OCTOBER 4, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 13

Quick Facts

Population: 22,113,250 (July 1999 est.)
0-14 years: 22%
15-64 years: 70%
65 years and over: 8% (1999 est.)

	ALSO IN TIME
	Taiwan: The Day the Earth Moved: A devastating earthquake rocks the island; the tragedy is exacerbated not only by vicious aftershocks but by a slow and sometimes inefficient rescue effort Bouncing Back: Taiwan Inc. will recover quickly Kobe's Lesson: It's easier to rebuild bridges than psyches Quick Facts Related Sites
	RELATED STORIES
	CNN Breaking news from East Asia Significant quakes in Taiwan area, 1980-1999 ASIAWEEK Terror from Underground Without warning, the earth moved under Taiwan, triggering the island's worst natural disaster in 64 years. Political aftershocks will be felt locally--and in China
	MESSAGE BOARD
	Taiwan quake

Life expectancy at birth:
Male: 74.38 years
Female: 80.85 years (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.93% (1999 est.)
Density: 1,507/mi2 (582/km2)
Urban: 71%

Ethnic groups:
Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%
Mainland Chinese 14%
Aborigine 2%

Religions:
Mixture of Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist 93%
Christian 4.5%
Other 2.5%

Languages:
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese, Hakka dialects
Literacy: 91%

Government type: multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly elected president

Economy (GDP):
Purchasing power parity: $362 billion (1998 est.)
Real growth rate: 4.65% (1998)
Per capita purchasing power parity: $16,500 (1998 est.)
Composition by sector:
Agriculture: 2.7%
Industry: 35.3%
Services: 62% (1997)

Unemployment rate: 3.2% (August 1999); 2.8% (1998)

Industries: electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum refining

Export partners: U.S. 24.2%, Hong Kong 23.5%, Europe 15.1%, Japan 9.6% (1997)

Sources: CIA Fact Book, Reuters, Taiwanese government