TAIWAN AT A GLANCE:

Official name: Chung-hua Min-kuo (Republic of China)

Area: 14,000 square miles (36,400 square kilometers)

Capital: Taipei (2.6 million people)

National government: Multiparty republic consisting of presidency, five governing Yuan (executive, legislative, judicial, control, examination) and the National Assembly.

National Assembly: 334 members serve four-year terms; may amend constitution, recall or impeach president and vice president, ratify presidential appointments.

Legislative Yuan: Main lawmaking body; 225 members serve three-year terms.

Chief of state: President elected directly by voters; limited to two, four-year terms.

Head of government: Premier, appointed by president; heads Executive Yuan, principal administrative body.

Monetary unit: 1 New Taiwan dollar equals 100 cents. Valuation (February 23, 2000): 1 U.S. dollar equals 30.7 Taiwan dollars; 1 British pound equals 49.7 Taiwan dollars.

PEOPLE:

Population: 21.9 million (1999 estimate)

Density: 1,564 people per square mile (602 per square kilometer)

Urban-rural ratio: 75 percent urban, 25 percent rural

Ethnic groups: Han Chinese (98 percent), aboriginal (1.7 percent)

Suffrage: Universal, age 20 and over

Eligible voters: 15 million

Religions:
  • Taiwanese folk religion
  • Taoism
  • Buddhism
  • Confucianism
  • Christianity

Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese, Hakka

Birth rate per 1,000 people (1997): 14.7 (world average 25)

Death rate per 1,000 people (1997): 6.1 (world average 9.3)

Natural increase rate per 1,000 people (1997): 8.6 (world average 15.7)

Life expectancy (1998):
  • 72 years for males
  • 78 years for females

ECONOMY:

Gross domestic product (1998): U.S.$261.6 billion (U.S.$12,009 per capita)

Annual growth rate (1998): 4.8 percent (1991-98 average 6.3 percent)

Labor force (1997): 9.5 million
  • Services: 52 percent
  • Industrial & commercial: 38 percent
  • Agriculture: 10 percent
  • Unemployment rate: 2.7 percent

QUALITY OF LIFE:

Average household size (1996): 3.6 people

Average household income (1996): U.S.$36,470

Television sets per 1,000 people: 327

Radios per 1,000 people: 402

Telephones: 1 per 2.3 people

EDUCATION AND HEALTH:

Literacy (1998): 94.7 percent of people over age 15

Compulsory education: 9 years, ages 6-15

Percentage of population 25 and older with no formal schooling (1995): 9.1 percent

Infant mortality (1995): 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births (world average 80)

COMMUNICATION:

Newspapers: 360

TV stations: 5 (4 commercial, 1 public service)

Radio stations: 144

TRANSPORTATION:

Railroads (1996): 2,410 miles (3,856 kilometers)

Roads (1994): 11,804 miles (19,038 kilometers); 89 percent paved

Passenger cars (1998): 4.3 million

Commercial vehicles (1998): 925,000

MILITARY:

Active duty personnel (1996): 376,000 (army 63.8 percent, navy 18.1 percent, air force 18.1 percent)

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP (1998): 4.9 percent