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Compare Taiwan (2004) - Japan (2003)

Compare Taiwan (2004) z Japan (2003)

 Taiwan (2004)Japan (2003)
 TaiwanJapan
Administrative divisions 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
47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Age structure 0-14 years: 19.9% (male 2,359,467; female 2,167,438)


15-64 years: 70.7% (male 8,149,231; female 7,924,774)


65 years and over: 9.4% (male 1,091,473; female 1,057,455) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 9,368,132; female 8,906,024)


15-64 years: 67% (male 42,852,204; female 42,368,109)


65 years and over: 18.6% (male 9,945,638; female 13,774,392) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk, fish rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish
Airports 40 (2003 est.) 172 (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: 12


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 141


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 37


1,524 to 2,437 m: 38


914 to 1,523 m: 27


under 914 m: 32 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 31


over 3047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 26 (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: 377,835 sq km


land: 374,744 sq km


water: 3,091 sq km


note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined slightly smaller than California
Background 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. While retaining its time-honored culture, Japan rapidly absorbed Western technology during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth.
Birth rate 12.7 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 9.61 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $56.58 billion


expenditures: $69.21 billion, including capital expenditures of $14.4 billion (2003 est.)
revenues: $441 billion


expenditures: $718 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $0 NA (FY 01/02 est.)
Capital Taipei Tokyo
Climate tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Coastline 1,566.3 km 29,751 km
Constitution 25 December 1946, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2000 3 May 1947
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: none


conventional short form: Japan
Currency new Taiwan dollar (TWD) yen (JPY)
Death rate 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $53.44 billion (2003) $NA
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 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Howard H. BAKER, Jr.


embassy: 10-5 Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420


mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004


telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000


FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862


consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo


consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
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 Ryozo KATO


chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700


FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187


consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle


consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Disputes - international 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 asserted claims to the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) with increased media coverage and protest actions islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) disputed with South Korea; Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $9.1 billion (1999)
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. 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 32% in 1952. While Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia, China has become the largest destination for investment and has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market. 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. The global economic downturn, combined with problems in policy coordination by the administration and bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemployment also reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 in the face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence, and bad bank loans. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant long-term factor. Exports to China - mainly parts and equipment for the assembly of goods for export to developed countries - drove Taiwan's economic recovery in 2002. Although the SARS epidemic, Typhoon Maemi, corporate scandals, and a drop in consumer spending caused GDP growth to contract to 3.2% in 2003, increasingly strong export performance kept Taiwan's economy on track, and the government expects Taiwan's economy to grow 4.1% in 2004. Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second-most-technologically-powerful economy in the world after the US and third-largest economy after the US and China. One notable characteristic of the economy is the working together of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely-knit groups called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades overall real economic growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the aftereffects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts to revive economic growth have met with little success and were further hampered in 2000-2003 by the slowing of the US, European, and Asian economies. Japan's huge government debt, which is approaching 150% of GDP, and the ageing of the population are two major long-run problems. Robotics constitutes a key long-term economic strength with Japan possessing 410,000 of the world's 720,000 "working robots." Internal conflict over the proper way to reform the ailing banking system continues.
Electricity - consumption 140.5 billion kWh (2001) 964.2 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 151.1 billion kWh (2001) 1.037 trillion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 60%


hydro: 8.4%


nuclear: 29.8%


other: 1.8% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m
lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m


highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 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 air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere
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: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
Ethnic groups Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian 182,232, Filipino 89,851, other 237,914) (2000)
Exchange rates new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 34.418 (2003), 34.575 (2002), 33.8 (2001), 33.09 (2000), 31.6 (1999) yen per US dollar - 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91 (1999), 130.91 (1998)
Executive branch 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) Frank HSIEH (since 1 February 2005) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) YEH Chu-lan (since 20 May 2004)


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 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%
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)


head of government: Prime Minister Junichiro KOIZUMI (since 26 April 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the Diet designates the prime minister; the constitution requires that the prime minister must command a parliamentary majority; therefore, following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister


note: following the resignation of Prime Minister Yoshiro MORI, Junichiro KOIZUMI was elected as the new president of the majority Liberal Democratic Party and soon thereafter designated by the Diet to become the next prime minister
Exports NA (2001) 93,360 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002) motor vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery, chemicals
Exports - partners China 25.3%, US 20.5%, Japan 9.2% (2002) US 28.8%, China 9.6%, South Korea 6.9%, Taiwan 6.2%, Hong Kong 6.1% (2002)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after FY00) 1 April - 31 March
Flag description red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
GDP purchasing power parity - $528.6 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $3.651 trillion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 30.3%


services: 67.9% (2003)
agriculture: 1.4%


industry: 30.9%


services: 67.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $23,400 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $28,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.2% (2003 est.) 0.2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 23 30 N, 121 00 E 36 00 N, 138 00 E
Geography - note strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait strategic location in northeast Asia
Heliports 3 (2003 est.) 15 (2002)
Highways total: 35,931 km


paved: 31,583 km (including 608 km of expressways)


unpaved: 4,348 km (2000)
total: 1,161,894 km


paved: 534,471 km (including 6,455 km of expressways)


unpaved: 627,423 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 6.7%


highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)
lowest 10%: 4.8%


highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)
Illicit drugs 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) 5.449 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002) machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials (2001)
Imports - partners Japan 24.2%, US 16.1%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.9% (2002) China 18.3%, US 17.4%, South Korea 4.6%, Indonesia 4.2%, Australia 4.1% (2002)
Independence - 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)
Industrial production growth rate 8.4% (2003) -1.4% (2002 est.)
Industries electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods
Infant mortality rate total: 6.52 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.21 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 3.56 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 3.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) -0.3% (2003 est.) -0.9% (2002 est.)
International organization participation APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WTO ABEDA, AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISET, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 73 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 26,790 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan) Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the cabinet)
Labor force 10.08 million (2003) 67.7 million (December 2001)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 7.5%, industry 35%, services 57% (2001 est.) services 70%, industry 25%, agriculture 5% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 24%


permanent crops: 1%


other: 75% (2001)
arable land: 12.13%


permanent crops: 1.01%


other: 86.86% (1998 est.)
Languages Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects Japanese
Legal system based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, 8 elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes received by participating political parties, 8 elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and unicameral 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)


note: the number of seats in the legislature may be reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with the election in 2007 if a proposed constitutional amendment is approved


elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2007) according to proposed constitutional amendment


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
bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (247 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half reelected every three years; 149 members in multi-seat constituencies and 98 by proportional representation); House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs)


elections: House of Councillors - last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held in July 2004); House of Representatives - last held 9 November 2003 (next election has not been scheduled)


election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LDP 110, DPJ 59, Komeito 23, JCP 20, SDP 8, Liberal Party 8, Conservative Party 5, independents 14; distribution of seats as of July 2001 was: LDP 115, DPJ 60, Komeito 24, JCP 20, SDP 8, Liberal Party 8 (merged with DPJ in 2003), independents 6, others 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP 49.38%, DPJ 36.88%, Komeito 7.09%, JCP 1.88%, SDP 1.25%, NCP .84%; seats by party - LDP 237, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP 6, NCP 4, others 13; distribution of seats as of 13 November 2003 was: LDP 244, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP 6, others 10
Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.06 years


male: 74.31 years


female: 80.08 years (2004 est.)
total population: 80.93 years


male: 77.63 years


female: 84.41 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 96.1% (2003)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99% (1995 est.)


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 Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Map references Southeast Asia Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
Merchant marine total: 130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,417,768 GRT/5,617,318 DWT


by type: bulk 36, cargo 23, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 3, container 37, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: Cuba 1, Hong Kong 4


registered in other countries: 457 (2004 est.)
total: 594 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,467,142 GRT/13,335,833 DWT


ships by type: bulk 120, cargo 45, chemical tanker 18, combination bulk 28, combination ore/oil 1, container 18, liquefied gas 52, passenger 8, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 179, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 59, short-sea passenger 6, vehicle carrier 49


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: China 1, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force), Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure $7,611.7 million (2003) $39.52 billion (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.7% (2003) 1% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 6,556,484 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 29,392,559 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 4,992,737 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 25,405,779 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 182,677 (2004 est.) males: 725,281 (2003 est.)
National holiday Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911) Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)
Nationality noun: Chinese/Taiwanese (singular and plural)


adjective: Chinese/Taiwanese
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)


adjective: Japanese
Natural hazards earthquakes and typhoons many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Natural resources small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos negligible mineral resources, fish
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines condensate 25 km; gas 435 km (2004) gas 2,719 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [SU Tseng-chang, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu), chairman]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [SU Chin-chiang, chairman]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or CNP Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Naoto KAN, leader; Katsuya OKADA, secretary general]; Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII, chairman; Tadayoshi ICHIDA, secretary general]; Komeito [Takenori KANZAKI, president; Tetsuzo FUYUSHIBA, secretary general]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Junichiro KOIZUMI, president; Shinzo ABE, secretary general]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA, chairperson; Seiji MATAICHI, secretary general]
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
NA
Population 22,749,838 (July 2004 est.) 127,214,499 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 1% (2000 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0.64% (2004 est.) 0.11% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate, Higashi-Harima, Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai
Radio broadcast stations AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999) AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21 (2001)
Railways total: 2,544 km


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


note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul products and limited numbers of passengers (2003)
total: 23,168 km (15,995 km electrified)


standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 19,855 km 1.067-m gauge (12,683 km electrified); 31 km 0.762-m gauge (31 km electrified) (2002)
Religions mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Sex ratio 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: 1.03 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 20 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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)
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service


domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind


international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)
Telephones - main lines in use 13.355 million (2003) 60.381 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 25,089,600 (2003) 63.88 million (2000)
Television broadcast stations 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997) 211 plus 7,341 repeaters


note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)
Terrain eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west mostly rugged and mountainous
Total fertility rate 1.57 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.38 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 5% (2003 est.) 5.4% (2002)
Waterways - 1,770 km approximately


note: seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
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