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Compare Taiwan (2008) - Christmas Island (2007)
Compare Taiwan (2008) z Christmas Island (2007)
| Taiwan (2008) | Christmas Island (2007) | |
 |  | |
| 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 a modified Wade-Giles system still dominates, the city of Taipei has adopted a Pinyin romanization for street and place names within its boundaries; other local authorities use different romanization systems; names for administrative divisions that follow are taken from the Taiwan Yearbook 2007 published by the Government Information Office in Taipei. counties: Changhua, Chiayi [county], Hsinchu, Hualien, Kaohsiung [county], Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei [county], Taitung, Taoyuan, Yilan, and Yunlin municipalities: Chiayi [city], Hsinchu, Keelung, Taichung, Tainan special municipalities: Kaohsiung [city], 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 (2007) |
| 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 (2007) |
| 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 began 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: $49 billion
expenditures: $5.19 billion (2007 est.) |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $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) |
name: The Settlement
geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year | tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
| 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) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 |
| 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 | $85.8 billion (31 December 2007) | - |
| Dependency status | - | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra 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 the authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large, state-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The island runs a large trade surplus, and its foreign reserves are among the world's largest. Despite restrictions on cross-strait links, China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and 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 2007 pushed Taiwan's GDP growth rate above 5%, and unemployment is below 4%. | 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, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future. |
| Electricity - consumption | 221 billion kWh (2006) | - |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2007 est.) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2007) | - |
| Electricity - production | 235 billion kWh (2006) | - |
| 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 | loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining |
| 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 - 32.84 (2007), 32.534 (2006), 31.71 (2005), 34.418 (2004), 34.575 (2003) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) |
| 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 22 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 Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
| Exports | 289,200 bbl/day (2006) | $NA |
| Exports - commodities | electronic and electrical products, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals, auto parts (2002) | phosphate |
| Exports - partners | China 24%, Hong Kong 15%, US 13.4%, Japan 6.7% (2007) | Australia, NZ (2006) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 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 | territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.6%
industry: 26.8% services: 71.5% (2007 est.) |
- |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5.5% (2007 est.) | - |
| 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) | - |
| 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 | 1.208 million bbl/day (2006) | $NA |
| Imports - commodities | electronic and electrical products, machinery, petroleum, precision instruments, organic chemicals, metals (2002) | consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | Japan 21%, China 12.7%, US 12.2%, South Korea 7.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.6% (2007) | principally Australia (2006) |
| Independence | - | none (territory of Australia) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 7.5% (2007 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) | 1.8% (2007 est.) | - |
| International organization participation | ADB, APEC, BCIE, ICC, IOC, ITUC, WCL, WTO | none |
| Irrigated land | NA | NA |
| Judicial branch | Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan) | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
| Labor force | 10.78 million (2007 est.) | NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 5.3%
industry: 36.8% services: 57.9% (2007 est.) |
- |
| 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% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005) |
| 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 (113 seats - 73 district members elected by popular vote, 34 at-large members elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, 6 elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; to serve four-year terms); parties must receive 5% of vote to qualify for at-large seats
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 12 January 2008 (next to be held in January 2012) election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT 53.5%, DPP 38.2%, NPSU 2.4%, PFP 0.3%, others 1.6%, independents 4%; seats by party - KMT 81, DPP 27, NPSU 3, PFP 1, independent 1 |
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 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) 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 |
| Pipelines | condensate 25 km; gas 661 km (2007) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Frank HSIEH or HSIEH Chang-ting] (acting); Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [WU Po-hsiung]; Non-Partisan Solidarity Union or NPSU [CHANG Po-ya]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG] | 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.) | 1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 0.95% (2007 est.) | - |
| Population growth rate | 0.304% (2007 est.) | 0% (2007 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 140, FM 229, shortwave 49 | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006) |
| Railways | total: 1,588 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,093 km 1.067-m gauge note: 150 km .762-m gauge (belonging primarily to Taiwan Sugar Corporation and Taiwan Forestry Bureau; some to other entities) (2007) |
- |
| 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; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; 2 satellite earth stations |
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 14.497 million (2006) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 23.249 million (2006) | - |
| Television broadcast stations | 76 (46 digital and 30 analog) | 0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006) |
| 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% (2007) | - |
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