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Compare Taiwan (2002) - Nepal (2003)

Compare Taiwan (2002) z Nepal (2003)

 Taiwan (2002)Nepal (2003)
 TaiwanNepal
Administrative divisions 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); Taiwan is further subdivided into 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
14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Age structure 0-14 years: 21% (male 2,464,290; female 2,268,627)


15-64 years: 70% (male 8,010,014; female 7,774,296)


65 years and over: 9% (male 1,053,975; female 976,807) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,424,396; female 5,080,171)


15-64 years: 56.7% (male 7,692,134; female 7,320,059)


65 years and over: 3.6% (male 468,697; female 484,112) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat
Airports 39 (2001) 45 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 37


over 3,047 m: 8


2,438 to 3,047 m: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 11


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 2 (2002)
total: 9


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total: 36


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 28 (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: 140,800 sq km


land: 136,800 sq km


water: 4,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined slightly larger than Arkansas
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. This culminated in 2000, when Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island has prospered to become 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. In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist insurgency, launched in 1996, has gained traction and is threatening to bring down the regime. In 2001, the Crown Prince massacred ten members of the royal family, including the king and queen, and then took his own life. In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet for "incompetence" after they dissolved the parliament and were subsequently unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency. The country is now governed by the king and his appointed cabinet, which has negotiated a cease-fire with the Maoist insurgents, until elections can be held at some unspecified future date.
Birth rate 14.21 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 32.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $36 billion


expenditures: $36.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)
revenues: $665 million


expenditures: $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 99/00 est.)
Capital Taipei Kathmandu
Climate tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Coastline 1,566.3 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999 9 November 1990
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: Kingdom of Nepal


conventional short form: Nepal
Currency new Taiwan dollar (TWD) Nepalese rupee (NPR)
Death rate 6.08 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $40 billion (2000) $2.55 billion (FY 00/01)
Diplomatic representation from the US 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 located at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices located at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2709-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2702-7675; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX: [886] (7) 223-8237; 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Michael E. MALINOWSKI


embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [977] (1) 411179


FAX: [977] (1) 419963
Diplomatic representation in the US 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 chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Jai Pratap RANA


chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550


FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534


consulate(s) general: New York
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 Taiwan and Vietnam; claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as does China joint border commission continues to work on small disputed sections of boundary with India; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents
Economic aid - recipient - $424 million (FY 00/01)
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 provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Agriculture contributes 2% 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; 50,000 Taiwanese businesses are established in China. 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. The global economic downturn, however, combined with poor policy coordination by the new administration and increasing bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first whole year of negative growth since 1947. Unemployment also reached a level not seen since the 1970s oil crisis. Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with 42% of its population living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 80% of the population and accounting for 40% of GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. Textile and carpet production, accounting for about 80% of foreign exchange earnings in recent years, contracted in 2001-02 due to the overall slowdown in the world economy and pressures by Maoist insurgents on factory owners and workers. Security concerns in the wake of the Maoist conflict and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US have led to a decrease in tourism, another key source of foreign exchange. Since 1991, the government has been moving forward with economic reforms, e.g., by reducing business licenses and registration requirements to simplify investment procedures, reducing subsidies, privatizing state industries, and laying off civil servants. Nepal has considerable scope for exploiting its potential in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment interest. Prospects for foreign trade or investment in other sectors will remain poor, however, because of the small size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness, its landlocked geographic location, and its susceptibility to natural disaster. The international community's role of funding more than 60% of Nepal's development budget and more than 28% of total budgetary expenditures will likely continue as a major ingredient of growth.
Electricity - consumption 139.3 billion kWh (2000) 1.764 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 95 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 227 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 149.78 billion kWh (2000) 1.755 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 69%


hydro: 6%


nuclear: 25%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel: 8.5%


hydro: 91.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Yu Shan 3,997 m
lowest point: Kanchan Kalan 70 m


highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999)
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 deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions
Environment - international agreements 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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% Brahman, Chetri, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Tharu, and others (1995)
Exchange rates new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 34.6 (2002), 34.49 (yearend 2001),, 33.08 (yearend 2000),, 31.4 (yearend 1999),, 32.22 (1998),, 32.05 (1997),, 27.5 (1996) Nepalese rupees per US dollar - 77.88 (2002), 74.95 (2001), 71.09 (2000), 68.24 (1999), 65.98 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Shui-bian CHEN (since 20 May 2000) and Vice President Annette Hsiu-lien LU (since 20 May 2000)


head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) Shyi-kun YU (since 1 February 2002) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) Hsin-yi LIN (since 1 February 2002)


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: Shui-bian CHEN elected president; percent of vote - Shui-bian CHEN (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: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah)


head of government: Prime Minister Surya Bahadur THAPA (since 4 June 2003); note - Prime Minister CHAND resigned 30 May 2003


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


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch


note: King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev died in a bloody shooting at the royal palace on 1 June 2001 that also claimed the lives of most of the royal family; King BIRENDRA's son, Crown Price DIPENDRA, is believed to have been responsible for the shootings before fatally wounding himself; immediately following the shootings and while still clinging to life, DIPENDRA was crowned king; he died three days later and was succeeded by his uncle
Exports $122 billion f.o.b. (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and electrical equipment 55%, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
Exports - partners US 23.5%, Hong Kong 21.1%, Europe 16%, ASEAN 12.2%, Japan 11.2% (2000) India 47.5%, US 27.6%, Germany 7.5% (2002)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00) 16 July - 15 July
Flag description red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
GDP purchasing power parity - $386 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $37.32 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2%


industry: 32%


services: 66% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 40%


industry: 20%


services: 40% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -2.2% (2001 est.) -0.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 23 30 N, 121 00 E 28 00 N, 84 00 E
Geography - note strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest - the world's tallest - on the border with China
Heliports 3 (2002) -
Highways total: 34,901 km


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


unpaved: 3,630 km (1998 est.)
total: 13,223 km


paved: 4,073 km


unpaved: 9,150 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1995-96)
Illicit drugs regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West
Imports $109 billion f.o.b. (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and electrical equipment 50%, minerals, precision instruments gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer
Imports - partners Japan 27.5%, US 17.9%, Europe 13.6%, South Korea 6.4% (2000) India 21.2%, China 13%, UAE 11.1%, Singapore 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.9%, Kuwait 4.1% (2002)
Independence - 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah)
Industrial production growth rate -5% (2001 est.) 8.7% (FY 99/00)
Industries electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production
Infant mortality rate 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 70.57 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 68.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 72.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.5% (2001 est.) 2.8% (2001 est.)
International organization participation APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IFRCS, IOC, WCL, WTrO AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 8 (2000) 6 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 11,350 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly; note - beginning in 2003, justices will be appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan) Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Judicial Council)
Labor force 9.8 million (2001 est.) 10 million


note: severe lack of skilled labor (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 56%, industry 36%, agriculture 8% (2001 est.) agriculture 81%, services 16%, industry 3%
Land boundaries 0 km total: 2,926 km


border countries: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Land use arable land: 24%


permanent crops: 1%


other: 75%
arable land: 20.27%


permanent crops: 0.49%


other: 79.24% (1998 est.)
Languages Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects Nepali (official; spoken by 90% of the population), about a dozen other languages and about 30 major dialects; note - many in government and business also speak English (1995)
Legal system based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the proportion of islandwide 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 seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by parties and elected by proportional representation within three months of a Legislative Yuan call to amend the Constitution, impeach the president, or change national borders)


elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 8 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2004); note - the National Assembly is a nonstanding body and is called into session


election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP 39%, KMT 30%, PFP 20%, TSU 6%, independents and other parties 5%; seats by party - DPP 87, KMT 68, PFP 46, TSU 13, independents and other parties 11
bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35 appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15 elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members elected every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Representatives - last held 3 and 17 May 1999 (next election NA)


note: Nepal's Parliament was dissolved on 22 May 2002


election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP 10.4%, NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%, NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP 11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.74 years


male: 73.99 years


female: 79.71 years (2002 est.)
total population: 59 years


male: 59.36 years


female: 58.63 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 86% (1980 est.)


male: 93% (1980 est.)


female: 79% (1980 est.)


note: literacy for the total population has reportedly increased to 94% (1998 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 45.2%


male: 62.7%


female: 27.6% (2003 est.)
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 Southern Asia, between China and India
Map references Southeast Asia Asia
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 152 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,262,451 GRT/6,596,950 DWT


ships by type: bulk 40, cargo 28, combination bulk 3, container 53, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Hong Kong 3, Japan 1 (2002 est.)
-
Military branches Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command Royal Nepalese Army (includes Royal Nepalese Army Air Service), Nepalese Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $8,041.2 million (FY01) $57.22 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.8% (FY01) 1.1% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 6,575,625 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 6,674,014 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 5,018,882 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 3,467,511 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age (2002 est.) 17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 198,766 (2002 est.) males: 303,222 (2003 est.)
National holiday Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911) Birthday of King GYANENDRA, 7 July (1946)
Nationality noun: Chinese (singular and plural)


adjective: Chinese
noun: Nepalese (singular and plural)


adjective: Nepalese
Natural hazards earthquakes and typhoons severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoons
Natural resources small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Net migration rate -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products 3,400 km; natural gas 1,800 km (1999) -
Political parties and leaders Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Frank Chang-ting HSIEH, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; People First Party or PFP [James Chu-yu SOONG, chairman]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [Chu-wen HUANG, chairman]; other minor parties Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP (also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; National People's Front (Rastriya Jana Morcha) [Chitra Bahadur, chairman]; Nepal Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party or NSP [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, acting party president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party president; Sushil KOIRALA, general secretary]; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [Lila Mani POKHAREL, general secretary]
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 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
Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL also known as Prahanda, chairman; and chief negotiator, Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI, from Communist Party of Nepal/Maoist]; numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
Population 22,548,009 (July 2002 est.) 26,469,569 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 1% (2000 est.) 42% (1995-96)
Population growth rate 0.78% (2002 est.) 2.26% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung none
Radio broadcast stations AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999) AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (January 2000)
Radios 16 million (1994) -
Railways total: 1,108 km


narrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified)


note: in addition to the above routes in common carrier service, there are several thousand kilometers of 1.067-m gauge routes that are dedicated to industrial use (2001)
total: 59 km


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
Religions mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% Hinduism 86.2%, Buddhism 7.8%, Islam 3.8%, other 2.2%


note: only official Hindu state in the world (1995)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 20 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
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: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network


domestic: NA


international: radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 12.49 million (September 2000) 236,816 (January 2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 16 million (September 2000) NA
Television broadcast stations 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997) 1 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)
Terrain eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Total fertility rate 1.76 children born/woman (2002 est.) 4.39 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.5% (2001 est.) 47% (2001 est.)
Waterways NA none
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