Economic Development

Economic Development
Taiwan and the Chinese mainland are ruled by different governments under different political systems: democracy and communism, respectively. Currently, Taiwan has a population of 21.8 million people. Despite its limited natural resources, Taiwan has distinguished itself through its economic development. Between 1952 and 1995, its economic growth rate averaged 8.63 percent, an impressive record rarely seen in the world. In 1997, Taiwan's per capita gross national product (GNP) reached US$13,000. With its strong foundation as one of Asia's "Four Little Dragons," Taiwan has managed to maintain stable economic development, even amidst the 1998 Asian economic crisis, a rare and impressive achievement. Ą@

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"Images of Taiwan" Home Page

**Economic Development**
No.E8. Photo by Larry Hsieh	57KB An inspector examines computer mother boards for defects. Computer components and peripherals are Taiwan's major foreign-exchange earners.
No.E9. Photo by Ming-yuan Yeh	56KB Government and industry invest heavily on imports of modern equipment, including this VLSI (very large scale integration) testing system.
No.E10. Photo by Chung-hsin Huang	77KB The international exhibition on information technology is one of Taiwan's largest and most important industrial exhibitions.
No.E11. Photo by Chung-hsin Huang	64KB Sporting goods are Taiwan's major exports. A worker goes through the meticulous process of making professional tennis rackets.
No.E12. Photo by Elick Lee	79KB The ROC's Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) planes are manufactured by Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation.
No.E13. Photo by Ming-yuan Yeh	64KB Fireworks light up the sky over the Tamsui River on the night of the National Day with the Taipei cityscape in the background.