machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision
instruments (2002)

Imports - partners:
Japan 26%, US 13%, China, including Hong Kong 11%, South Korea 6.9%
(2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$246.5 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$55.5 billion (2004 est.)

Currency (code):
new Taiwan dollar (TWD)

Currency code:
TWD

Exchange rates:
new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 33.422 (2004), 34.418 (2003),
34.575 (2002), 33.8 (2001), 33.09 (2000)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000
for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Communications Taiwan

Telephones - main lines in use:
13.355 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
25,089,600 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every
business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; 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 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)

Radios:
16 million (1994)

Television broadcast stations:
29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
8.8 million (1998)

Internet country code:
.tw

Internet hosts:
2,777,085 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)

Internet users:
13.8 million (2005)

Transportation Taiwan

Railways:
total: 2,497 km
narrow gauge: 1,097 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified)
note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar
Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul products
and limited numbers of passengers (2004)

Highways:
total: 37,299 km
paved: 35,621 km (including 608 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,678 km (2002)

Pipelines:
condensate 25 km; gas 435 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung

Merchant marine:
total: 126 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,417,768 GRT/5,617,318 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 36, cargo 23, chemical tanker 2, container 37,
passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 9, roll
on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 3 (Hong Kong 3)
registered in other countries: 432 (2005)

Airports:
40 (2004 est.)

Airpo