est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
6.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
410 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
6.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
38.23 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$28.57 billion (2003)

Exports:
$143 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles,
plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)

Exports - partners:
China 25.3%, US 20.5%, Japan 9.2% (2002)

Imports:
$119.6 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision
instruments (2002)

Imports - partners:
Japan 24.2%, US 16.1%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.9% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$207.1 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$53.44 billion (2003)

Currency:
new Taiwan dollar (TWD)

Currency code:
TWD

Exchange rates:
new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 34.418 (2003), 34.575 (2002),
33.8 (2001), 33.09 (2000), 31.6 (1999)

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:
8.83 million (2003)

Transportation Taiwan

Railways:
total: 2,544 km
narrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 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 (2003)

Highways: