Independence:
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Constitution:
13 March 1973
Legal system:
based on a combination of French and Ottoman civil law; Islamic law is used in the family court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice President Farouk al-SHARA (since 11 February 2006) oversees foreign policy; Vice President Najah al-ATTAR (since 23 March 2006) oversees cultural policy head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10 September 2003); Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdallah al-DARDARI (since 14 June 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president approved by popular referendum for a second seven-year term (no term limits); referendum last held on 27 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2014); the president appoints the vice presidents, prime minister, and deputy prime ministers election results: Bashar al-ASAD approved as president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-Shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 22-23 April 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPF 172, independents 78
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Council (appoints and dismisses judges; headed by the president); national level - Supreme Constitutional Court (adjudicates electoral disputes and rules on constitutionality of laws and decrees; justices appointed for four-year terms by the President); Court of Cassation; Appeals Courts (Appeals Courts represent an intermediate level between the Court of Cassation and local level courts); local level - Magistrate Courts; Courts of First Instance; Juvenile Courts; Customs Courts; specialized courts - Economic Security Courts (hear cases related to economic crimes); Supreme State Security Court (hear cases related to national security); Personal Status Courts (religious; hear cases related to marriage and divorce)
Political parties and leaders:
legal parties: National Progressive Front or NPF [President Basharal-ASAD, Dr. Suleiman QADDAH] (includes Arab Socialist Renaissance(Ba'th) Party [President Bashar al-ASAD]; Socialist UnionistDemocratic Party [Fadlallah Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Arab SocialistUnion or ASU [Safwan QUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches)[Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Syrian SocialNationalist Party [Ali QANSU]; Unionist Socialist Party [FayezISMAIL])opposition parties not legally recognized:: Arab DemocraticSocialist Union Party [Hasan Abdul AZIM]; Arab Socialist Movement;Democratic Ba'th Party [Ibrahim MAHKOS]; People's Democratic Party[Riad al TURK]; Revolutionary Workers' Party [Abdul Hafeez al HAFEZ]Kurdish parties (considered illegal): Kurdish Democratic Front[Abdul Hamid DARWISH] (includes four parties); Kurdish Coordination[Abdul Hakim BASHAR] (includes Azadi Party [Kheirudin MURAD], FutureParty [Masha'l TAMMO], Yekity Party [Hasam SALE])other parties: Nahda Party [Abdul Aziz al MISLET]; Syrian DemocraticParty [Mustafa QALAAJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Damascus Declaration National Council [Riyad SEIF, secretarygeneral] (a broad alliance of opposition groups and individualsincluding: Committee for Revival of Civil Society [Michel KILO,Riyad SEIF], Communist Action Party [Fateh JAMOUS], KurdishDemocratic Alliance, Kurdish Democratic Front, Liberal Nationalists'Movement, National Democratic Front, National Democratic Rally, andSyrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fawed FAWUZ]); NationalSalvation Front (alliance between former Vice President Abd al-HalimKHADDAM, the SMB, and other small opposition groups); Syrian MuslimBrotherhood or SMB [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI] (operates in exile inLondon; endorsed the Damascus Declaration, but is not an officialmember)
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313 FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Maura CONNELLY embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansour Street, No. 2, Damascus mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus telephone: [963] (11) 3391-4444 FAX: [963] (11) 3391-3999
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, colors associated with the Arab Liberation flag; two small, green, five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; former flag of the United Arab Republic where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; the current design dates to 1980
EconomySyria
Economy - overview:
The Syrian economy grew by an estimated 3.3% in real terms in 2007 led by the petroleum and agricultural sectors, which together account for about one-half of GDP. Higher crude oil prices countered declining oil production and led to higher budgetary and export receipts. Damascus has implemented modest economic reforms in the past few years, including cutting lending interest rates, opening private banks, consolidating all of the multiple exchange rates, raising prices on some subsidized items, most notably gasoline and cement, and establishing the Damascus Stock Exchange - which is set to begin operations in 2009. In October 2007, for example, Damascus raised the price of subsidized gasoline by 20%, and may institute a rationing system in 2008. In addition, President ASAD signed legislative decrees to encourage corporate ownership reform, and to allow the Central Bank to issue Treasury bills and bonds for government debt. Nevertheless, the economy remains highly controlled by the government. Long-run economic constraints include declining oil production, high unemployment and inflation, rising budget deficits, and increasing pressure on water supplies caused by heavy use in agriculture, rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and water pollution.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$90.37 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$37.76 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 24% industry: 27.9% services: 48.2% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
5.462 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 19.2% industry: 14.5% services: 66.3% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
11.9% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
21.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $8.393 billion expenditures: $11.21 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
37.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.2% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8% (31 December 2005)
Stock of money:
$58.84 billion note: This number reflects the greatly overvalued official exchange rate of 11.23 Syrian pounds per dollar. At the unofficial rate of 50 Syrian pounds per dollar, the stock of Syrian pounds would equal US$13.22 billion and Syria's velocity of money (the number of times money turns over in the course of a year) would be three, in line with the velocity of money for other countries in the region. (31 December 2006)
Stock of quasi money:
$45.93 billion (31 December 2006)
Stock of domestic credit:
$50.92 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Industries:
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, cement, oil seeds crushing, car assembly
Industrial production growth rate:
2.5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
34.94 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
34 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports:
986 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 57.6% hydro: 42.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
433,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
261,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
254,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports:
160,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
7.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
4.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
NA cu m
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$908 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$11.14 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, clothing, meat and live animals, wheat
Exports - partners:
Iraq 30%, Lebanon 10%, Germany 9.7%, Italy 8%, Egypt 5.5%, SaudiArabia 5.2%, France 4.9% (2007)
Imports:
$10.5 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, plastics, yarn, paper
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 12%, China 8.7%, Egypt 6.2%, Italy 6%, UAE 5.9%,Ukraine 4.8%, Russia 4.8%, Germany 4.7%, Iran 4.3% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$213 million (2008 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$6.046 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$6.633 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Syrian pound (SYP)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds (SYP) per US dollar - 50.0085 (2007), 51.689 (2006), 50 (2005), 48.5 (2004), 52.8 (2003) note: data for 2004-06 are the public sector rate; data for 2002-03 are the parallel market rate in 'Amman and Beirut; the official rate for repaying loans was 11.25 Syrian pounds per US dollars during 2004-06,
CommunicationsSyria
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.452 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.7 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology domestic: the number of fixed-line connections has increased markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing rapidly and teledensity about 35 wireless telephones per 100 persons; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network international: country code - 963; submarine cable connection to Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
4.15 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
1.05 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.sy
Internet hosts:
7,857 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
3.47 million (2007)
TransportationSyria
Airports:
90 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 26 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 64 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 52 (2007)
Heliports:
7 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 2,794 km; oil 2,000 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 2,711 km standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 97,401 km paved: 19,490 km (includes 1,103 km of expressways) unpaved: 77,911 km (2006)
Waterways:
900 km (not economically significant) (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 77 by type: bulk carrier 5, cargo 65, carrier 4, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 7 (Jordan 2, Lebanon 3, Romania 2) registered in other countries: 196 (Barbados 1, Bolivia 2, Cambodia 48, Comoros 4, Cyprus 2, Dominica 2, Georgia 49, Hong Kong 1, North Korea 1, Lebanon 2, Libya 2, Malta 6, Moldova 1, Panama 32, Saint Kitts and Nevis 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13, Sierra Leone 18, Slovakia 2, Togo 2, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Latakia, Tartus
MilitarySyria
Military branches:
Syrian Armed Forces: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian ArabAir and Air Defense Forces (includes Air Defense Command) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy); women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,251,875 females age 16-49: 4,966,367 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,242,401 females age 16-49: 4,218,648 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 215,734 female: 203,106 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
5.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesSyria
Disputes - international:
Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied with the almost 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) patrolling a buffer zone since 1964; lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shaba'a farms in the Golan Heights; 2004 Agreement and pending demarcation settles border dispute with Jordan; approximately two million Iraqis have fled the conflict in Iraq with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1-1.4 million (Iraq); 522,100(Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))IDPs: 305,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967Arab-Israeli War) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Syria is a destination and transit country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; a significant number of women and children in the large and expanding Iraqi refugee community in Syria are reportedly forced into commercial sexual exploitation by Iraqi gangs or, in some cases, their families; women from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone are recruited for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face conditions of involuntary servitude, including long hours, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, threats, and physical or sexual abuse tier rating: Tier 3 - Syria again failed to report any law enforcement efforts to punish trafficking offenses in 2007; in addition, the government did not offer protection services to victims of trafficking and may have arrested, prosecuted, or deported some victims for prostitution or immigration violations; Syria has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
Illicit drugs:
a transit point for opiates, hashish, and cocaine bound for regional and Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls and bank privatization may leave it vulnerable to money laundering
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Taiwan
IntroductionTaiwan
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.
GeographyTaiwan
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:
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 islands
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:
Total renewable water resources:
67 cu km (2000)
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
PeopleTaiwan
Population:
22,920,946 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.3% (male 2,057,458/female 1,900,449) 15-64 years: 72.3% (male 8,362,038/female 8,204,834) 65 years and over: 10.5% (male 1,167,476/female 1,228,691) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 36 years male: 35.5 years female: 36.6 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.238% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
8.99 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.76 years male: 74.89 years female: 80.89 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.13 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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%, indigenous 2%
Religions:
mixture of Buddhist 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% male: NA female: NA (2003)
Education expenditures:
GovernmentTaiwan
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 democracy
Capital:
name: Taipei geographic coordinates: 25 03 N, 121 30 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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]
National holiday:
Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)
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
Legal system:
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President MA Ying-jeou (since 20 May 2008); Vice President Vincent SIEW (since 20 May 2008) head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIO Chao-shiuan (since 20 May 2008); Vice Premier (Vice President of Executive Yuan) Paul CHIU (CHANG-hsiung) (since 20 May 2008) 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 22 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier election results: MA Ying-jeou elected president on 22 March 2008; percent of vote - MA Ying-jeou 58.45%, Frank HSIEH 41.55%; MA Ying-jeou takes office on 20 May 2008
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
Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [TSAI Ing-wen]; Kuomintang orKMT (Nationalist Party) [WU Po-hsiung]; Non-Partisan SolidarityUnion or NPSU [CHANG Po-ya]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Organization for Taiwan Nation Building; World United Formosans for Independence other: environmental groups; independence movement; various business 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
International organization participation:
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
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
Flag description:
red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
EconomyTaiwan
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%.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$698.6 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$383.3 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.7% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,100 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.4% industry: 27.5% services: 71.1% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
10.71 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 5.3% industry: 36.8% services: 57.9% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
0.95% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 6.7% highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $76.2 billion expenditures: $75.65 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
27.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Stock of money:
Stock of quasi money:
Stock of domestic credit:
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:
9.2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
216.6 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
208.7 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 71.4% hydro: 6% nuclear: 22.6% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
10,600 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
950,500 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
289,200 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - imports:
1.208 million bbl/day (2006)
Oil - proved reserves:
2.38 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
400 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
11.3 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
10.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
6.229 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$32.88 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$246.5 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electronic and electrical products, metals, textiles, plastics, chemicals, auto parts (2002)
Exports - partners:
China 32.6%, US 12.9%, Hong Kong 8.6%, Japan 6.4%, Singapore 5% (2007)
Imports:
$215.1 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
electronic and electrical products, machinery, petroleum, precision instruments, organic chemicals, metals (2002)
Imports - partners:
Japan 22.7%, US 13.3%, China 11.2%, South Korea 6.6%, Saudi Arabia 4.8%, Singapore 4.6% (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$275 billion (31 December 2007)
Debt - external:
$97.85 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$92.83 billion (2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$108.9 billion (2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$654 billion (28 December 2007)
Currency (code):
New Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar - 32.84 (2007), 32.534 (2006), 31.71 (2005), 34.418 (2004), 34.575 (2003)
CommunicationsTaiwan
Telephones - main lines in use:
14.313 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
24.302 million (2007)
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 the US; satellite earth stations - 2
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 140, FM 229, shortwave 49
Radios:
16 million (1994)
Television broadcast stations:
76 (46 digital and 30 analog) (2007)
Televisions:
8.8 million (1998)
Internet country code:
.tw
Internet hosts:
5.225 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)
Internet users:
14.76 million (2007)
TransportationTaiwan
Airports:
41 (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)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Heliports:
4 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 25 km; gas 661 km (2007)
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)
Roadways:
total: 40,262 km paved: 38,171 km (includes 976 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,091 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 102 by type: bulk carrier 32, cargo 19, chemical tanker 1, container 24, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 3 (Canada 2, France 1) registered in other countries: 536 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 1, Honduras 2, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 2, Italy 13, Kiribati 5, Liberia 91, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 320, Philippines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 72, Thailand 1, UK 11, unknown 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Chilung (Keelung), Kaohsiung, Taichung
MilitaryTaiwan
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast GuardAdministration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined ServiceForces Command, Armed Forces Police Command
Military service age and obligation:
19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service; service obligation 14 months (reducing to 1 year in 2009) year; women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense has announced plans to implement an incremental voluntary enlistment system beginning 2010, with 10% fewer conscripts each year thereafter, although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 3-4 months of military training (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,283,134 females age 16-49: 6,098,599 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,112,737 females age 16-49: 5,036,346 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 164,883 female: 152,085 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesTaiwan
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, 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
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Tajikistan
IntroductionTajikistan
Background:
The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Much of present-day Sughd province was transferred from the Uzbekistan SSR to newly formed Tajikistan SSR in 1929. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Sughd province. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and it is now in the process of strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free market economy after its 1992-97 civil war. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development and security assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.
GeographyTajikistan
Location:
Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 143,100 sq km land: 142,700 sq km water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
total: 3,651 km border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
Terrain:
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold
Land use:
arable land: 6.52% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.59% (2005)
Irrigated land:
7,220 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
99.7 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 11.96 cu km/yr (4%/5%/92%) per capita: 1,837 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes and floods
Environment - current issues:
inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR
PeopleTajikistan
Population:
7,211,884 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.6% (male 1,270,289/female 1,226,954) 15-64 years: 61.7% (male 2,203,720/female 2,244,660) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 113,156/female 153,105) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.6 years male: 21.2 years female: 22.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.893% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
27.18 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 42.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 47.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 37.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.97 years male: 61.95 years female: 68.15 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.04 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s) adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups:
Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6% (2000 census)
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)
Languages:
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.5% male: 99.7% female: 99.2% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years male: 12 years female: 10 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2006)
GovernmentTajikistan
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan conventional short form: Tajikistan local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston local short form: Tojikiston former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Dushanbe geographic coordinates: 38 35 N, 68 48 E time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand) note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses