##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Mauritania (2003) - Taiwan (2001)
Compare Mauritania (2003) z Taiwan (2001)
| Mauritania (2003) | Taiwan (2001) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district*; Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza | 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: 46% (male 671,080; female 668,408)
15-64 years: 51.8% (male 743,573; female 764,358) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 26,669; female 38,496) (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 | dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep | rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish |
| Airports | 26 (2002) | 39 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 (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: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 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 three times the size of New Mexico | slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined |
| Background | Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. Mauritania remains, in reality, a one-party state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black minority population and the dominant Maur (Arab-Berber) populace. | 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 | 42.16 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 14.31 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.) |
revenues:
$42.74 billion expenditures: $48.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
| Capital | Nouakchott | Taipei |
| Climate | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty | tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year |
| Coastline | 754 km | 1,566.3 km |
| Constitution | 12 July 1991 | 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
conventional short form: Mauritania local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah local short form: Muritaniyah |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Taiwan local long form: none local short form: T'ai-wan former: Formosa |
| Currency | ouguiya (MRO) | new Taiwan dollar (TWD) |
| Death rate | 13.04 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | $2.5 billion (2000) | $40 billion (2000) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LEBARON
embassy: Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott telephone: [222] 25-26-60, 25-26-63, 25-11-41, 25-11-45 FAX: [222] 25-25-92 |
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 Mohamedou Ould MICHEL
chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623 |
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 | Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years | 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 | $220 million (2000) | - |
| Economy - overview | Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In February 2000, Mauritania qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in December 2001 received strong support from donor and lending countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. A new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. Substantial oil production and exports probably will not begin until 2005. | 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 | 146.3 million kWh (2001) | 129.899 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | 157.4 million kWh (2001) | 139.676 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 85.9%
hydro: 14.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel:
67.26% hydro: 6.32% nuclear: 26.42% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 910 m |
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: Yu Shan 3,997 m |
| Environment - current issues | overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river | 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to:
none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30% | Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% |
| Exchange rates | ouguiyas per US dollar - ouguiyas per US dollar - 254.350 (December 2001), 238.923 (2000), 209.514 (1999), 188.476 (1998), 151.853 (1997), 137.222 (1996) | 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 Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
head of government: Prime Minister Sghair Ould M'BARECK (since 6 July 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held NA 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected for a third term with 60.8% of the vote |
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 | iron ore, fish and fish products, gold | machinery and electrical equipment 51%, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals |
| Exports - partners | Italy 14.3%, France 14%, Spain 11.7%, Germany 10.9%, Belgium 9.9%, Japan 7.1% (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 | green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam | red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $4.891 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $386 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 25%
industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.) |
agriculture:
3% industry: 33% services: 64% (1999 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $17,400 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.3% (2002 est.) | 6.3% (2000 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 20 00 N, 12 00 W | 23 30 N, 121 00 E |
| Geography - note | most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country | - |
| Heliports | - | 3 (2000 est.) |
| Highways | total: 7,720 km
paved: 830 km unpaved: 6,890 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%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2000) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | - | 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 | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods | machinery and electrical equipment 51%, minerals, precision instruments |
| Imports - partners | France 18.5%, Belgium 7.8%, China 7%, Spain 5.9%, Germany 5.2% (2002) | Japan 27.5%, US 17.9%, Europe 13.6% (2000) |
| Independence | 28 November 1960 (from France) | - |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2% (2000 est.) | 8% (2000 est.) |
| Industries | fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum | electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 73.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 76.62 deaths/1,000 live births female: 70.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
6.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2002 est.) | 1.3% (2000 est.) |
| International organization participation | ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO (observer) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 5 (2001) | 8 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 490 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts | 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 | 786,000 (2001) | 9.8 million (2000 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 50%, services 40%, industry 10% (2001 est.) | services 55%, industry 37%, agriculture 8% (1999 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0.48%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.51% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
24% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 55% other: 15% |
| Languages | Hassaniya Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (official), French | Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects |
| Legal system | a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law | based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
| Legislative branch | bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats, a part of the seats up for election every two years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (81 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2004); National Assembly - last held 19 and 26 October 2001 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRDS 54, RFD 1, UNDD 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - PRDS 79%, RDU 3.5%, UDP 3.5%, AC 5%, UFP 3.5%, FP 1.5%; seats by party - PRDS 64, UDP 3, RDU 3, AC 4, RFD 3, UFP 3, and FP 1 |
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: 51.93 years
male: 49.78 years female: 54.13 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: 41.7% male: 51.8% female: 31.9% (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 | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara | 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 | Africa | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | none (2002) | 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 Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard | Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $37.11 million (FY02) | $8.042 billion (FY98/99) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.7% (FY02) | 2.8% (FY98/99) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 665,112 (2003 est.) | males age 15-49:
6,575,689 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 322,288 (2003 est.) | males age 15-49:
5,025,856 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 19 years of age |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
198,766 (2001 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) | Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911) |
| Nationality | noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian |
noun:
Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts | earthquakes and typhoons |
| Natural resources | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish | small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | petroleum products 3,400 km; natural gas 1,800 km (1999) |
| Political parties and leaders | Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Kebe ABDOULAYE]; Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party) [President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA]; Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Concorde or PMRC [Molaye El Hassen Ould JIYID]; National Union for Democracy and Development or UNDD [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality and Justice or PLEJ [Daouda M'BAGNIGA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progress Alliance or APP [Mohamed El Hafed Ould ISMAEL]; Popular Social and Democratic Union or UPSD [Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH]; Progress Force Union or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]
note: the Action for Change party was banned in January 2002; parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based |
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 | Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general] | 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 | 2,912,584 (July 2003 est.) | 22,370,461 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 50% (2001 est.) | 1% (1999 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.91% (2003 est.) | 0.8% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso | Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999) |
| Radios | - | 16 million (1994) |
| Railways | 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-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 | Muslim 100% | mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 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: limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations (improvements being made)
domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat |
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 | 26,500 (2001) | 12.49 million (September 2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 35,000 (2001) | 16 million (September 2000) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills | eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west |
| Total fertility rate | 6.08 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.76 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 21% (1999 est.) | 3% (2000 est.) |
| Waterways | note: ferry traffic on the Senegal River | NA |
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