##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Taiwan (2005) - Saudi Arabia (2004)
Compare Taiwan (2005) z Saudi Arabia (2004)
| Taiwan (2005) | Saudi Arabia (2004) | |
 |  | |
| 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 |
13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 19.7% (male 2,349,077/female 2,156,755)
15-64 years: 70.7% (male 8,205,933/female 7,980,056) 65 years and over: 9.6% (male 1,107,708/female 1,094,855) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 38.3% (male 5,039,578; female 4,845,937)
15-64 years: 59.3% (male 8,810,705; female 6,494,770) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 327,047; female 277,901) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish | wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk |
| Airports | 40 (2004 est.) | 204 (2003 est.) |
| 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: 72
over 3,047 m: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
total: 129
over 3047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 72 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 35,980 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy |
total: 1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US |
| 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. | In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. Today, the monarchy is ruled by a son of ABD AL-AZIZ, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. |
| Birth rate | 12.64 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 29.74 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $67.41 billion
expenditures: $76.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $14.4 billion (2004 est.) |
revenues: $78.77 billion
expenditures: $66.76 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
| Capital | Taipei | Riyadh |
| Climate | tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes |
| Coastline | 1,566.3 km | 2,640 km |
| Constitution | 25 December 1946; amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2000 | governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 |
| 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 Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah |
| Currency | - | Saudi riyal (SAR) |
| Death rate | 6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 2.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $55.5 billion (2004 est.) | $39.16 billion (2003) |
| 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 James Curtis OBERWETTER
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah) |
| 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 BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York |
| 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 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 | nomadic groups on border region with Yemen resist demarcation of boundary; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown and labeled approximate |
| Economic aid - donor | - | pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq |
| 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 less than 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia. China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market. 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; and the essentially vibrant economy pushed ahead in 2003-04. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant long-term factor, e.g., exports to China of parts and equipment for the assembly of goods for export to developed countries. | This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (25% of the proved reserves), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism. |
| Electricity - consumption | 147.4 billion kWh (2002) | 113.8 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 158.5 billion kWh (2002) | 122.4 billion kWh (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 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 | desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills |
| 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, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% | Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% |
| Exchange rates | new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 33.422 (2004), 34.418 (2003), 34.575 (2002), 33.8 (2001), 33.09 (2000) | Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000), 3.745 (1999) |
| 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) - WU Rong-i) (since 18 February 2005) 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: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982, but largely incapacitated since late 1995); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud since 13 June 1982, also Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander since 1963 and de facto ruler since early 1996; note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982, but largely incapacitated since late 1995); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud since 13 June 1982, also Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander since 1963 and de facto ruler since early 1996; note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members elections: note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005 |
| Exports | NA | 7.92 million bbl/day (2003) |
| Exports - commodities | computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002) | petroleum and petroleum products 90% |
| Exports - partners | China, including Hong Kong 37%, US 16%, Japan 7.7% (2004) | US 20.6%, Japan 15.4%, South Korea 9.8%, China 5.5%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2003) |
| 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 | green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932 |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $287.8 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.7%
industry: 30.9% services: 67.4% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 4.7%
industry: 58.8% services: 36.5% (2003 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $25,300 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,800 (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6% (2004 est.) | 5.3% (2003 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 23 30 N, 121 00 E | 25 00 N, 45 00 E |
| Geography - note | strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait | extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal |
| Heliports | 3 (2004 est.) | 5 (2003 est.) |
| Highways | total: 37,299 km
paved: 35,621 km (including 608 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,678 km (2002) |
total: 151,470 km
paved: 45,592 km unpaved: 105,878 km (1999) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 6.7%
highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| 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 | death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation |
| Imports | NA | 0 bbl/day (2003) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002) | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles |
| Imports - partners | Japan 26%, US 13%, China, including Hong Kong 11%, South Korea 6.9% (2004) | US 9.4%, Japan 7.7%, Germany 7.3%, UK 6.2%, China 4.4%, France 4.1% (2003) |
| Independence | - | 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 12.2% (2004 est.) | 7.7% (2003 est.) |
| Industries | electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals | crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.72 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.7% (2004 est.) | 0.5% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WTO | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan) | Supreme Council of Justice |
| Labor force | 10.22 million (2004 est.) | 6.43 million
note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2003) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 8%, industry 35%, services 57% (2001 est.) | agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km |
| Land use | arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1% other: 75% (2001) |
arable land: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2001) |
| Languages | Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects | Arabic |
| Legal system | based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| 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: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by the National Assembly on 7 June 2005, the number of seats in the legislature will be reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with the election in 2007; the amendments also eliminate the National Assembly, thus giving Taiwan a unicameral legislature elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2007); National Assembly - last held 14 May 2005 election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP 38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%; seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7, independents 4; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPP 42.5%, KMT 38.9%, TSU 7%, PFP 6%, others 6.6%; seats by party - DPP 127, KMT 117, TSU 21, PFP 18, others 17 (2005) |
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 77.26 years
male: 74.49 years female: 80.28 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 75.23 years
male: 73.26 years female: 77.3 years (2004 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: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (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 | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Middle East |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified |
| Merchant marine | total: 126 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,417,768 GRT/5,617,318 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 36, cargo 23, chemical tanker 2, container 37, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 3) registered in other countries: 432 (2005) |
total: 66 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 11, container 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea/passenger 6 foreign-owned: Egypt 3, Greece 4, Norway 2, Sudan 1, United Kingdom 3 registered in other countries: 54 (2004 est.) |
| Military branches | Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command | Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $7.574 billion (2003) | $18 billion (2002) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.6% (2004) | 10% (2002) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 8,240,714 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 4,725,514 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 246,343 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911) | Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) |
| Nationality | noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)
note: example: he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan adjective: Taiwan |
noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes and typhoons | frequent sand and dust storms |
| Natural resources | small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | -2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Pipelines | condensate 25 km; gas 435 km (2004) | condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004) |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [SU Tseng-chang, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou, 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 | none |
| 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 |
none |
| Population | 22,894,384 (July 2005 est.) | 25,795,938
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 1% (2000 est.) | NA |
| Population growth rate | 0.63% (2005 est.) | 2.44% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung | Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999) | AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Railways | total: 2,497 km
narrow gauge: 1,097 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified) note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul products and limited numbers of passengers (2004) |
total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2003) |
| Religions | mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% | Muslim 100% |
| 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: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.36 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | none adult male citizens age 21 or older
note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005 |
| 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: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 13.355 million (2003) | 3,502,600 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 25,089,600 (2003) | 7,238,200 (2003) |
| Television broadcast stations | 29 (plus two repeaters) (1997) | 117 (1997) |
| Terrain | eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west | mostly uninhabited, sandy desert |
| Total fertility rate | 1.57 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 4.11 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% (2004 est.) | 25% (2003) |
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