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Compare Slovakia (2003) - Taiwan (2006)

Compare Slovakia (2003) z Taiwan (2006)

 Slovakia (2003)Taiwan (2006)
 SlovakiaTaiwan
Administrative divisions 8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banskobystricky, Bratislavsky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Presovsky, Trenciansky, Trnavsky, Zilinsky includes central island of Taiwan plus numerous smaller islands near central island and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 18 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities (chuan-shih, singular and plural)


counties: Chang-hua, Chia-i, Hsin-chu, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung (county), Kin-men, Lien-chiang, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan, T'ai-pei (county), T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin


municipalities: Chia-i, Chi-lung, Hsin-chu, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan


special municipalities: Kao-hsiung city, T'ai-pei city


note: Taiwan generally uses Wade-Giles system for romanization; special municipality of Taipei adopted standard pinyin romanization for street and place names within city boundaries, other local authorities have selected a variety of romanization systems
Age structure 0-14 years: 17.8% (male 495,316; female 471,823)


15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,903,335; female 1,924,065)


65 years and over: 11.7% (male 238,912; female 396,582) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 19.4% (male 2,330,951/female 2,140,965)


15-64 years: 70.8% (male 8,269,421/female 8,040,169)


65 years and over: 9.8% (male 1,123,429/female 1,131,152) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish
Airports 37 (2002) 42 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 20


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 9 (2002)
total: 38


over 3,047 m: 8


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 11


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 17


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 7 (2002)
total: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Area total: 48,845 sq km


land: 48,800 sq km


water: 45 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 about twice the size of New Hampshire slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Background In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia was invited to join NATO and the EU in 2002. In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan 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 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.
Birth rate 10.1 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 12.56 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.2 billion


expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
revenues: $41.67 billion


expenditures: $50.26 billion; including capital expenditures of $14.4 billion (2005 est.)
Capital Bratislava name: Taipei


geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E


time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 1,566.3 km
Constitution ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993; changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president; amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU membership 25 December 1946; amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2005
Country name conventional long form: Slovak Republic


conventional short form: Slovakia


local long form: Slovenska Republika


local short form: Slovensko
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Taiwan


local long form: none


local short form: T'ai-wan


former: Formosa
Currency Slovak koruna (SKK) -
Death rate 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 6.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $9.6 billion (2002 est.) $87.5 billion (2005 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald WEISER


embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338


FAX: [421] (2) 5441-5148
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, Kao-hsiung, 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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Rastislav KACER


chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054


FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438
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) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities
Disputes - international small boundary changes made with Poland in 2003; Hungary has yet to amend status law extending special social and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, who protest the law 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
Economic aid - recipient ODA $113 million (2000),; $92 million EU structural adjustment funds (2000 est.) -
Economy - overview Slovakia has mastered much of the difficult transition from a centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. The DZURINDA government has made excellent progress in 2001-03 in macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform. Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost completely in foreign hands, and foreign investment has picked up. Slovakia's economy exceeded expectations in 2001-03, despite the general European slowdown. Unemployment, at an unacceptable 15% in 2003, remains the economy's Achilles heel. The government faces other strong challenges in 2004, especially the cutting of budget and current account deficits, the containment of inflation, and the strengthening of the health care system. 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. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia. China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and, in 2005, Taiwan's third-largest source of imports after Japan and the US. Taiwan has benefited from cross-Strait economic integration and a sharp increase in world demand to achieve substantial growth in its export sector and a seven-year-high real GDP growth of 6.1% in 2004. However, excess inventory, higher international oil prices, and rising interest rates dampened consumption in developed markets, and GDP growth dropped to 3.8% in 2005. The service sector, which accounts for 69% of Taiwan's GDP, has continued to expand, while unemployment and inflation rates have declined.
Electricity - consumption 24.41 billion kWh (2001) 206.1 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports 5.141 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports 1.381 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - production 30.29 billion kWh (2001) 218.3 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 30.3%


hydro: 16%


nuclear: 53.6%


other: 0% (2001)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m


highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m
Environment - current issues air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human health risks; acid rain damaging forests 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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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
Ethnic groups Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.6%, Roma 1.6% (the 1992 census figures underreport the Gypsy/Romany community, which is about 500,000), Czech, Moravian, Silesian 1.1%, Ruthenian and Ukrainian 0.6%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.2% (1996) Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%
Exchange rates koruny per US dollar - 45.33 (2002), 48.35 (2001), 46.04 (2000), 41.36 (1999), 35.23 (1998) new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 31.71 (2005), 34.418 (2004), 34.575 (2003), 33.8 (2002), 33.09 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: President Rudolf SCHUSTER (since 15 June 1999)


head of government: Prime Minister Mikulas DZURINDA (since 30 October 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Pavol RUSKO (since 24 September 2003)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: president elected by direct, popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 May 1999 (next to be held NA May/June 2004); following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president


election results: Rudolf SCHUSTER elected president in the first direct, popular election; percent of vote - Rudolf SCHUSTER 57%; Mikulas DZURINDA reelected prime minister October 2002


note: government coalition - SDKU, SMK, KDH, ANO
chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000) and Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000)


head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) SU Tseng-chang (since 25 January 2006) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) TSAI Ing-wen (since 25 January 2006)


cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president


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 (DPP) 50.1%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 49.9%
Exports NA (2001) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 39.4%, intermediate manufactured goods 27.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 13%, chemicals 8% (1999) computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)
Exports - partners Germany 30.1%, Czech Republic 16.4%, Austria 10.7%, Italy 7.2%, Poland 5.7%, Hungary 4.6% (2002) China 21.6%, US 16.22%, Hong Kong 15.1%, Japan 7.7% (2005)
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), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
GDP purchasing power parity - $67.34 billion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.5%


industry: 34.1%


services: 61.4% (2000)
agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 25.9%


services: 72.3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $12,400 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 4.4% (2002 est.) 4% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 48 40 N, 19 30 E 23 30 N, 121 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait
Heliports 1 (2002) 3 (2006)
Highways total: 42,717 km


paved: 37,036 km (including 296 km of expressways)


unpaved: 5,681 km (2000)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 5.1%


highest 10%: 18.2% (1992)
lowest 10%: 6.7%


highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; renewal of domestic methamphetamine production is a problem
Imports NA (2001) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 37.7%, intermediate manufactured goods 18%, fuels 13%, chemicals 11%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999) machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002)
Imports - partners Germany 24.8%, Czech Republic 16%, Russia 13.5%, Austria 7%, Italy 6.4%, France 4% (2002) Japan 25.3%, US 11.6%, China 11%, South Korea 7.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2005)
Independence 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia) -
Industrial production growth rate 4.4% (2002 est.) 4.1% (2005 est.)
Industries metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
Infant mortality rate total: 8.55 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.39 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 6.29 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 6.97 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.3% (2002 est.) 2.3% (2005 est.)
International organization participation Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC APEC, AsDB, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTO


note: Taiwan has acquired observer status on the competition committee and special observer status on the Trade Committee of the OECD, and is seeking observer status with the backing of the US in WHO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 6 (2000) -
Irrigated land 1,740 sq km (1998 est.) NA
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Council); Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from group of nominees approved by the National Council) Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)
Labor force 3 million (1999) 10.6 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation industry 29.3%, agriculture 8.9%, construction 8%, transport and communication 8.2%, services 45.6% (1994) agriculture: 6%


industry: 35.8%


services: 58.2% (2005 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,524 km


border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 30.74%


permanent crops: 2.64%


other: 66.62% (1998 est.)
arable land: 24%


permanent crops: 1%


other: 75% (2001)
Languages Slovak (official), Hungarian Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Legal system civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory based on civil law system
Legislative branch unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky (150 seats; members are elected on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 20-21 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - HZDS-LS 19.5%, SDKU 15.1%, SMER 13.5%, SMK 11.2%, KDH 8.3%, ANO 8%, KSS 6.3%; seats by party - governing coalition 78 (SDKU 28, SMK 20, KDH 15, ANO 15), opposition 72 (HZDS 36, SMER 25, KSS 11) (as of February 2003, 12 deputies had split from HZDS and formed an independent faction)
Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms); National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by parties and elected by proportional representation six to nine months after Legislative Yuan calls to amend Constitution, impeach president, or change national borders) - see note


note: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by National Assembly in June 2005, number of seats in legislature will be reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with election in 2007; amendments also eliminated National Assembly thus giving Taiwan a unicameral legislature


elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2007); National Assembly - last held 14 May 2005; dissolved in June 2005


election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP 38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%; seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7, independents 4; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPP 42.5%, KMT 38.9%, TSU 7%, PFP 6%, others 6.6%; seats by party - DPP 127, KMT 117, TSU 21, PFP 18, others 17 (2005)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.43 years


male: 70.44 years


female: 78.64 years (2003 est.)
total population: 77.43 years


male: 74.67 years


female: 80.47 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 96.1%


male: NA%


female: NA% (2003)
Location Central Europe, south of Poland 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 none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 11,574 GRT/16,330 DWT


ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1 (2002 est.)
total: 112 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,798,992 GRT/4,652,921 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 35, cargo 22, chemical tanker 2, container 25, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 3)


registered in other countries: 463 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 2, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 6, Italy 10, Liberia 69, Malta 2, Panama 308, Singapore 59, UK 1, US 1, unknown 2) (2006)
Military branches Army (Ground Forces), Air and Air Defense Forces, Home Guards (Territorial Defense Forces), Civil Defense Force, Railway Armed Forces (subordinate to the Ministry of Transportation, Post, and Telecommunications) Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command
Military expenditures - dollar figure $406 million (2002) $7.93 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.89% (2002) 2.4% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,484,950 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,135,612 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 44,287 (2003 est.) -
National holiday Constitution Day, 1 September (1992) Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)
Nationality noun: Slovak(s)


adjective: Slovak
noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)


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


adjective: Taiwan
Natural hazards NA earthquakes and typhoons
Natural resources brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Net migration rate 0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines gas 6,769 km; oil 449 km (2003) condensate 25 km; gas 661 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Christian Democratic Movement or KDH [Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Democratic Party or DS [Ludovit KANIK]; Direction (Smer) [Robert FICO]; Movement for a Democratic Slovakia-People's Party or HZDS-LS [Vladimir MECIAR]; New Citizens Alliance or ANO [Pavol RUSKO]; Party of the Hungarian Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; Slovak Communist Party or KSS [Jozef SEVC]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak National Party or SNS [Jan SLOTA] Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [YU Shyi-kun]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu)]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [SU Chin-chiang]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or NP
Political pressure groups and leaders Association of Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG 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 unify 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 5,430,033 (July 2003 est.) 23,036,087 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 0.9% (2005)
Population growth rate 0.14% (2003 est.) 0.61% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Bratislava, Komarno -
Radio broadcast stations AM 15, FM 78, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)
Railways total: 3,668 km


broad gauge: 106 km 1.520-m gauge


standard gauge: 3,511 km 1.435-m gauge (1,567 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 51 km (46 km 1,000-m gauge; 5 km 0.750-m gauge) (2002)
total: 2,497 km


narrow gauge: 1,097 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 (2005)
Religions Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5% mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: a modernization and privatization program is increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing the waiting time for new subscribers, and generally improving service quality


domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been added


international: three international exchanges (one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 1,934,558 (1998) 13.615 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 736,662 (April 1999) 22.17 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 38 (plus 864 repeaters) (1995) 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Terrain rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Total fertility rate 1.25 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 17.2% (2002 est.) 4.1% (2005 est.)
Waterways 172 km (all on the Danube) -
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