Taiwan People - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population: 19,601,000, excluding the population of Quemny and Matsu Islands and foreigners (July 1986), average annual growth rate 14%

Nationality: noun—Ghinese (sing., pl.); adjective—Chinese

Ethnic divisions: 84% Taiwanese, 14% mainland Chinese, 2% aborigine

Religion: 93% mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist; 4.5% Christian; 2.5% other

Language: Mandarin Chinese (official); Taiwanese and Hakka dialects also used

Infant mortality rate: 11.01/1,000(1983)

Life expectancy· men 69 9, women 74.9

Literacy 94%

Labor force: 7,491,000(1984); 41% industry and commerce, 32% services, 20% agriculture, 7% civil administration, 2.4% unemployment (.1984)

Organized labor: (1983) 1.3 million or about 18.4% (government controlled)

Administration

Type: one-party presidential regime

Capital: Taipei

Political subdivisions: 16 counties, 5 cities, 2 special municipalities (Taipei and Kao-hsiung)

Legal system: based on civil law system; constitution adopted 1946, though 1948 amendments set most of the constitution aside; martial law declared in 1949 still in effect; accepts compulsory 1CJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holtday: 10 October

Branches: five independent branches (executive, legislative, judicial, plus traditional Chinese functions of examination and control), dominated by executive branch; President and Vice President elected by National Assembly

Government leaders: CHIANG Ching-kuo, President (since March 1978); Υϋ Kuo-hua, Premier (since June 1984)

Suffrage: universal over age 20

Electtons national level—Legislative Yuan every three years; National Assembly and Control Yuan every six years; no general election held since 1948 election on mainland (partial elections for Taiwan province representatives in December 1969,1972, 1975,1980,1983,1984, and 1985); local level—provincial assembly, county and municipal executives every four years; county and municipal assemblies every four years

Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang, or National Party, led by Chairman Chiang Ching-kuo

Voting strength: (1983 Legislative Yuan elections) 62 seats Kuomintang, 19 seats independents; 1981 local elections, with 63% turnout of eligible voters, Kuomintang received 71% of the popular vote, non-Kuomintang 29%

Other political or pressure groups loose coalition of oppositionist/independent politicians has emerged in the past six years plus Young China Party, nominally controlled by the KMT

Member of: expelled from UN General Assembly and Security Council on 25 October 1971 and withdrew on same date from other charter-designated subsidiary organs; expelled from IMF/World Bank group April/May 1980; member of ADB and seeking to join GATT and/or MFA; attempting to retain membership in 1CAC, ISO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IWC—International Wheat Council, PCA; suspended from IAEA in 1972 but still allows IAEA controls over extensive atomic development

NOTE: The information regarding Taiwan on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Taiwan 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Taiwan 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.