at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.01 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.49 years
male: 74.38 years
female: 80.85 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese
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: 94% (1998 est.)
male: 93% (1980 est.)
female: 79% (1980 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local long form: none
local short form: T'ai-wan
Data code: TW
Government type: multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly
elected president
Capital: Taipei
Administrative divisions: since in the past the authorities
claimed to be the government of all China, the central
administrative divisions include the provinces of Fu-chien (some 20
offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu) and
Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); note--the
more commonly referenced administrative divisions are those of
Taiwan Province--16 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5
municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special
municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua,
Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan,
Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung,
T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**,
T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is at
Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un
note: Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization
National holiday: National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of
the Chinese Revolution)
Constitution: 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, and 1997
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 LEE Teng-hui (succeeded to the presidency
following the death of President CHIANG Ching-kuo 13 January 1988,
elected by the National Assembly 21 March 1990, elected by popular
vote in the first-ever direct elections for president 23 March
1996); Vice President LIEN Chan (since 20 May 1996)
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan)
Vincent SIEW (since 1 September 1997) and Vice Premier (Vice
President of the Executive Yuan) LIU Chao-shiuan (since 10 December
1997)
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 23 March
1996 (next to be held NA 2000); premier appointed by the president;
vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the premier
election results: LEE Teng-hui elected president; percent of
vote--LEE Teng-hui 54%, PENG Ming-min 21%, LIN Yang-kang 15%, and
CHEN Li-an 10%
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats--168
elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion
of nationwide votes received by participating political parties,
eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of
the proportion of nationwide votes received by participating
political parties, eight elected by popular vote among the
aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and
unicameral National Assembly (334 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Legislative Yuan--last held 5 December 1998 (next to be
held NA December 2001); National Assembly--last held 23 March 1996
(next to be held NA 2000)
election results: Legislative Yuan--percent of vote by party--KMT 46%,
DPP 29%, CNP 7%, independents 10%, other parties 8%; seats by
party--KMT 123, DPP 70, CNP 11, independents 15, other parties 6;
National Assembly--percent of vote by party--KMT 55%, DPP 30%, CNP
14%, other 1%; seats by party--KMT 183, DPP 99, CNP 46, other 6
Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan, justices appointed by the
president with the consent of the National Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist
parties
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; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the ruling party's
traditional stand that the island will eventually reunify 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,
IOC, WCL, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; unofficial commercial
and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained
through a private instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office (TECRO) 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 a private institution, the American Institute in
Taiwan (AIT), which has its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia
offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone
International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung
Flag description: red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
Economy
Economy--overview: Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with
gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by
government authorities and partial government ownership of some
large banks and industrial firms. Real growth in GDP has averaged
about 8.5% a year during the past three decades. Export growth has
been even faster and has provided the impetus for industrialization.
Inflation and unemployment are low, and foreign reserves are the
world's third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 3% to GDP,
down from 35% in 1952. Traditional labor-intensive industries are
steadily being moved off-shore and replaced with more capital- and
technology-intensive industries. Taiwan has become a major investor
in China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and
Vietnam. The tightening of labor markets has led to an influx of
foreign workers, both legal and illegal. Because of its conservative
financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan
suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from "the Asian
flu" in 1998.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$362 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 4.8% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$16,500 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.7%
industry: 35.3%
services: 62% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1998)
Labor force: 9.4 million (1997)
Labor force--by occupation: services 52%, industry 38%,
agriculture 10% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 2.7% (1998)
Budget:
revenues: $40 billion
expenditures: $55 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)
Industries: electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food
processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum
refining
Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1997)
Electricity--production: 134.906 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 63.2%
hydro: 7.1%
nuclear: 29.7%
other: 0% (1997)
Electricity--consumption: 134.906 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, vegetables,
fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish
Exports: $122.1 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities: machinery and electrical equipment 21.7%,
electronic products 14.8%, information/communications 11.8%, textile
products 11.6% (1997)
Exports--partners: US 24.2%, Hong Kong 23.5%, Europe 15.1%, Japan
9.6% (1997)
Imports: $114.4 billion (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports--commodities: machinery and electrical equipment 16.5%,
electronic products 16.3%, chemicals 10.0%, precision instrument
5.6% (1997)
Imports--partners: Japan 25.4%, US 20.3%, Europe 18.9%, Hong Kong
1.7% (1997)
Debt--external: $80 million (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Taiwan dollars per US$1--32.45 (yearend 1997),
27.5 (1996), 27.4 (1995), 26.2 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 July--30 June
Communications
Telephones: 11.526 million (1998 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay trunk system on east and
west coasts
international: 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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 158, FM 48, shortwave 21
Radios: 8.62 million
Television broadcast stations: 29 (in addition, there are two
repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 10.8 million (1996 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 4,600 km (519 km electrified); note--1,108 km belongs to the
Taiwan Railway Administration and the remaining 3,492 km is
dedicated to industrial use
narrow gauge: 4,600 km 1.067-m
Highways:
total: 19,634 km
paved: 17,171 km (including 548 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,463 km (1997)
Pipelines: petroleum products 615 km; natural gas 97 km
Ports and harbors: Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung,
Su-ao, T'ai-chung
Merchant marine:
total: 180 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,106,573
GRT/7,963,834 DWT
ships by type: bulk 47, cargo 30, combination bulk 3, container 72,
oil tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 9, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1998
est.)
Airports: 39 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 4 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force,
Coastal Patrol and Defense Command, Armed Forces Reserve Command,
Combined Service Forces
Military manpower--military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 6,544,602 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,019,737 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 204,711 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $7.446 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.8% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: 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; claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto
(Senkaku Islands/Diaoyu Tai), as does China
Illicit drugs: considered an important heroin transit point;
major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamines and
heroin
======================================================================
@Tajikistan
----------
Introduction
Background: Tajikistan has experienced three changes of
government and a civil war since it gained independence in September
1991 when the USSR collapsed. A peace agreement was signed in June
1997, but implementation is progressing slowly. Russian-led
peacekeeping troops are deployed throughout the country, and
Russian-commanded border guards are stationed along the
Tajikistani-Afghan border.
Geography
Location: Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 71 00 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
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: Syrdariya 300 m
highest point: Qullai Kommunizm 7,495 m
Natural resources: significant hydropower potential, some
petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony,
tungsten
Land use:
arable land: 6%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 65% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 6,390 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities;
increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive
pesticides; part of the basin of the shrinking Aral Sea suffers from
severe overutilization of available water for irrigation and
associated pollution
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: landlocked
People
Population: 6,102,854 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41% (male 1,250,344; female 1,224,355)
15-64 years: 55% (male 1,661,488; female 1,681,839)
65 years and over: 4% (male 122,065; female 162,763) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.43% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 27.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 7.85 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 114.78 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.28 years
male: 61.15 years
female: 67.57 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.48 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani
Ethnic groups: Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining
because of emigration), other 6.6%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%
Languages: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government
and business
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston
local short form: none
former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: TI
Government type: republic
Capital: Dushanbe
Administrative divisions: 2 oblasts (viloyatho, singular--viloyat)
and one autonomous oblast* (viloyati mukhtori); Viloyati Mukhtori
Kuhistoni Badakhshoni* (Khorugh--formerly Khorog), Viloyati Khatlon
(Qurghonteppa--formerly Kurgan-Tyube), Viloyati Leninobod
(Khujand--formerly Leninabad)
note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses
Independence: 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: National Day, 9 September (1991)
Constitution: 6 November 1994
Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of
legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994;
head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Yahyo AZIMOV (since 8 February
1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved
by the Supreme Assembly for approval
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 6 November 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent of
vote--Emomali RAHMONOV 58%, Abdumalik ABDULLOJANOV 40%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli
(181 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 26 February and 12 March 1995 (next to be held
NA 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; estimated seats by
party--Communist Party and affiliates 100, People's Party 10, Party
of People's Unity 6, Party of Economic and Political Renewal 1,
other 64
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the
president
Political parties and leaders: Tajik Communist Party or CPT
from the People's Party and Party of People's Unity; United Tajik
International organization participation: CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM, ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Tajikistan does not have an
embassy in the US, but has a mission at the UN: address--136 East
ALIMOV
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert FINN
embassy: temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in Almaty
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: NA
FAX: NA
Flag description: three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider
stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven
five-pointed gold stars is located in the center of the white stripe
Economy
Economy--overview: Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among
the former Soviet republics. Agriculture dominates the economy, with
cotton the most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but
limited in amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten.
Industry consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower
facilities, and small obsolete factories mostly in light industry
and food processing. The Tajikistani economy has been gravely
weakened by five years of civil conflict and by the loss of
subsidies from Moscow and of markets for its products. Tajikistan
thus depends on aid from Russia and Uzbekistan and on international
humanitarian assistance for much of its basic subsistence needs.
Even if the peace agreement of June 1997 is honored, the country
faces major problems in integrating refugees and former combatants
into the economy. Moreover, constant political turmoil and the
continued dominance by former communist officials have impeded the
introduction of meaningful economic reforms. Still in a
post-conflict status, the future of Tajikistan's economy and the
potential for attracting foreign investment depend upon stability
and progress in the peace process.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 5.3% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$990 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 35%
services: 40% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 46.3% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.9 million (1996)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture and forestry 52%,
manufacturing, mining, and construction 17%, services 31% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 5.7% includes only officially registered
unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers and
unregistered unemployed people (December 1998)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers,
cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators
and freezers
Industrial production growth rate: 8% (1998 est.)
Electricity--production: 13.555 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 4.09%
hydro: 95.91%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 12.555 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 3.8 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 2.8 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables;
cattle, sheep, goats
Exports: $740 million (1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: cotton, aluminum, fruits, vegetable oil,
textiles
Exports--partners: FSU 78%, Netherlands (1994)
Imports: $810 million (1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: fuel, chemicals, machinery and transport
equipment, textiles, foodstuffs
Imports--partners: FSU 55%, Switzerland, UK (1994)
Debt--external: $1 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $64.7 million (1995)
Currency: the Tajikistani ruble (TJR) = 100 tanga
Exchange rates: Tajikistani rubles (TJR) per US$1--998 (January
1999), 350 (January 1997), 284 (January 1996)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 303,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: poorly developed and not well maintained; many
towns are not reached by the national network
domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other
CIS republics, and by leased connections to the Moscow international
gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway
switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth stations--1 Orbita and 2
Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: 1 state-owned radio broadcast station
of NA type
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 0 (there are, however, repeaters
that relay programs from Russia, Iran, and Turkey) (1997)
Televisions: NA
Transportation
Railways:
total: 480 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines (1990)
Highways:
total: 13,700 km
paved: 11,330 km (note--these roads are said to be hard-surfaced,
meaning that some are paved and some are all-weather gravel surfaced)
unpaved: 2,370 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines: natural gas 400 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 59 (1994 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1994 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 45
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 36 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, Air Defense Forces,
Presidential National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border
troops)
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,478,551 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,211,514 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 65,001 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $19.3 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.8% (1997)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: most of the boundary with China in
dispute; territorial dispute with Kyrgyzstan on northern boundary in
Isfara Valley area