Taiwan is a pacific island southeast of China, in between Japan and the Philippines. She is known worldwide as one of the thriving economic hubs of East Asia, among the ranks of Japan and South Korea. Many have referred to Taiwan as an economic miracle: rapid industrialization in the past thirty years has brought Taiwan many industrial achieve-ments. Most recently, Taiwan has emerged as a hardy survivor of the East Asian economic crisis. However, rapid industrialization in Taiwan has taken its toll. Once a beautiful tropical island with magnificent scenery, Taiwan is slowly turning into an industrial wasteland¡Xwater pollution from industrial emissions, untreated sewage, air pollution, contami-nation of drinking water supplies, high levels of CO2 emissions, and excess nuclear wastes are just a few of Taiwan's environmental problems.

Taiwanese presence needed at international round-tables...

Size

13,800 sq. miles. Approximate size of W. Virginia

Location

100 mile of China's coast between Japan and the Philippines

Capital

Taipei

Population

Approximately 21.5 million: 84% Taiwanese (70% Holo, 14% Hakka); 14% "mainlanders" from China between 1945-1949; 2% Aborigines

Climate

Taiwan's climate is subtropical, with average annual temperatures of 21.7 C (71.2 F) in the north and 24.1 C (75.7 F) in the south

Water

Drinking water served at hotels and restaurants is distilled or boiled.

Language

Holo-Taiwanese; Hakka and Mandarin (Government language)

[ Read More... ]

08/20/06 | Posted by calviniwen | Quick Facts | Print |

Index	Data	Date	Source
Economic Growth Rate (%)	6.50%	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Gross Personal Product (US dollars)	13.235	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Gross National Product US$ 100 million)	2,905	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Export Amount (US$ 100 million)	1362.8	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Import Amount (US$ 100 million)	1296.1	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairsv
Export Annually Increasing Rate (%)	23.3	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Import Annually Increasing Rate (%)	29.1	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Industry Annually Increasing Rate (%)	8.7	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Rate of Unemployment (%)	3.2	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Consumer Commodity Increasing Rate (%)	1.2	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Basic Interest Rate (%)	7.2	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Gross Commodity Increasing Rate (%)	2.51	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Consumer Commodity Annually Increasing Rate (%)	2.26	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
M1A Annually Increasing Rate (%)	-	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
M1B Annually Increasing Rate (%)	3.23	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
M2 Annually Increasing Rate (%)	6.74	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Annually Increasing Rate of Total Balance In Loan and Investment (%)	3.89	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Non-government Interest Rate (%)	24.84	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Rate of Returned (%)	0.54	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Tax Revenue (NT$ million)	107,214	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs
Foreign Exchange Reserves (US$ 100 million)	1,067.00	Jan. 2001	Ministry of Economic Affairs

By Linda Gail Arrigo, Tze-Luen Lin, and Yvonne M. Lin Source: Capria, Antonella et al. eds. (1996). Aworld Survey of Environmental Law, pp. 765 - 777. Milano, Italy. Giuffre Editore

Environmental Nightmare of the Economic Miracle

Environmental law in Taiwan is a fig leaf barely disguising rape of the environment. It is only in the last few years that popular mobilization and international attention, such as the 1994 outcry over sale of tiger parts in Taiwan, have led to enough embarrassment that the Taiwan government has felt the need for a fig leaf. It may be too little, too late, to save this once-beautiful island, "Formosa" as the Portuguese called it. There is a sudden proliferation of environmental law, but little sign of effective enforcement.

Location: Southeast of China, between Japan and the Philippines

Size: 35.981 square kilometer

Coastline: 1,448 km

Terrain: Eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; over 200 mountains are more than 3,000 meters high. Flat to gently rolling plains in the west.

Population: 22 million. Taiwan ranks number 2 in the world for population density: 590 people per sq km.

Climate: Subtropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August)

Taiwan has an exceptional ecosystem with vast biodiversity: Albeit her size (only one third of New York State), Taiwan supports more than 4,000 botanical species; up to 500 bird species; more than 100 mammals and 32 amphibious species, 50 species of snake, 30 lizards; and beyond 400 species of butterfly. Taiwan is one of most important geographic and abundant bioecological places in the world.

Taiwan faces numerous environmental problems today:

Air and water

• 70% of the rivers in Taiwan have been seriously contaminated by garbage, hazardous waste, and discharge of waste water. "Garbage walls" are common scenery along river-sides. There is no clean nor safe drinking water in several regions in southern Taiwan.


• Taiwan's CO2 emission is considerably high: an aver-age of 9 tons per person in 1997. Taiwan is currently the 24th largest producer of CO2 in the world.

Waste

• 2,100 million tons of garbage, including 650 thousand tons of hazardous waste, are produced each year--only 46% can be properly deposited or recycled.


• 10% of Taiwan's land have been descending largely due to the lack of environmental concern.


• 55.4% of Taiwan's 31 thousand acres of tidal flats have been developed into industrial parks or landfill sites.


• Taiwan has the highest motorcycle density in the world; Taiwan places theird in automobile density.

Biodiversity

• In the past ten years, coral has decreased dramatically (3/4 of total) alone Taiwan's coastal area.


• More than 35% of Taiwan's forests have been ran-sacked by various human activities (as a result of log-ging or replacement by economical plants) over the past 100 years.

Nuclear Dreams

• Taiwan has built 3 nuclear power plants and plans to build a fourth. Taiwan has not been able to manage nuclear waste within the island. As a result, Taiwan dumps nuclear waste to peripheral islands, where namy indigenous people reside, and to poor countries, such as North Korea, with little concern for environmental justice.


• 15,000 people were exposed to radiation involuntarily; the government still allows these buildings to be traded on the market. As a result, 80% of those exposed still on live in contaminated buildings.