degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once
the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been
significantly reduced by poaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Desertification
Geography - note: landlocked
@Zimbabwe:People
Population: 11,423,175 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 2,507,219; female 2,471,357)
15-64 years: 54% (male 3,020,632; female 3,106,729)
65 years and over : 3% (male 154,231; female 163,007) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.26% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 31.65 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 19.02 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is a small but steady flow of Zimbabweans into South
Africa in search of better paid employment
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 72.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 40.84 years
male: 40.85 years
female : 40.83 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.94 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Zimbabwean(s)
adjective: Zimbabwean
Ethnic groups: African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%), white
1%, mixed and Asian 1%
Religions: syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%,
Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the
Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write in English
total population: 85%
male: 90%
female: 80% (1995 est.)
@Zimbabwe:Government
Country name:
conventional long form : Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form: Zimbabwe
former: Southern Rhodesia
Data code: ZI
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Harare
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial
status; Bulawayo*, Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central,
Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland
North, Matabeleland South, Midlands
Independence: 18 April 1980 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution: 21 December 1979
Legal system: mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31
December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31
December 1987) and Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government : Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since
31 December 1987); Co-Vice Presidents Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31
December 1987) and Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the House
of Assembly
elections: president nominated by the House of Assembly for a six-year
term (if more than one nomination, an electoral college consisting of
members of the House of Assembly elects the president); election last
held 26-27 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2002); co-vice
presidents appointed by the president
election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE elected president; percent of
electoral college vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 92.7%, Abel MUZOREWA
4.8%; Ndabaningi SITHOLE 2.4%
Legislative branch: unicameral parliament, called House of Assembly
(150 seats, 120 of which are directly elected by popular vote for
six-year terms; of the other 30 seats, 12 are nominated by the
president, 10 are occupied by traditional chiefs chosen by their
peers, and 8 by provincial governors)
elections: last held 8-9 April 1995 (next to be held NA April 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
ZANU-PF 117, ZANU-Ndonga 2, independent 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Zimbabwe African National
Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert MUGABE]; Zimbabwe African
National Union-NDONGA or ZANU-NDONGA [Ndabaningi SITHOLE]; Zimbabwe
Unity Movement or ZUM [Edgar TEKERE]; Democratic Party or DP [Emmanuel
MAGOCHE]; Forum Party of Zimbabwe [Enock DUMBUTSHENA]; United Parties
[Abel MUZOREWA]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, PCA,
SADC, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Amos Bernard Muvengwa MIDZI
chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 332-7100
FAX : [1] (202) 483-9326
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare
telephone : [263] (4) 794521
FAX: [263] (4) 796488
Flag description: seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red,
black, red, yellow, and green with a white equilateral triangle edged
in black based on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is
superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle
Economy
Economy - overview: Agriculture employs 70% of the labor force of this
landlocked nation and supplies almost 40% of exports. Mining accounts
for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but minerals and metals
account for about 40% of exports. Severe drought caused GDP to drop 8%
in 1992, with growth rebounding to 2% in 1993 and 4.5% in 1994, only
to drop by 2.4% in 1995. The government is continuing to push its
IMF/World Bank structural adjustment program aimed at encouraging
exports and foreign investment. Officials face the difficult task of
restraining expenditures in their effort to keep inflation within
bounds.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $26.4 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,340 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 18.3%
industry: 35.3%
services: 46.4% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 21.7% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 4.228 million (1993 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 70%, transport and services 22%, industry
8%
Unemployment rate: at least 45% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures : $2.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $29
million (FY96/97 est.)
Industries: mining (coal, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic
ores), copper, steel, nickel, tin, wood products, cement, chemicals,
fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages
Industrial production growth rate: 10% (1994)
Electricity - capacity: 2.15 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 7.33 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 747 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee,
sugarcane, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs
Exports:
total value: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: agricultural 47% (tobacco 31%), manufactures 27%, gold
12%, textiles 8%, ferrochrome 6% (1994 est.)
partners: South Africa 14%, UK 10%, Germany 8%, Japan 8%, (1995 est.)
Imports:
total value: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 41%, other
manufactures 16%, chemicals 16%, fuels 10% (1994 est.)
partners: South Africa 41%, UK 7%, US 6%, Japan 6% (1995 est.)
Debt - external: $4.4 billion (1994)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $362 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 10.8696 (January
1997), 9.9206 (1996), 8.6580 (1995), 8.1500 (1994), 6.4725 (1993),
5.0942 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Zimbabwe:Communications
Telephones: 301,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now
suffers from poor maintenance
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
and radiotelephone communication stations
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 18, shortwave 0
Radios: 890,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 8 (1986 est.)
Televisions: 280,000 (1992 est.)
@Zimbabwe:Transportation
Railways:
total : 2,759 km (1995)
narrow gauge: 2,759 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified; 42 km double
track) (1995 est.)
Highways:
total: 91,099 km
paved: 15,486 km
unpaved : 75,613 km (1993 est.)
Waterways: the Mazoe and Zambezi rivers are used for transporting
chrome ore from Harare to Mozambique
Pipelines: petroleum products 212 km
Ports and harbors: Binga, Kariba
Airports: 402 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 203
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m : 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 184 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 199
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 198 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe,
Zimbabwe Republic Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary
Police)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,717,032 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 1,687,536 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $236 million (FY95/96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.4% (FY95/96)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and
Zambia is in disagreement
Illicit drugs: significant transit point for African cannabis and
South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines destined for the
South African and European markets
______________________________________________________________________
TAIWAN
@Taiwan:Geography
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: 1,448 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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 3,997 m
Natural resources: small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone,
marble, and asbestos
Land use:
arable land : 24%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 55%
other : 15%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
Environment - current issues: water pollution from industrial
emissions, raw sewage; air pollution; contamination of drinking water
supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste
disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
@Taiwan:People
Population: 21,699,776 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : 23% (male 2,576,022; female 2,399,926)
15-64 years: 69% (male 7,630,512; female 7,363,155)
65 years and over: 8% (male 937,206; female 792,955) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.95% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 14.97 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.45 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.04 years
male: 73.81 years
female: 80.52 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups: Taiwanese 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: 86%
male: 93%
female: 79% (1980 est.)
@Taiwan: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
National 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
Revolution)
Constitution: 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, presently undergoing
revision
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 LI 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); note - LIEN Chan serves
as both vice president and premier
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN
Chan (since 23 February 1993) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the
Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh (since 23 February 1993); note - LIEN Chan
serves as both vice president and premier
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 : LI Teng-hui elected president; percent of vote - LI
Teng-hui 54%, PENG Ming-min 21%, LIN Yang-kang 15%, and CHEN Li-an 10%
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan (164 seats - 128
elected by popular vote, 36 indirectly elected on the basis of
proportional representation; members serve three-year terms; note -
national conference agreed to change the term to four years, pending
ratification by the National Assembly) and unicameral National
Assembly (334 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections : Legislative Yuan - last held 2 December 1995 (next to be
held NA December 1998); 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 33%, CNP 13%, independents 8%; seats by party - KMT 85, DPP
54, CNP 21, independents 4; note - since the election, there has been
a change in the distribution of seats, the new distribution is as
follows - KMT 83, DPP 54, CNP 21, independents 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 (KMT, Nationalist Party), LI
Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), HSU
Hsin-Liang, chairman; Chinese New Party (CNP), CHEN Kuei-Miao; Labor
Party (LP), leader NA; Taiwan Independence Party (TAIP), leader NA
Political pressure groups and leaders: Taiwan independence movement,
various 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 the opposition Democratic
Progressive Party in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on
the island's national identity; advocates of Taiwan independence,
including within the DPP, 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 of Taiwan are maintained through a
private institution, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has
offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone
[886] (2) 709-2000, FAX [886] (2) 702-7675, and in Kao-hsiung at #2
Chung Cheng 3d Road, telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX
[886] (7) 223-8237, and the American Trade Center at Room 3207
International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung
Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone [886] (2) 720-1550, FAX [886]
757-7162
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
considerable guidance of investment and foreign trade by government
officials and partial government ownership of some large banks and
industrial firms. Real growth in GDP has averaged about 9% 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. Agriculture contributes less than 4% 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $315 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (1996)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,700 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 3.3%
industry: 35.7%
services: 61% (1996)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.1% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 9.31 million
by occupation: services 52%, industry 38%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.6% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: $57.6 billion
expenditures: $79.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food
processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum
refining
Industrial production growth rate: 4.1% (1996)
Electricity - capacity: 21.87 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 117.16 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 5,270 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, vegetables,
fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish catch increasing, reached
1.4 million metric tons in 1988
Exports:
total value: $116 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: machinery and electrical equipment 46.3%, textile
products 13.5%, basic metals and articles 8.8%, chemicals 6.7% (1996
est.)
partners : US 27.6%, Hong Kong 21.7%, EU countries 15.2%, Japan 10.5%
(1994 est.)
Imports:
total value: $102.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: machinery and electrical equipment 35.5%, chemicals
10.9%, basic metals and articles 10.3%, minerals 9.2% (1996 est.)
partners: Japan 30.1%, US 21.7%, EU countries 17.6% (1993 est.)
Debt - external: $600 million (1995 est.)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Taiwan dollars per US$1 - 27.5 (1996), 27.4
(1995), 26.2 (1994), 26.6 (1993), 25.4 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Taiwan:Communications
Telephones: 9,391,304 (1996 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 91, FM 23, shortwave 0
Radios: 8.62 million
Television broadcast stations: 15 (repeaters 13)
Televisions: 10.8 million (1996 est.)
@Taiwan:Transportation
Railways:
total : 4,600 km (498 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 : 19,584 km
paved: 17,124 km (including 387 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,460 km
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: 200 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,872,739 GRT/8,965,523
DWT
ships by type : bulk 50, cargo 29, combination bulk 3, combination
ore/oil 1, container 85, oil tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 11,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1996 est.)
Airports: 38 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m : 6
under 914 m: 7 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1996 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: 6,394,422 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 4,927,346 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 207,332 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $11.5 billion (FY96/97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.6% (FY96/97)
Transnational Issues