Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
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
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 (since 13 January 1988); Vice President LI
Yuan-zu (since 20 May 1990)
head of government:
Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) LIEN Chan (since 23 February
1993); Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) HSU Li-teh
(since 23 February 1993) presidential election last held 21 March 1990
(next to be held NA March 1996); results - President LI Teng-hui was
reelected by the National Assembly; vice presidential election last
held 21 March 1990 (next election will probably be a direct popular
election and will be held NA March 1996); results - LI Yuan-zu was
elected by the National Assembly
cabinet:
Executive Yuan; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Yuan and unicameral National Assembly
Legislative Yuan:
elections last held 19 December 1992 (next to be held near the end of
1995); results - KMT 60%, DPP 31%, independents 9%; seats - (304
total, 161 elected) KMT 96, DPP 50, independents 15
National Assembly:
elections - first National Assembly elected in November 1946 with a
supplementary election in December 1986; second and present National
Assembly elected in December 1991; seats - (403 total) KMT 318, DPP
75, other 10; (next election to be held in 1997)
Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan
Political parties and leaders:
Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party), LI Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP); Chinese New Party (CNP); 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 opened public debate on
the island's national identity; advocates of Taiwan independence, both
within the DPP and the ruling Kuomintang, oppose the ruling party's
traditional stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland
China; the aims of the Taiwan independence movement include
establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN; other
organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the World United
Formosans for Independence and the Organization for Taiwan Nation
Building
Member of:
expelled from UN General Assembly and Security Council on 25 October
1971 and withdrew on same date from other charter-designated
subsidiary organs; expelled from IMF/World Bank group April/May 1980;
seeking to join GATT; attempting to retain membership in INTELSAT;
suspended from IAEA in 1972, but still allows IAEA controls over
extensive atomic development, APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, IOC, COCOM
(cooperating), WCL
Diplomatic representation in US:
none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of
the US are maintained through a private instrumentality, the
Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA) with
headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 10 other US
cities
US diplomatic representation:
unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of Taiwan
are maintained through a private institution, the American Institute
in Taiwan (AIT), which has offices in Taipei at #7, Lane 134, Hsin Yi
Road, Section 3, telephone [886] (2) 709-2000, and in Kao-hsiung at #2
Chung Cheng 3d Road, telephone [886] (7) 224-0154 through 0157, and
the American Trade Center at Room 3207 International Trade Building,
Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548,
telephone [886] (2) 720-1550
Flag:
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing
a white sun with 12 triangular rays
NOTE: The information regarding Taiwan on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Taiwan Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Taiwan Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.