 32.052 (1997), 27.5 (1996)
Executive branch chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)


head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24 July 2001), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 11 November and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister


election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%
chief of state:
President CHEN Shui-bien (20 May 2000) and Vice President Annette LU (since 20 May 2000)

head of government:
Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) CHANG Chun-hsiung (since NA October 2000) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) LAI In-jaw (since NA October 2000)

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 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

election results:
CHEN Shui-bien elected president; percent of vote - CHEN Shui-bien (DPP) 39.3%, James SOONG (independent) 36.84%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 23.1%, HSU Hsin-liang (independent) 0.63%, LEE Ao (CNP) 0.13%
Exports NA (2001) $148.38 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels machinery and electrical equipment 51%, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals
Exports - partners Italy 15.5%, Germany 9.6%, Turkey 9.4%, Greece 9.2%, France 5.3%, US 4.8% (2002) US 23.5%, Hong Kong 21.1%, Europe 16%, ASEAN 12.2%, Japan 11.2% (2000)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control) red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
GDP purchasing power parity - $49.23 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $386 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 13.7%


industry: 28.5%


services: 57.9% (2001)
agriculture:
3%

industry:
33%

services:
64% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $17,400 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2002 est.) 6.3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 43 00 N, 25 00 E 23 30 N, 121 00 E
Geography - note strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia -
Heliports 1 (2002) 3 (2000 est.)
Highways total: 37,286 km


paved: 35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways)


unpaved: 2,237 km (2000)
total:
34,901 km

paved:
31,271 km (including 538 km of expressways)

unpaved:
3,630 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 4.5%


highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin
Imports NA (2001) $140.01 billion (c.i.f., 2000)
Imports - commodities fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles machinery and electrical equipment 51%, minerals, precision instruments
Imports - partners Russia 14.6%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 11.4%, Greece 6.1%, France 5.7%, Turkey 5% (2002) Japan 27.5%, US 17.9%, Europe 13.6% (2000)
Independence 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire) -
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2002 est.) 8% (2000 est.)
Industries electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing
Infant mortality rate total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.43 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
6.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.9% (2002 est.) 1.3% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 200 (2001) 8 (2000)
Irrigated land 8,000 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary) Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly; note - beginning in 2003, justices will be appointed by the president with the consent of the Legislative Yuan)
Labor force 3.83 million (2000 est.) 9.8 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.) services 55%, industry 37%, agriculture 8% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,808 km


border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 39%


permanent crops: 1.8%


other: 59.2% (1998 est.)
arable land:
24%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
5%

forests and woodland:
55%

other:
15%
Languages Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Legal system civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2 42.74%, UtdDF 18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UtdDF 51, CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of March 2003 - NMS2 110, UtdDF 50, CfB 48, MRF 20, independents 12
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 (300 seats, note - total number of seats has been reduced from 334 to 300 since the last election; members are elected by proportional representation based on the election of the Legislative Yuan and 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 June 2002)

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; subsequent to the election there have been some changes in the distribution of seats in the Legislative Yuan due to new party formation and party defections, the new distribution is as follows - KMT 114, DPP 66, PFP 17, NP 9, other/independent 19; 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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.8 years


male: 68.26 years


female: 75.56 years (2003 est.)
total population:
76.54 years

male:
73.81 years

female:
79.51 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98.6%


male: 99.1%


female: 98.2% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
86% (1980 est.); note - literacy for the total population has reportedly increased to 94% (1998 est.)

male:
93% (1980 est.)

female:
79% (1980 est.)
Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey 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
Map references Europe Southeast Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 829,421 GRT/1,252,496 DWT


ships by type: bulk 42, cargo 10, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)
total:
167 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,768,145 GRT/7,508,941 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 45, cargo 29, combination bulk 1, container 65, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 2 (2000 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Defense), Internal Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Interior), Civil Defense Forces (subordinate to the president) Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure $356 million (FY02) $8.042 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.7% (FY02) 2.8% (FY98/99)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,854,049 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
6,575,689 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,551,485 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
5,025,856 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age (2003 est.) 19 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 54,107 (2003 est.) males:
198,766 (2001 est.)
National holiday Liberation Day, 3 March (1878) Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)
Nationality noun: Bulgarian(s)


adjective: Bulgarian
noun:
Chinese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Chinese
Natural hazards earthquakes, landslides earthquakes and typhoons
Natural resources bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Net migration rate -4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2003) petroleum products 3,400 km; natural gas 1,800 km (1999)
Political parties and leaders Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or VMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and other center-right parties) Chinese New Party or CNP [HAU Lang-bin]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Frank HSIEH, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; New Party or NP [LI Ching-hwa]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG, chairman]; other minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders agrarian movement; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas 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; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the 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
Population 7,537,929 (July 2003 est.) 22,370,461 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 12.6% (2001 est.) 1% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate -1.09% (2003 est.) 0.8% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung
Radio broadcast stations AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001) AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)
Radios - 16 million (1994)
Railways total: 4,294 km


standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)
total:
4,600 km (519 km electrified)

narrow gauge:
4,600 km 1.067-m

note:
only 1,108 km of route length (including the electrified part) is used in common carrier service by the Taiwan Railway Administration; the remaining 3,492 km is dedicated to industrial use (1999)
Religions Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998) mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth:
1.09 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
1.1 male(s)/female

total population:
1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: extensive but antiquated


domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential; telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay


international: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 3,186,731 (2001) 12.49 million (September 2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.054 million (2001) 16 million (September 2000)
Television broadcast stations 39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001) 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Total fertility rate 1.13 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.76 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 18% (2002 est.) 3% (2000 est.)
Waterways 470 km (1987) NA
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