Taiwan

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Taiwan Environmental profile

SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Forest types | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Primary forest | Forest designation | Disturbances affecting forest land | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Value of forests | Production, trade and consumption of forest products | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

Books

[an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Taiwan: Protected areas Protected areas Biosphere reserves, 2005 Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2005 0 World Heritage sites, 2004 0 Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V, percent of total land 7.6% Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent, percent of total land 7.16% Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V, percent of total land, 2004 0.59% Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other, percent of total land, 2004 0.00% Taiwan: Biodiversity - Wildlife Amphibians total species 42 endemic species 18 threatened species 8 Birds total species 392 endemic species 33 threatened species 29 Mammals total species 94 endemic species 11 threatened species 11 Reptiles total species 111 endemic species 19 threatened species 8 Wildlife diversity total species 639 endemic species 81 threatened species 56 [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Taiwan: Environment Environment - current issues air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's international status Natural hazards earthquakes and typhoons Taiwan: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% other: 75% (2001) Natural resources small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos Taiwan: Economy Economy - overview: Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia. China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market. Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the Asian financial crisis in 1998. The global economic downturn, combined with problems in policy coordination by the administration and bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemployment also reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 in the face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence, and bad bank loans. The essentially vibrant economy pushed ahead in 2003-05. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant long-term factor, e.g., exports to China of parts and equipment for the assembly of goods for export to developed countries. GDP - per capita $26,700 (2005 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 3.6% (2005 est.) Agriculture - products rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 1.6%, industry: 29.3%, services: 69% (2005 est.) Industries electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals Population below poverty line (%) 0.9% (2005) Debt - external $81.64 billion (2005 est.) Labor force - by occupation (%) agriculture 6%, industry 35.8%, services 58.2% (2005 est.) Taiwan: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 22,894,384 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 0.63% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 709.7 Median age (years) total: 34.14 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 1.57 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2% Largest Cities in Taiwan Cities and urban areas in Taiwan with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002. City Country City Population Urban Area Population Taipei Taiwan 2706400 7728300 Kaohsiung Taiwan 1506300 2517600 Taichung Taiwan 1033600 2100800 Tainan Taiwan 746300 778600 Panchiao Taiwan 522900 522900 Keelung (Chilung) Taiwan 404300 404300 Chungho Taiwan 399000 399000 Hsinchuang Taiwan 390800 390800 Sanchung Taiwan 386100 386100 Hsinchu Taiwan 383600 383600 Taoyuan Taiwan 348000 348000 Chungli Taiwan 342500 342500 Fengshan Taiwan 333400 333400 Hsintien Taiwan 276400 276400 Chiayi Taiwan 266600 266600 Tucheng Taiwan 261700 261700 Changhwa Taiwan 228200 228200 Yungho Taiwan 225700 225700 Pingtung Taiwan 214900 214900 Yungkang Taiwan 212400 212400 Pingchen Taiwan 207500 207500 Pate Taiwan 174200 174200 Fengyuan Taiwan 166200 166200 Yangmei Taiwan 140500 140500 Yuanlin Taiwan 127700 127700 Taitung Taiwan 112000 112000 Hualian Taiwan 109500 109500 Nantou Taiwan 107000 107000 Touliu Taiwan 102500 102500  Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005  Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)  Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.  Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.  RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.  World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site  The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund  With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com