12,000 km total; Swedish State Railways (SJ) - 10,819 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double track; 182 km
0.891-meter gauge; 117 km rail ferry service; privately owned railways - 511
km 1.435-meter standard gauge (332 km electrified); 371 km 0.891-meter gauge
(all electrified)
Highways:
97,400 km (51,899 km paved, 20,659 km gravel, 24,842 km unimproved earth)
Inland waterways:
2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges
Pipelines:
natural gas 84 km
Ports:
Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm; numerous
secondary and minor ports
Merchant marine:
186 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,665,902 GRT/3,646,165 DWT; includes
10 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 3 container, 43 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12
vehicle carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 33 petroleum tanker, 28 chemical tanker,
4 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 7 combination ore/oil, 12 bulk, 1
combination bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air:
115 major transports
Airports:
254 total, 252 usable; 139 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 94 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent domestic and international facilities; 8,200,000 telephones;
mainly coaxial and multiconductor cables carry long-distance network;
parallel microwave network carries primarily radio, TV and some telephone
channels; automatic system; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 360 (mostly
repeaters) FM, 880 (mostly repeaters) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT
:Sweden Defense Forces
Branches:
Swedish Army, Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 2,129,996; 1,858,944 fit for military service; 57,492 reach
military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $6.2 billion, about 4% of GDP (FY91)
:Switzerland Geography
Total area:
41,290 km2
Land area:
39,770 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
1,852 km total; Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein
41 km, Germany 334 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool
to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Terrain:
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau
of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Natural resources:
hydropower potential, timber, salt
Land use:
arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and
woodland 26%; other 23%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
dominated by Alps
Note:
landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe
:Switzerland People
Population:
6,828,023 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
76 years male, 83 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Swiss (singular and plural); adjective - Swiss
Ethnic divisions:
total population - German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other
6%; Swiss nationals - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other
1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 47.6%, Protestant 44.3%, other 8.1% (1980)
Languages:
total population - German 65%, French 18%, Italian 12%, Romansch 1%, other
4%; Swiss nationals - German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other
1%
Literacy:
99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Labor force:
3,310,000; 904,095 foreign workers, mostly Italian; services 50%, industry
and crafts 33%, government 10%, agriculture and forestry 6%, other 1% (1989)
Organized labor:
20% of labor force
:Switzerland Government
Long-form name:
Swiss Confederation
Type:
federal republic
Capital:
Bern
Administrative divisions:
26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular -
cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau,
Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve,
Glarus, Graubunden, Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden,
Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino,
Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
Independence:
1 August 1291
Constitution:
29 May 1874
Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative
acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory
character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)
Executive branch:
president, vice president, Federal Council (German - Bundesrat, French -
Conseil Federal, Italian - Consiglio Federale)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly (German - Bundesversammlung, French - Assemblee
Federale, Italian - Assemblea Federale) consists of an upper council or
Council of States (German - Standerat, French - Conseil des Etats, Italian -
Consiglio degli Stati) and a lower council or National Council (German -
Nationalrat, French - Conseil National, Italian - Consiglio Nazionale)
Judicial branch:
Federal Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Rene FELBER (1992 calendar year; presidency rotates annually);
Vice President Adolf OGI (term runs concurrently with that of president)
Political parties and leaders:
Free Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno HUNZIKER, president; Social Democratic
Party (SPS), Helmut HUBACHER, chairman; Christian Democratic People's Party
(CVP), Eva SEGMULLER-WEBER, chairman; Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans
UHLMANN, president; Green Party (GPS), Peter SCHMID, president; Automobile
Party (AP), DREYER; Alliance of Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz JAEGER,
president; Swiss Democratic Party (SD), NA; Evangelical People's Party
(EVP), Max DUNKI, president; Workers' Party (PdA; Communist), Jean
SPIELMANN, general secretary; Ticino League, leader NA Liberal Party (LPS),
Gilbert COUTAU, president
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Council of States:
last held throughout 1991 (next to be held NA 1995); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (46 total) FDP 18, CVP 16, SVP 4, SPS 3, LPS 3,
LdU 1, Ticino League 1
:Switzerland Government
National Council:
last held 20 October 1991 (next to be held NA October 1995); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (200 total) FDP 44, SPS 42, CVP 37, SVP
25, GPS 14, LPS 10, AP 8, LdU 6, SD 5, EVP 3, PdA 2, Ticino League 2, other
2
Communists:
4,500 members (est.)
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA,
FAO, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest),
NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Edouard BRUNNER; Chancery at 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-7900; there are Swiss Consulates
General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San
Francisco
US:
Ambassador Joseph B. GILDENHORN; Embassy at Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern;
telephone [41] (31) 437-011; FAX [41] (31) 437-344; there is a Branch Office
of the Embassy in Geneva and a Consulate General in Zurich
Flag:
red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not
extend to the edges of the flag
:Switzerland Economy
Overview:
Switzerland's economic success is matched in few other nations. Per capita
output, general living standards, education and science, health care, and
diet are unsurpassed in Europe. Economic stability helps promote the
important banking and tourist sectors. Since World War II, Switzerland's
economy has adjusted smoothly to the great changes in output and trade
patterns in Europe and presumably can adjust to the challenges of the 1990s,
particularly to the further economic integration of Western Europe and the
amazingly rapid changes in East European political and economic prospects.
After 8 years of growth, the economy experienced a mild recession in 1991
because monetary policy was tightened to combat inflation and because of the
weak international economy. In the second half of 1992, however, Switzerland
is expected to resume growth, despite inflation and unemployment problems.
GDP growth for 1992 may be just under 1%, inflation should drop from 5.9% to
3.5%, and the trade deficit will continue to decline after dropping by over
15% to $5 billion, due to increased exports to Germany. Unemployment,
however, is forecast to rise to 1.6% in 1992, up from 1.3% in 1991 and 0.5%
in 1990.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $147.4 billion, per capita $21,700; real
growth rate -0.2% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.9% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
1.3% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $24.0 billion; expenditures $23.8 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1990)
Exports:
$62.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
machinery and equipment, precision instruments, metal products, foodstuffs,
textiles and clothing
partners:
Western Europe 64% (EC 56%, other 8%), US 9%, Japan 4%
Imports:
$68.5 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
agricultural products, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals,
textiles, construction materials
partners:
Western Europe 78% (EC 71%, other 7%), US 6%
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate 0.4% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
17,710,000 kW capacity; 59,070 million kWh produced, 8,930 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments
Agriculture:
dairy farming predominates; less than 50% self-sufficient; food shortages -
fish, refined sugar, fats and oils (other than butter), grains, eggs,
fruits, vegetables, meat
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $3.5 billion
:Switzerland Economy
Currency:
Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural - francs, franken, or franchi); 1
Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
Exchange rates:
Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1 - 1.4037 (January 1992),
1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Switzerland Communications
Railroads:
5,174 km total; 2,971 km are government owned and 2,203 km are nongovernment
owned; the government network consists of 2,897 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge and 74 km 1.000-meter narrow gauge track; 1,432 km double track, 99%
electrified; the nongovernment network consists of 710 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 1,418 km 1.000-meter gauge, and 75 km 0.790-meter gauge
track, 100% electrified
Highways:
62,145 km total (all paved), of which 18,620 km are canton and 1,057 km are
national highways (740 km autobahn); 42,468 km are communal roads
Inland waterways:
65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Bodensee); 12 navigable
lakes
Pipelines:
crude oil 314 km, natural gas 1,506 km
Ports:
Basel (river port)
Merchant marine:
22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 325,234 GRT/576,953 DWT; includes 5
cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 9
bulk, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
89 major transport aircraft
Airports:
66 total, 65 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over
3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent domestic, international, and broadcast services; 5,890,000
telephones; extensive cable and microwave networks; broadcast stations - 7
AM, 265 FM, 18 (1,322 repeaters) TV; communications satellite earth station
operating in the INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) system
:Switzerland Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Air Force, Frontier Guards, Fortification Guards
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 1,798,632; 1,544,191 fit for military service; 43,952 reach
military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $4.6 billion, about 2% of GDP (1990)
:Syria Geography
Total area:
185,180 km2
Land area:
184,050 km2 (including 1,295 km2 of Israeli-occupied territory)
Comparative area:
slightly larger than North Dakota
Land boundaries:
2,253 km total; Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km,
Turkey 822 km
Coastline:
193 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
6 nm beyond territorial sea limit
Territorial sea:
35 nm
Disputes:
separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Golan Heights is Israeli
occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; periodic disputes with Iraq over
Euphrates water rights; ongoing dispute over water development plans by
Turkey for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Climate:
mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy
winters (December to February) along coast
Terrain:
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in
west
Natural resources:
crude oil, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock
salt, marble, gypsum
Land use:
arable land 28%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and
woodland 3%; other 20%; includes irrigated 3%
Environment:
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Note:
there are 38 Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
:Syria People
Population:
13,730,436 (July 1992), growth rate 3.8% (1992); in addition, there are at
least 14,500 Druze and 14,000 Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights (1992 est.)
Birth rate:
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
45 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
65 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Syrian(s); adjective - Syrian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab 90.3%; Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian
(various sects) 10%, tiny Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and
Aleppo
Languages:
Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian; French widely
understood
Literacy:
64% (male 78%, female 51%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
2,400,000; miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%,
industry and construction 32%; majority unskilled; shortage of skilled labor
(1984)
Organized labor:
5% of labor force
:Syria Government
Long-form name:
Syrian Arab Republic
Type:
republic; under leftwing military regime since March 1963
Capital:
Damascus
Administrative divisions:
14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah,
Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar`a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab,
Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
Independence:
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration);
formerly United Arab Republic
Constitution:
13 March 1973
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
National Day, 17 April (1946)
Executive branch:
president, three vice presidents, prime minister, three deputy prime
ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Council (Majlis al-Chaab)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Constitutional Court, High Judicial Council, Court of Cassation,
State Security Courts
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Hafiz al-ASAD (since 22 February 1971); Vice Presidents `Abd
al-Halim KHADDAM, Vice President Rif`at al-ASAD, and Vice President Muhammad
Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Mahmud ZU`BI (since 1 November 1987); Deputy Prime Minister
Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Salim
YASIN (since NA December 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Mahmud QADDUR (since
NA May 1985)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party is the Arab Socialist Resurrectionist (Ba`th) Party; the
Progressive National Front is dominated by Ba`thists but includes
independents and members of the Syrian Arab Socialist Party (ASP), Arab
Socialist Union (ASU), Syrian Communist Party (SCP), Arab Socialist Unionist
Movement, and Democratic Socialist Union Party
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held December 1998); results -
President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected for a fourth seven-year term with
99.98% of the vote
People's Council:
last held 22-23 May 1990 (next to be held NA May 1994); results - Ba`th
53.6%, ASU 3.2%, SCP 3.2%, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 2.8%, ASP 2%,
Democratic Socialist Union Party 1.6%, independents 33.6%; seats - (250
total) Ba`th 134, ASU 8, SCP 8, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 7, ASP 5,
Democratic Socialist Union Party 4, independents 84; note - the People's
Council was expanded to 250 seats total prior to the May 1990 election
:Syria Government
Communists:
Syrian Communist Party (SCP)
Other political or pressure groups:
non-Ba`th parties have little effective political influence; Communist party
ineffective; conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood
Member of:
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Walid MOUALEM; Chancery at 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008; telephone (202) 232-6313
US:
Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS; Embassy at Abu Rumaneh, Al Mansur Street
No. 2, Damascus (mailing address is P. O. Box 29, Damascus); telephone [963]
(11) 333052 or 332557, 330416, 332814, 332315, 714108, 337178, 333232; FAX
[963] (11) 718-687
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with two small
green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band;
similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band and of Iraq,
which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal
line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which
has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band
:Syria Economy
Overview:
Syria's state-dominated Ba`thist economy has benefited from the Gulf war,
increased oil production, good weather, and economic deregulation. Economic
growth averaged nearly 12% annually in 1990-91, buoyed by increased oil
production and improved agricultural performance. The Gulf war of early 1991
provided Syria an aid windfall of several billion dollars from Arab,
European, and Japanese donors. These inflows more than offset Damascus's
war-related costs and will help Syria cover some of its debt arrears,
restore suspended credit lines, and initiate selected military and civilian
purchases. For the long run, Syria's economy is still saddled with a large
number of poorly performing public sector firms; investment levels remain
low; and industrial and agricultural productivity is poor. A major long-term
concern is the additional drain of upstream Euphrates water by Turkey when
its vast dam and irrigation projects are completed by mid-decade.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $30 billion, per capita $2,300; real growth rate
11% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
25% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $5.4 billion; expenditures $7.5 billion, including capital
expenditures of $2.9 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
$3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
petroleum 40%, farm products 13%, textiles, phosphates (1989)
partners:
USSR and Eastern Europe 42%, EC 31%, Arab countries 17%, US/Canada 2% (1989)
Imports:
$2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs and beverages 21%, metal and metal products 16%, machinery 14%,
textiles, petroleum products (1989)
partners:
EC 42%, USSR and Eastern Europe 13%, other Europe 13%, US/Canada 8%, Arab
countries 6% (1989)
External debt:
$5.2 billion in hard currency (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 6% (1991 est.); accounts for 17% of GDP
Electricity:
3,005,000 kW capacity; 8,800 million kWh produced, 680 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining,
petroleum
Agriculture:
accounts for 27% of GDP and one-third of labor force; all major crops
(wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) grown mainly on rainfed land
causing wide swings in production; animal products - beef, lamb, eggs,
poultry, milk; not self-sufficient in grain or livestock products
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $538 million; Western (non-US)
ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.23 billion; OPEC bilateral
aid (1979-89), $12.3 billion; former Communist countries (1970-89), $3.3
billion
Currency:
Syrian pound (plural - pounds); 1 Syrian pound (#S) = 100 piasters
:Syria Economy
Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds (#S) per US$1 - 22.0 (promotional rate since 1991), 11.2250
(fixed rate 1987-90), 3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Syria Communications
Railroads:
2,350 km total; 2,035 km standard gauge, 315 km 1.050-meter (narrow) gauge
Highways:
28,000 km total; 22,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km
improved earth
Inland waterways:
672 km; minimal economic importance
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,304 km, petroleum products 515 km
Ports:
Tartus, Latakia, Baniyas
Merchant marine:
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 85,417 GRT/138,078 DWT; includes 25
cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 2 bulk
Civil air:
35 major transport aircraft
Airports:
104 total, 100 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 21 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
fair system currently undergoing significant improvement; 512,600
telephones; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 1 FM, 17 TV; satellite earth stations
- 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Intersputnik, 1 submarine cable; coaxial
cable and radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey
:Syria Defense Forces
Branches:
Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air
Defense Forces, Police and Security Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 3,012,671; 1,691,660 fit for military service; 145,976 reach
military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion, 8% of GDP (1989)
:Taiwan Geography
Total area:
35,980 km2
Land area:
32,260 km2; includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
Comparative area:
slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
1,448 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
involved in complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia,
Philippines, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Paracel Islands occupied by
China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; Japanese-administered
Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan
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
Natural resources:
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
Land use:
arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and
woodland 55%; other 15%; irrigated 14%
Environment:
subject to earthquakes and typhoons
:Taiwan People