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Compare Solomon Islands (2001) - Taiwan (2008)

Compare Solomon Islands (2001) z Taiwan (2008)

 Solomon Islands (2001)Taiwan (2008)
 Solomon IslandsTaiwan
Administrative divisions 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western; note - there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished includes main island of Taiwan plus smaller islands nearby 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)


note: Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems; while a modified Wade-Giles system still dominates, the city of Taipei has adopted a Pinyin romanization for street and place names within its boundaries; other local authorities use different romanization systems; names for administrative divisions that follow are taken from the Taiwan Yearbook 2007 published by the Government Information Office in Taipei.


counties: Changhua, Chiayi [county], Hsinchu, Hualien, Kaohsiung [county], Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei [county], Taitung, Taoyuan, Yilan, and Yunlin


municipalities: Chiayi [city], Hsinchu, Keelung, Taichung, Tainan


special municipalities: Kaohsiung [city], Taipei [city]
Age structure 0-14 years:
43.79% (male 107,229; female 103,162)

15-64 years:
53.15% (male 129,315; female 126,021)

65 years and over:
3.06% (male 7,190; female 7,525) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 17.8% (male 2,117,051/female 1,954,709)


15-64 years: 72% (male 8,306,351/female 8,141,268)


65 years and over: 10.2% (male 1,150,001/female 1,189,492) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish
Airports 31 (2000 est.) 41 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
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: 7


under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
29

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
18 (2000 est.)
total: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Area total:
28,450 sq km

land:
27,540 sq km

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


land: 32,260 sq km


water: 3,720 sq km


note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Background The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control. 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 local 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 34.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 8.97 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues:
$147 million

expenditures:
$168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
revenues: $49 billion


expenditures: $5.19 billion (2007 est.)
Capital Honiara name: Taipei


geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E


time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year
Coastline 5,313 km 1,566.3 km
Constitution 7 July 1978 25 December 1947; amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2005


note: constitution adopted on 25 December 1946; went into effect on 25 December 1947
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Solomon Islands

former:
British Solomon Islands
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Taiwan


local long form: none


local short form: T'ai-wan


former: Formosa
Currency Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) -
Death rate 4.27 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $152.4 million (1998) $85.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands 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, Kaohsiung, 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Jeremiah MANELE

chancery:
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017

telephone:
[1] (212) 599-6192, 6193

FAX:
[1] (212) 661-8925
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), which has its headquarters in Taipei and in the US in Washington, DC; there are also branch offices called Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in 12 other US cities
Disputes - international none 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 $47 million (1999 est.), mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ -
Economy - overview The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to a continuing economic downslide. Deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) by tankers have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country. Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by the authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large, state-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The island runs a large trade surplus, and its foreign reserves are among the world's largest. Despite restrictions on cross-strait links, China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and its second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment. Strong trade performance in 2007 pushed Taiwan's GDP growth rate above 5%, and unemployment is below 4%.
Electricity - consumption 27.9 million kWh (1999) 221 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2007)
Electricity - production 30 million kWh (1999) 235 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying 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, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
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 Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, indigenous 2%
Exchange rates Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.0968 (November 2000), 5.0864 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997), 3.5664 (1996) New Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 32.84 (2007), 32.534 (2006), 31.71 (2005), 34.418 (2004), 34.575 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999)

head of government:
Prime Minister Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE (since 1 July 2000); Assistant Prime Minister Nathaniel WAENA (since 1 July 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Allan KEMAKEZA (since 1 July 2000); note - Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU was forced to resign his position in June 2000 following the armed takeover of the capital by elements supporting the opposition parties; Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE, who had been opposition leader, was then elected prime minister at a sitting of National Parliament on 30 June 2000

cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000); Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000)


head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) CHANG Chun-hsiung (since 21 May 2007); Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) CHIOU I-jen (since 21 May 2007)


cabinet: Executive Yuan - (ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier)


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 22 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 50.1%, LIEN Chan 49.9%
Exports $165 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 289,200 bbl/day (2006)
Exports - commodities timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra electronic and electrical products, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals, auto parts (2002)
Exports - partners Japan 35.5%, other Asian countries 47.3% (1999) China 24%, Hong Kong 15%, US 13.4%, Japan 6.7% (2007)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
GDP purchasing power parity - $900 million (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
50%

industry:
3.5%

services:
46.5% (1995)
agriculture: 1.6%


industry: 26.8%


services: 71.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 1% (2000 est.) 5.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 159 00 E 23 30 N, 121 00 E
Geography - note - strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait
Heliports - 4 (2007)
Highways total:
1,360 km

paved:
34 km

unpaved:
1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: 6.7%


highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)
Illicit drugs - regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs
Imports $152 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1.208 million bbl/day (2006)
Imports - commodities plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals electronic and electrical products, machinery, petroleum, precision instruments, organic chemicals, metals (2002)
Imports - partners Australia 38.5%, Singapore 15%, Japan 10.6%, NZ 6.2% (1999) Japan 21%, China 12.7%, US 12.2%, South Korea 7.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.6% (2007)
Independence 7 July 1978 (from UK) -
Industrial production growth rate NA% 7.5% (2007 est.)
Industries fish (tuna), mining, timber electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
Infant mortality rate 24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 5.54 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.86 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (1999 est.) 1.8% (2007 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO ADB, APEC, BCIE, ICC, IOC, ITUC, WCL, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km NA
Judicial branch Court of Appeal Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)
Labor force 26,842 10.78 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% agriculture: 5.3%


industry: 36.8%


services: 57.9% (2007 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land:
1%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
1%

forests and woodland:
88%

other:
9% (1993 est.)
arable land: 24%


permanent crops: 1%


other: 75% (2001)
Languages Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population

note:
120 indigenous languages
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Legal system English common law based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3
unicameral Legislative Yuan (113 seats - 73 district members elected by popular vote, 34 at-large members elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, 6 elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; to serve four-year terms); parties must receive 5% of vote to qualify for at-large seats


elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 12 January 2008 (next to be held in January 2012)


election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT 53.5%, DPP 38.2%, NPSU 2.4%, PFP 0.3%, others 1.6%, independents 4%; seats by party - KMT 81, DPP 27, NPSU 3, PFP 1, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth total population:
71.55 years

male:
69.12 years

female:
74.1 years (2001 est.)
total population: 77.56 years


male: 74.65 years


female: 80.74 years (2007 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 Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea 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 Oceania Southeast Asia
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

continental shelf:
200 NM

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine none (2000 est.) total: 102 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,537,256 GRT/4,203,423 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 20, chemical tanker 2, container 21, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 4 (Canada 3, France 1)


registered in other countries: 489 (Bahamas 1, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 1, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 2, Italy 11, Liberia 82, Panama 306, Singapore 60, Thailand 1, UK 11, unknown 3) (2007)
Military branches no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) 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 $NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 2.2% (2006; to increase to 2.85% in 2007)
National holiday Independence Day, 7 July (1978) Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)
Nationality noun:
Solomon Islander(s)

adjective:
Solomon Islander
noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)


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


adjective: Taiwan
Natural hazards typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity earthquakes and typhoons
Natural resources fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - condensate 25 km; gas 661 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders there are two main coalitions - Coalition for National Unity, Reconciliation, and Peace or CNURP and Alliance for Change; the CNURP took power on 30 June 2000, it comprises members of the Liberal Party, People's Alliance Party, and the United Party, as well as a number of independents; the Alliance for Change, represents the former government and now is the opposition; in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR [leader NA]; Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI [Francis SAEMALA]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [George LEPPING]; People's Progressive Party [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; United Party or UP [leader NA] Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Frank HSIEH or HSIEH Chang-ting] (acting); Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [WU Po-hsiung]; Non-Partisan Solidarity Union or NPSU [CHANG Po-ya]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA 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 the island currently enjoys sovereign independence and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; public opinion polls consistently show a substantial majority of Taiwan people supports maintaining Taiwan's status quo for the foreseeable future; 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 480,442 (July 2001 est.) 22,858,872 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 0.95% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate 2.98% (2001 est.) 0.304% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina -
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 140, FM 229, shortwave 49
Radios 57,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km total: 1,588 km


standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 1,093 km 1.067-m gauge


note: 150 km .762-m gauge (belonging primarily to Taiwan Sugar Corporation and Taiwan Forestry Bureau; some to other entities) (2007)
Religions Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
Sex ratio at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.083 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.967 male(s)/female


total population: 1.026 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every business and private need


domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized


international: country code - 886; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; 2 satellite earth stations
Telephones - main lines in use 8,000 (1997) 14.497 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 658 (1997) 23.249 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 76 (46 digital and 30 analog)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Total fertility rate 4.65 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.12 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 3.9% (2007)
Waterways none -
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