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

TW

multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly
elected president

Taipei

since in the past the authorities claimed to
be the government of all China, the central administrative divisions
include the provinces of Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian
Province including Quemoy and Matsu) 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 Day, 10 October (1911) (Anniversary of the
Chinese Revolution)

1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, and 1997

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

20 years of age; universal

note: President-elect CHEN Shui-bian is scheduled to take office on 20
May 2000
chief of state: President LEE 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, elected by popular
vote in the first-ever direct elections for president 23 March 1996);
Vice President LIEN Chan (since 20 May 1996)
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) Vincent
SIEW (since 1 September 1997) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the
Executive Yuan) LIU Chao-shiuan (since 10 December 1997)
cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 18 March 2000
(next to be held NA March 2004); premier appointed by the president;
vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the
premier
election results: CHEN Shui-bian elected president; percent of vote -
CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 39.3%, James SOONG (independent) 36.84%, LIEN
Chan (KMT) 23.1%, HSU Hsin-liang (independent) .63%, LEE Ao (CNP) .13%

unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168
elected by popular vote, 41 elected on the basis of the proportion of
nationwide votes received by participating political parties, eight
elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on the basis of the
proportion of nationwide votes received by participating political
parties, eight elected by popular vote among the aboriginal
populations; members serve three-year terms) and unicameral National
Assembly (334 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 5 December 1998 (next to be
held NA December 2001); National Assembly - last held 23 March 1996
(next to be held NA 2000)
election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - KMT
46%, DPP 29%, CNP 7%, independents 10%, other parties 8%; seats by
party - KMT 123, DPP 70, CNP 11, independents 15, other parties 6;
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - KMT 55%, DPP 30%, CNP
14%, other 1%; seats by party - KMT 183, DPP 99, CNP 46, other 6

Judicial Yuan, justices appointed by the president
with the consent of the National Assembly

Chinese New Party or CNP [CHOU
Yang-sun]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [LIN Yi-hsiung,
chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, acting
chairman]; Taiwan Independence Party or TAIP ; other
minor parties

Taiwan independence movement,
various business and 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 opposition parties in Taiwan's
legislature have opened public debate on the island's national
identity; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the ruling party's
traditional stand that the island will eventually reunify with
mainland China; goals 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

APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, IOC,
WCL, WTrO (applicant)

none; unofficial commercial and
cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through a
private instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei
and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities

none; unofficial commercial and
cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through a
private corporation, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has
its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia (telephone:  (703) 525-8474
and FAX:  (703) 841-1385) and offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134,
Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, telephone  (2) 2709-2000, FAX  (2)
2702-7675, and in Kao-hsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3d Road, telephone
(7) 224-0154 through 0157, FAX  (7) 223-8237, and the
American Trade Center at Room 3207 International Trade Building,
Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548,
telephone  (2) 2720-1550, FAX  (2) 2757-7162

red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays