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

Capital City: Taipei

Population: 23,036,087 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $29,000 (2006 est.)

Currency: new Taiwan dollar (TWD)

Languages: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

Total Area: total: 35,980 sq km land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Region: Asia

Industries: electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals

Agriculture: rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish

Resources: small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Labor Force: 10.46 million (2006 est.)
agriculture: 5.5% industry: 36% services: 58.5% (2005 est.)

Exports: $215 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)

Imports: $205.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002)

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 island runs a trade surplus, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest. Despite restrictions cross-strait links, China has overtaken the US to become Taiwan's largest export market and, in 2006, its second-largest source of imports after Japan. China is also the island's number one destination for foreign direct investment. Strong trade performance in 2006 pushed Taiwan's GDP growth rate above 4%, and unemployment is below 4%. Consumer spending recovered following a slowdown early in 2006, when banks tightened lending to address a sharp increase in delinquent consumer debt.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $114,797,861 in goods to Taiwan. This ranks Taiwan 18^th among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Taiwan decreased from the previous year by $4,152,763 a change of -3.49%. State exports to Taiwan have increased over the last 5 years by $2,877,477 a change of 2.57%. Missouri exports account for .86%. of all 2007 US exports to Taiwan.