Chinese Taipei joined APEC in1991. Chinese Taipei is an island off the southeast coast of China's mainland. In addition to the main island of Chinese Taipei, Chinese Taipei comprises 15 islands in the Chinese Taipei group and 64 islands in the Penghu (Pescadores) Archipelago. The total area of Chinese Taipei, including the islands, is 35,981 sq km (13,892 square miles). Of the total, the Taiwan island group accounts for 13,843 square miles, while the Penghu Archipelago, located to the west of Chinese Taipei, has an area of 49 square miles.

Chinese Taipei is bordered by the East China Sea to the north, by the Pacific Ocean to the east, by the Bashi Channel to the south, which separates it from the Philippines, and by the Taiwan Straits to the west, which separates it from the Chinese mainland. Chinese Taipei forms part of the great island system rimming the western Pacific Ocean.

Landscape:

Relief features: The island is formed by a great fault block trending north-northeast to the south-southwest, which is tilted toward the west. Its eastern margin, facing the Pacific Ocean and often lined with cliffs, marks the edge of the continental shelf. Its western section is on the slope of the shelf as are the Taiwan Straits, the shallower parts of which are only 320 feet below sea level. The coastline on the west is simple and straight, bordered by low sand dunes and lagoons. Deep-water ports are situated at Jilong, at the northern tip of the island, and at Gaoxiong, on the southwest coast.

The crest of the Zhongyang Shanmai (Central Range) lies east of and run parallel to the island's axis. Scores of peaks rise above 10,000 feet, the highest being Yu Shan, (3,997 m). Around the mountainous area are numerous independent hills, with an average height of 5,000 feet.

The relief on the east is very steep and that on the west quite gradual. The terrace tablelands and alluvial coastal plains in western Chinese Taipei form the principal area of the dense population; most of the major cities are located there.

Drainage and soils: The rivers, all of which originate in the central range, are short and subject to extreme variations in flow. They are mostly shallow or dried up in the dry season, while there are floods in the monsoon (rain-bearing wind) season. Lacking steady currents, most rivers are not navigable but are liable to cause floods, especially in the plains, necessitating extensive drainage systems.

Climates: Chinese Taipei straddles the tropical and subtropical zones and has warm summer and mild winter. The climate is moderated by the warm water of the Kuroshio Current. The summer is long, lasting from April until November (200 days or more). In cold months the mean monthly temperature is about 15¡æ. Beginning in April, the mean monthly temperature is above 20¡æ. The highest mean monthly temperature reaches 30¡æ from June to September. Lowland Chinese Taipei is frost-free. The temperature fall with altitude, and in winter the central mountains are covered with snow.

Mean precipitation is 102 inches, although in some years the precipitation in summer alone may exceed 200 inches. The upland area receives more rain than the west part. Rainfall is more even in the north. The precipitation in summer is about 80 percent of the annual total. There are more typhoons in July, August, and September than any other times; about 78 percent of the total occur in these three months.

Vegetation and animal life: There are green plants on the plains all the year around. As the climate varies with altitude, so does the natural vegetation. Stands of mixed bamboo, palm, and tropical evergreen grow in the lowlands; subtropical evergreen forests including camphor laurel are found from 2,000 to 6,000 feet; broad-leaved evergreen forests of the temperate zone are represented by cedars, cypress, junipers, rhododendrons, maples, and cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) from 6,000 to 8,000 feet; and coniferous forests are found above 7,500 feet.

Wildlife: wild animals include deer, wild boars, bears, monkeys, goats, wildcats, and panthers. Birds include pheasants, geese, flycatchers, kingfishers, larks, and many other species. Fish abound in the coastal areas.

Population:

Except for the Gaoshan ethnic group, the aborigines of Chinese Taipei, the inhabitants of Chinese Taipei are the descendants of immigrants from the Chinese mainland. Settlement proceeded from the area around Tainan, in the south, northward and from the coast inland. From the latter Ming dynasty (early 17th century), until it was occupied by the Japanese in 1895, Tainan was the largest city and the capital of Chinese Taipei.

The population is so predominantly Chinese, most of whom are the descendants of immigrants from the southeastern Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong; in addition, after 1949, there was a sizable immigration from other parts of China.

Linguistic: The post-1949 immigrants were predominantly Mandarin speaking and, Mandarin has become a principal language. Several other Chinese dialects are spoken, however, mainly are southern Fujian dialect and the Hakka dialect of Fujian Province.

Resources:

Although more than 50 kinds of minerals have been found in Chinese Taipei, total mineral resources are modest. Coal is the most important, with reserves found near Taibei and in several other areas of the north, estimated at 254,000,000 tons. Deposits of copper and gold are found in the Taibei area. Iron and sand reserves are small. Sulfur and sulfur-pyrite reserves are estimated at 2,500,000 tons, with deposits in north of Taibei. Marble and limestone are abundant in Hualian on the east coast, with reserves estimated at 330,000,000 tons. Dolomite (limestone or marble rich in magnesium carbonate) is mostly deposited near Hualian. Petroleum, phosphorus, and natural gas exist in small quantities and manganese, asbestos, talc, glass sand, and other minerals have been found. Salt is produced by the evaporation of sea water.

Forests are most abundant in the high mountains. One of the natural resources of Chinese Taipei is camphor laurel, from which a great deal of camphor is produced.

Agriculture:

One-quarter of the total area in Chinese Taipei is arable and fully cultivated. Sloping areas and dry riverbeds are also under cultivation, as are the tidal lands in the west.

The most important crop is rice, which is grown on about 1,000,000 acres. More than 60 percent of the paddy fields are double cropped and nearly two-thirds of the rice produced is higher-grade pon-lai rice.

Sugarcane is another important crop, which is planted on 235,000 acres. Tea plantations are concentrated in the north. Hemp and jute are grown in the middle and eastern parts, while a different variety of hemp is grown in the south. Pineapple is one of the principal export products. Fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, litchis, longans, peaches, water melons, and oranges abound; all these fruits are canned for export. Vegetable supplies are sufficient to meet the consumption needs of the island.

Forests and Fishery:

With many mountains, Chinese Taipei is abundant in timber resources. The Chinese Taipei Forest Bureau, in charge of the wooded land, is responsible for the planting, protection, and logging of trees. Annual production of forest products, including plywood, reaches an average of about 1,200,000 cubic yards, exclusive of firewood.

Fishery production has increased to over 650,000 tons annually. About 12 percent of the total is produced by fish farming. The balance is caught in rivers and in coastal water. The warm currents in the Pacific Ocean off the east coast provide good deep-sea fishing grounds, especially for tuna. The Chinese Taipei Fishery Bureau was established to help develop the fishing industry, and the number of fishing vessels is also on the increase.

Mining and Quarrying:

Annual coal production averages between 4,000,000 and 4,500,000 tons. Annual copper production is about 3,900 tons. Quarrying of marble exceeds 1,100,000 tons and of dolomite 55,000 tons a year. Annual production of crude oil is about 88,000 tons and that of natural gas about 1,200,000 cubic yards. Salt production is located mainly on the southwestern coast.

The Economy:

The private sector: the local government has established an advisory committee responsible for overseeing production; its main purpose is to promote foreign sale. There is only one organ of cooperative financing -- the Cooperative Bank of Chinese Taipei, jointly owned by the government and cooperatives. In addition there are four private commercial banks.

The public sector: Since 1953, the local government has drawn up successive four-year economic development plans to spur industrial economic growth. Ten enterprises, in the fields of sugar, electricity, petroleum and natural gas, fertilizers, caustic soda, aluminum, copper, shipbuilding, and railways, are government monopolies.

In order to promote economic development, the local government controls and helps private enterprises to adopt new techniques and seek foreign investment. Most manufacturing industries receive technical cooperation from foreign companies.

Because Chinese Taipei is an island and thus limited in resources and the market, it must exchange goods with other parts of the world and tap overseas markets in order to support mass production and cut production costs.

Transportation:

External transport links are by air and sea. Railways and highways for internal transportation are well developed.

The well-built road networks have a total length of about 10,000 miles. The principal roads consist of a highway running around the island and three east-west highways crossing the island in the northern, middle, and the southern regions of Chinese Taipei. A north-south expressway runs across the island. Passenger-bus transportation connecting large cities and small towns throughout the island is provided by the Chinese Taipei Highway Bureau, Private transportation companies provide both passenger and freight services. In large cities there are public buses as well as private buses and taxis.

Railways are operated by the Chinese Taipei Railway Administration. The main lines include one from Jilong, in the north, to Gaoxiong, in the southwest; another from Jilong to Su'ao, in the northeast; still from Gaoxiong to Fangliao, in the south; and still another from Hualian, in the east, to Taidong, in the southeast.

The international seaports are Jilong, in the north; Gaoxiong, in the south; and Hualian, in the east. Jilong is the port for Taibei City, while Gaoxiong is an industrial port. Both cities have good facilities for anchoring large ships. Hualian has also been open as an international port since 1963.

Civilian airports include the Taibei International Airport, in the north; the Gaoxiong Airport, in the south; and the Hualian Airport, in the east. Civilian air transports to Tainan, Taizhong, Taidong, and Penghu are permitted to use the military air bases in those areas. The Taibei International Airport has flights to many metropolitan cities around the world.

Culture and Institution:

Chinese culture is predominant. Fine arts and popular culture include Chinese painting, and Chinese music. Popular musical instruments include the fiddle and flute. Dances include court dances, aboriginal dances, and Chinese folk dances. Theatre includes traditional Chinese opera, Chinese Taipeiese operas, which use the southern Fujian dialect, and modern drama presented on the stage as well as over radio and television. Puppet shows are popular. Chinese Taipei competes with Hong Kong in making Chinese motion pictures. Chinese Taipeiese handicrafts are prized for their beauty.

The National Palace Museum collections includes ancient Chinese paintings and books, pottery, porcelain, curios, and sculptures. The Art House in Chinese Taipei holds art exhibitions and has a stage for drama and dance performances.

There are more than 30 daily newspapers, two of which are English language publications, and about 1,000 periodicals. There are about 30 radio broadcasting stations. The three television stations include the Taiwan Television Enterprises, the China Television Company and the Zhonghua Television Service.