ist 93%,
Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%

Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka
dialects

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
total population: 86%
male: 93%
female: 79%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local long form: none
local short form: T'ai-wan

Data code: TW

Type of government: multiparty democratic regime; opposition
political parties legalized in March 1989

Capital: Taipei

Administrative divisions: some of the ruling party in Taipei claim
to be the government of all China; in keeping with that claim, the
central administrative divisions include 2 provinces (sheng,
singular and plural) and 2 municipalities* (shih, singular and
plural) - Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province
including Quemoy and Matsu), Kao-hsiung*, T'ai-pei*, and Taiwan (the
island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); note - the more
commonly referenced administrative divisions are those of Taiwan
Province - 16 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5
municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special
municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua,
Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan,
Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung,
T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**,
T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is at
Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un
note: Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization

National holiday: National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of
the Revolution)

Constitution: 1 January 1947, amended in 1992, presently
undergoing revision

Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President LI Teng-hui (succeeded to the presidency
following the death of President CHIANG Ching-kuo 13 January 1988,
elected by the National Assembly 21 March 1990, reelected by popular
vote in the first-ever direct elections for president 23 March
1996); election last held 23 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2000);
results - LI Teng-hui 54%, PENG Ming-min 21%, LIN Yang-kang 15%, and
CHEN Li-an 10%; Vice President-elect LIEN Chan (to be inaugurated 20
May 1996)
head of government