hinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
total population:
86%
male:
93%
female:
79%
Labor force:
7.9 million
by occupation:
industry and commerce 53%, services 22%, agriculture 15.6%, civil
administration 7% (1989)

*Taiwan, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form: Taiwan
local long form:
none
local short form:
T'ai-wan
Digraph:
TW
Type:
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); 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
Constitution:
25 December 1947, presently undergoing revision
Legal system:
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday:
National Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of the Revolution)
Political parties and leaders:
Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party), LI Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP); China Social Democratic Party (CSDP); Labor Party
(LP)
Other political or pressure groups:
Taiwan independence movement, various environmental groups
note:
debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of
domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization and the increased
representation of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan's
legislature have o