ludes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,448 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: involved in complex dispute over the
Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, and
possibly Brunei; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by
Vietnam and Taiwan; Japanese-administered Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku
Islands/Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan

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
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%
meadows and pastures: 5%
forest and woodland: 55%
other: 15%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: water pollution from industrial emissions, raw
sewage; air pollution; contamination of drinking water supplies;
trade in endangered species
natural hazards: earthquakes and typhoons
international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Marine Life
Conservation

People
------

Population: 21,465,881 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 2,605,495; female 2,436,864)
15-64 years: 69% (male 7,505,344; female 7,252,188)
65 years and over: 8% (male 907,310; female 758,680) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.89% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 15.01 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.52 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 1.2 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.02 years
male: 73.43 years
female: 78.82 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese

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

Religions: mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Tao