 .TW - Taiwan
Registration · Transfer · Renewal
|
|
Payable by
|
|
|
Special Requirements:
|
.TW info read HERE
|
.COM.TW | .IDV.TW
1 Year at 49.95
|
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
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 |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
23 30 N, 121 00 E |
|
Map references: |
Southeast Asia |
|
Area: |
total: 35,980 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km
water: 3,720 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Maryland
and Delaware combined |
|
Land boundaries: |
0 km |
|
Coastline: |
1,566.3 km |
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
|
Climate: |
tropical; marine; rainy season
during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and
extensive all year |
|
Terrain: |
eastern two-thirds mostly
rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: South
China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m |
|
Natural resources: |
small deposits of coal, natural
gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 75% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land: |
NA sq km |
|
Natural hazards: |
earthquakes and typhoons |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Geography - note: |
strategic location adjacent to
both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait |
|
Population: |
22,894,384 (July 2005 est.)
|
|
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.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 34.14 years
male: 33.71 years
female: 34.57 years (2005 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
0.63% (2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
12.64 births/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
6.38 deaths/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
|
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.) |
|
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.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 77.26
years
male: 74.49 years
female: 80.28 years (2005
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.57 children born/woman (2005
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Taiwan (singular
and plural)
note: example: he or she is from Taiwan; they are
from Taiwan
adjective: Taiwan |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Taiwanese (including Hakka)
84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% |
|
Religions: |
mixture of Buddhist, Confucian,
and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% |
|
Languages: |
Mandarin Chinese (official),
Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 96.1% (2003)
|
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local long
form: none
local short form: T'ai-wan
former:
Formosa |
|
Government type: |
multiparty democratic regime
headed by popularly-elected president and unicameral legislature |
|
Capital: |
Taipei |
|
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 |
|
National holiday: |
Republic Day (Anniversary of
the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911) |
|
Constitution: |
25 December 1946, amended in
1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2000 |
|
Legal system: |
based on civil law system;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
|
Suffrage: |
20 years of age; universal
|
|
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% |
|
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; 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 |
|
Judicial branch: |
Judicial Yuan (justices
appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan) |
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
International organization participation: |
APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU,
IOC, WCL, WTO |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Flag description: |
red with a dark blue rectangle
in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
|
|
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. |
|
GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$576.2 billion (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
6% (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$25,300 (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1.7%
industry: 30.9%
services: 67.4% (2004 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
18% of GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
1% (2000 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 6.7%
highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.7% (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
10.22 million (2004 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 8%, industry 35%,
services 57% (2001 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
4.5% (2004 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $67.41 billion
expenditures: $76.7 billion, including capital expenditures of
$14.4 billion (2004 est.) |
|
Public debt: |
32.4% of GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
rice, corn, vegetables, fruit,
tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish |
|
Industries: |
electronics, petroleum
refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery,
cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
|
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
12.2% (2004 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
158.5 billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 71.4%
hydro: 6%
nuclear: 22.6%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
147.4 billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2002) |
|
Oil - production: |
500 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
NA |
|
Oil - imports: |
NA |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
2.9 million bbl (2004 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
750 million cu m (2001 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
6.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports: |
410 million cu m (2001 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - imports: |
6.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
38.23 billion cu m (2004)
|
|
Current account balance: |
$21.16 billion (2004 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$170.5 billion f.o.b. (2004
est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
computer products and
electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products,
chemicals (2002) |
|
Exports - partners: |
China, including Hong Kong 37%,
US 16%, Japan 7.7% (2004) |
|
Imports: |
$165.4 billion f.o.b. (2004
est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
machinery and electrical
equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002) |
|
Imports - partners: |
Japan 26%, US 13%, China,
including Hong Kong 11%, South Korea 6.9% (2004) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$246.5 billion (2004 est.)
|
|
Debt - external: |
$55.5 billion (2004 est.)
|
|
Currency: |
new Taiwan dollar (TWD) |
|
Currency code: |
TWD |
|
Exchange rates: |
new Taiwan dollars per US
dollar - 33.422 (2004), 34.418 (2003), 34.575 (2002), 33.8 (2001), 33.09
(2000) |
|
Fiscal year: |
1 July - 30 June (up to
FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000 for FY00; calendar year (after
FY00) |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
13.355 million (2003) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
25,089,600 (2003) |
|
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) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50
(1999) |
|
Radios: |
16 million (1994) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
|
|
Televisions: |
8.8 million (1998) |
|
Internet country code: |
.tw |
|
Internet hosts: |
2,777,085 (2003) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
8 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
13.8 million (2005)
|
|
Railways: |
total: 2,508 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) |
|
Highways: |
total: 37,299 km
paved: 35,621 km (including 608 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,678 km (2002) |
|
Pipelines: |
condensate 25 km; gas 435 km
(2004) |
|
Ports and harbors: |
Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien,
Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung |
|
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) |
|
Airports: |
40 (2004 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.)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 3
1,524 to
2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
|
Heliports: |
3 (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
|
|
Military manpower - military age and obligation: |
19-40 years of age for military
service (being lowered to 35 years of age in July 2005); service
obligation 22 months (being shortened to 18 months in July 2005 and 12
months in 2008) (2005) |
|
Military manpower - availability: |
males age 19-49:
5,883,828 (2005 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 19-49:
4,749,537 (2005 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age
annually: |
males: 174,173 (2005
est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$7.574 billion (2003) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.6% (2004) |
| Transnational Issues |
Taiwan |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
|
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.in ·
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.dk ·
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.be ·
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.nl ·
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.at ·
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.de ·
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.co.uk ·
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.us ·
Linux Hosting at 1stEuro.net ·
Cheap domain names registration ·
Compare all Linux Web Hosting Plans ·
All Reseller Hosting Plans ·
Network Information, Speed Test, Server Specs ·
Help & FAQ
|
