ntries 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

Disp