##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Taiwan (2001) - Latvia (2002)
Compare Taiwan (2001) z Latvia (2002)
| Taiwan (2001) | Latvia (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 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 |
26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons |
| Age structure | 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.) |
0-14 years: 15.8% (male 191,116; female 182,692)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 775,481; female 847,261) 65 years and over: 15.6% (male 120,304; female 249,661) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish |
| Airports | 39 (2000 est.) | 25 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | 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.) |
total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2002) |
| Area | total:
35,980 sq km land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy |
total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined | slightly larger than West Virginia |
| Background | 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. | After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia continues to revamp its economy for eventual integration into various Western European political and economic institutions. |
| Birth rate | 14.31 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 8.27 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$42.74 billion expenditures: $48.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues: $2.4 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
| Capital | Taipei | Riga |
| Climate | tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year | maritime; wet, moderate winters |
| Coastline | 1,566.3 km | 531 km |
| Constitution | 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999 | the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922 constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms |
| Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Taiwan local long form: none local short form: T'ai-wan former: Formosa |
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia local long form: Latvijas Republika local short form: Latvija former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Currency | new Taiwan dollar (TWD) | Latvian lat (LVL) |
| Death rate | 6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 14.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $40 billion (2000) | $3.4 billion (2000 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 | chief of mission: Ambassador Brian E. CARLSON
embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510 mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723 telephone: [371] 703-6200 FAX: [371] 781-4088 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 | chief of mission: Ambassador Aivis RONIS
chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214 FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785 |
| Disputes - international | 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 | the Russian Duma refuses to ratify boundary delimitation treaty with Latvia; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $96.2 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | 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%. | Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian financial crisis, largely due to the SKELE government's budget stringency and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries, lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. Preparing for EU membership over the next few years continues as a top foreign policy goal. The high current account and internal government deficits remain major concerns. |
| Electricity - consumption | 129.899 billion kWh (1999) | 5.16 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 500 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 2.59 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 139.676 billion kWh (1999) | 3.301 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
67.26% hydro: 6.32% nuclear: 26.42% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel: 33%
hydro: 67% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: Yu Shan 3,997 m |
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
| Environment - current issues | air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal | Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household and hazardous waste management, and reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010 |
| Environment - international agreements | party to:
none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
| Ethnic groups | Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% | Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% |
| Exchange rates | new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 33.082 (yearend 2000), 31.395 (yearend 1999), 32.216 (1998), 32.052 (1997), 27.5 (1996) | lati per US dollar - 0.6384 (January 2002), 0.628 (2001), 0.607 (2000), 0.585 (1999), 0.590 (1998), 0.581 (1997) |
| Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Einars REPSE (since 7 November 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 17 June 1999 (next to be held by June 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA elected as a compromise candidate in second phase of balloting, second round (after five rounds in first phase failed to produce a clear winner); percent of parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 53%, Valdis BIRKAVS 20%, Ingrida UDRE 9% |
| Exports | $148.38 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $2.3 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| Exports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment 51%, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs |
| Exports - partners | US 23.5%, Hong Kong 21.1%, Europe 16%, ASEAN 12.2%, Japan 11.2% (2000) | Germany 17%, UK 16%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 8%, Russia 6% (2001 est.) |
| Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00) | calendar year |
| Flag description | red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $386 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $20 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
3% industry: 33% services: 64% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 26% services: 70% (2001) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,400 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6.3% (2000 est.) | 4.5% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 23 30 N, 121 00 E | 57 00 N, 25 00 E |
| Geography - note | - | most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east |
| Heliports | 3 (2000 est.) | - |
| Highways | total:
34,901 km paved: 31,271 km (including 538 km of expressways) unpaved: 3,630 km (1998 est.) |
total: 59,178 km
paved: 22,843 km unpaved: 36,335 km (1998 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 26% (1998) (1998) |
| Illicit drugs | transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin | transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; money laundering remains a concern |
| Imports | $140.01 billion (c.i.f., 2000) | $3.9 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment 51%, minerals, precision instruments | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles |
| Imports - partners | Japan 27.5%, US 17.9%, Europe 13.6% (2000) | Germany 17%, Russia 9%, Lithuania 8%, Finland 8%, Sweden 7% (2001 est.) |
| Independence | - | 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8% (2000 est.) | 5.7% (2002 est.) |
| Industries | electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing | buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy and raw materials |
| Infant mortality rate | 6.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 14.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.3% (2000 est.) | 2% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO (observer) | BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 8 (2000) | 41 (2001) |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 200 sq km
note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of drainage, not irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land has been improved by drainage (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | 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) | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) |
| Labor force | 9.8 million (2000 est.) | 1.1 million (2001 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | services 55%, industry 37%, agriculture 8% (1999 est.) | agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,150 km
border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km |
| Land use | arable land:
24% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 55% other: 15% |
arable land: 29.01%
permanent crops: 0.48% other: 70.51% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects | Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other |
| Legal system | based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on civil law system |
| Legislative branch | 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 |
unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - New Era 23.9%, PCTVL 18.9%, People's Party 16.7%, ZZS 9.5%, First Party 7.6%, LNNK 5.4%; seats by party - New Era 26, PCTVL 24, People's Party 21, ZZS 12, First Party 10, LNNK 7 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
76.54 years male: 73.81 years female: 79.51 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 69 years
male: 63.13 years female: 75.17 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | 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.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | 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 | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Europe |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | 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.) |
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 30,119 GRT/30,572 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 4 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 3 (2002 est.) |
| Military branches | Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force, Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces | Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guard, National Guard |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $8.042 billion (FY98/99) | $87 million (FY01) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.8% (FY98/99) | 1.2% (FY01) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
6,575,689 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 591,592 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
5,025,856 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 464,843 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 19 years of age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
198,766 (2001 est.) |
males: 19,114 (2002 est.) |
| National holiday | Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911) | Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 21 August 1991 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union |
| Nationality | noun:
Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese |
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes and typhoons | NA |
| Natural resources | small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos | peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, wood, arable land, minimal; amber |
| Net migration rate | -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Pipelines | petroleum products 3,400 km; natural gas 1,800 km (1999) | crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992) |
| Political parties and leaders | 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 | Alliance of the Greens and Farmers Union or ZZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS (Farmer's Union); Indulis EMSIS (Green Party)]; CENTER Political Alliance [Juris CELMINS]; First Party of Latvia [Eriks JEKABSONS]; For Fatherland and Freedom or LNNK [Maris GRINBLATS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Janis JURKANS], a coalition of the People's Harmony Party or TSP, the Latvian Socialist Party or LSP, and the Equal Rights Movement; Freedom Party [Ziedonis CEVERS]; Land of Mara [Irena SAPROVSKA]; Latvian Rebirth Party [Andris RUBINS]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris BOJARS]; Latvia's Way Union or LC [Andris BERZINS]; Light of Latgale or LG [Rihards EIGIMS]; New Era Party [Einars REPSE]; Our Land Party [Ilmars ANCANS]; Party of Latvians [Aivars GARDA]; People's Party [Andris SKELE]; Progressive Center Party [Inta STAMGUTE]; Russian Party [Mihails GAVRILOVS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS]; Social Democratic Welfare Party or SLP [Juris ZURAVLOVS]; United Republican Party of Latvia or LARP [Eriks Andrejs SAULUNS, Janis PUKIS, Sarmite JEGERE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | 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 |
NA |
| Population | 22,370,461 (July 2001 est.) | 2,366,515 (July 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 1% (1999 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0.8% (2001 est.) | -0.77% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung | Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999) | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios | 16 million (1994) | 1.76 million (1997) |
| Railways | 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) |
total: 2,412 km
broad gauge: 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2001) |
| Religions | mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox |
| Sex ratio | 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.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens |
| Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an international capability independent of the Moscow international switch; more facilities are being installed for individual use
domestic: expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections, rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied subscriber applications international: international connections are now available via cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct connections for most calls (1998) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 12.49 million (September 2000) | 734,693 (2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 16 million (September 2000) | 401,263 (2000) |
| Television broadcast stations | 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997) | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) |
| Terrain | eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west | low plain |
| Total fertility rate | 1.76 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.18 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3% (2000 est.) | 7.6% (2001 est.) |
| Waterways | NA | 300 km (perennially navigable) |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.