Compare Taiwan (2007) - Christmas Island (2005)

Compare Taiwan (2007) z Christmas Island (2005)

	Taiwan (2007)	Christmas Island (2005)

Administrative divisions	includes main island of Taiwan plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 18 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities (chuan-shih, singular and plural) note: Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems; while the Wade-Giles system still dominates, city of Taipei has adopted standard Pinyin romanization for street and place names within its boundaries; other local authorities use different romanization systems; names for administrative divisions that follow are in Wade-Giles system with Pinyin equivalents in parentheses counties: Chang-hua (Changhua), Chia-i (Chiayi) [county], Hsin-chu (Hsinchu), Hua-lien (Hualien), I-lan (Yilan), Kao-hsiung (Kaohsiung) [county], Kin-men (Kinmen), Lien-chiang (Lienchiang, also Matsu), Miao-li (Miaoli), Nan-t'ou (Nantou), P'eng-hu (Penghu), P'ing-tung (Pingtung), T'ai-chung (Taichung), T'ai-nan (Tainan), T'ai-pei (Taipei) [county], T'ai-tung (Taitung), T'ao-yuan (Taoyuan), and Yun-lin (Yunlin) municipalities: Chia-i (Chiayi) [city], Chi-lung (Keelung), Hsin-chu (Hsinchu), T'ai-chung (Taichung), T'ai-nan (Tainan) special municipalities: Kao-hsiung (Kaohsiung) [city], T'ai-pei (Taipei) [city]	none (territory of Australia)
Age structure	0-14 years: 17.8% (male 2,117,051/female 1,954,709) 15-64 years: 72% (male 8,306,351/female 8,141,268) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 1,150,001/female 1,189,492) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Agriculture - products	rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish	NA
Airports	41 (2007)	1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 38 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 3 (2007)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)	-
Area	total: 35,980 sq km land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands	total: 135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined	about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
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 local population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers." The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.	Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Birth rate	8.97 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	NA
Budget	revenues: $73.1 billion expenditures: $72.44 billion (2006 est.)	revenues: NA expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Capital	name: Taipei geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	The Settlement
Climate	tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year	tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season December to April
Coastline	1,566.3 km	138.9 km
Constitution	25 December 1947; amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2005 note: constitution adopted on 25 December 1946; went into effect on 25 December 1947	Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958)
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: Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island
Death rate	6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	NA
Debt - external	$91.92 billion (2006 est.)	-
Dependency status	-	territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
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, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 238-7744, FAX: [886] (7) 238-5237; and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2) 2757-7162	none (territory of Australia)
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), which has its headquarters in Taipei and in the US in Washington, DC; there are also branch offices called Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in 12 other US cities	none (territory of Australia)
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	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	NA
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 island runs a trade surplus, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Despite restrictions on cross-strait links, China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and, in 2006, its second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment. Strong trade performance in 2006 pushed Taiwan's GDP growth rate above 4%, and unemployment is below 4%. Consumer spending recovered following a slowdown early in 2006, when banks tightened lending to address a sharp increase in delinquent consumer debt.	Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, projected to begin operations in the near future
Electricity - consumption	201.6 billion kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - production	210.3 billion kWh (2005)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 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	NA
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	-
Ethnic groups	Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, indigenous 2%	Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% note: no indigenous population (2001)
Exchange rates	new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 32.534 (2006), 31.71 (2005), 34.418 (2004), 34.575 (2003), 33.8 (2002)	Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000); Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000) head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) CHANG Chun-hsiung (since 21 May 2007); Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) CHIOU I-jen (since 21 May 2007) cabinet: Executive Yuan - (ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier) elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 20 March 2004 (next to be held 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 50.1%, LIEN Chan 49.9%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator Evan WILLIAMS (since 1 November 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA
Exports - commodities	computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)	phosphate
Exports - partners	China 22.5%, Hong Kong 15.7%, US 15%, Japan 7.3% (2006 est.)	Australia, NZ
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays	the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 1.5% industry: 26.8% services: 71.7% (2006 est.)	agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA
GDP - real growth rate	4.7% (2006 est.)	NA
Geographic coordinates	23 30 N, 121 00 E	10 30 S, 105 40 E
Geography - note	strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait	located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Heliports	4 (2007)	-
Highways	-	total: 240 km paved: 30 km unpaved: 210 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 6.7% highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)	-
Illicit drugs	regional transit point for heroin, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals; transshipment point for drugs to Japan; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin; rising problems with use of ketamine and club drugs	-
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA
Imports - commodities	machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002)	consumer goods
Imports - partners	Japan 23%, China 11.9%, US 10.9%, South Korea 7.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.9% (2006 est.)	principally Australia
Independence	-	none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate	6.5% (2006 est.)	-
Industries	electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals	tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate	total: 5.54 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: NA male: NA female: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	0.6% (2006 est.)	-
International organization participation	APEC, AsDB, ICC, ICRM, IOC, ITUC, WCL, WHO (observer), WTO	none
Irrigated land	NA	NA sq km
Judicial branch	Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)	Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force	10.52 million (2006 est.)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 5.5% industry: 36% services: 58.5% (2005 est.)	NA
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% other: 75% (2001)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (2001)
Languages	Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects	English (official), Chinese, Malay
Legal system	based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Legislative branch	unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats; 168 members 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 islandwide votes received by participating political parties, 8 elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; to serve three-year terms) note: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by the now defunct National Assembly in June 2005, number of seats in legislature will be reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with election in 2007; amendments also eliminated National Assembly thus giving Taiwan a unicameral legislature elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2007) 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	unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held in 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 77.56 years male: 74.65 years female: 80.74 years (2007 est.)	total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.1% male: NA% female: NA% (2003)	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	Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references	Southeast Asia	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 102 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,537,256 GRT/4,203,423 DWT by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 20, chemical tanker 2, container 21, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 4 (Canada 3, France 1) registered in other countries: 489 (Bahamas 1, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 1, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 2, Italy 11, Liberia 82, Panama 306, Singapore 60, Thailand 1, UK 11, unknown 3) (2007)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of Australia
Military branches	Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.2% (2006; to increase to 2.85% in 2007)	-
National holiday	Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)	Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality	noun: Taiwan (singular and plural) note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan adjective: Taiwan	noun: Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island
Natural hazards	earthquakes and typhoons	the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources	small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos	phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate	0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	NA
People - note	-	the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a population of 1,508 as of the 2001 Census
Pipelines	condensate 25 km; gas 661 km (2006)	-
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [CHEN Shui-bian]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [WU Po-hsiung]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [HUANG Kun-hui]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or NP	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 the island currently enjoys sovereign independence and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; public opinion polls consistently show a substantial majority of Taiwan people supports maintaining Taiwan's status quo for the foreseeable future; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for Taiwan Nation Building	none
Population	22,858,872 (July 2007 est.)	361 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	0.9% (2006 est.)	-
Population growth rate	0.304% (2007 est.)	0% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Flying Fish Cove
Radio broadcast stations	AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways	total: 2,502 km narrow gauge: 1,102 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 carry products and limited numbers of passengers (2006)	-
Religions	mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%	Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.083 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.967 male(s)/female total population: 1.026 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	NA
Suffrage	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: service provided by the Australian network domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-891; satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	14.497 million (2006)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	23.249 million (2006)	NA
Television broadcast stations	29 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997)	NA
Terrain	eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west	steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate	1.12 children born/woman (2007 est.)	NA
Unemployment rate	3.9% (2006 est.)	-

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