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Taiwan Flag of Taiwan

Pre Arrival:  Charts
Communications:  Pratique
Pollution:  Pollution
Facilities:  Medical
Security:  Police etc
Local Info:  Time | Holidays | Weather
Shore:  Consuls | Banks | Customs
Misc:  Authority
General Information for Taiwan
Geo-political:
Capital City: Taipei.
Nationality: (noun) Chinese/Taiwanese, (note) Chinese/Taiwanese.
Population: 22,974,347.
Communications:
International Direct Dial Code: 886.
Number of Internal Airports: 38.
Major Languages Spoken: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects.
Economy:
Currency: 1 New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) of 100 Cents.
Main Industries: Electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products and pharmaceuticals.
Environment:
Territorial Sea: 12 n.m.
Other Maritime Claims: Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 n.m.
Coastline Extent: 1,566 km.
Climate: Tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year.
Natural Resources: Small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble and asbestos.
Natural Hazards: Earthquakes; typhoons.
Terrain: Eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west.
Average Temperatures: 
Month High Low
January 19° C 12° C
June 30° C 22° C
September 31° C 24° C
CHARTS:  Nautical charts and publications, and Notice to Mariners, are issued by the Naval METOC Office of the Republic of China. Chart catalogue and NtMs are available at:
PRATIQUE:  The quarantine authority of international ports is the Centers of Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare; the quarantine authorities of domestic ports are the local health competent authorities where the ports are located.
Inbound ships entering international port from other countries shall within 4 to 72 hours, report the following to the quarantine authorities:
  1. name of ship, call sign and voyage number
  2. last port of departure, date and time
  3. name of port anchored during the 30 days prior to arrival and the date of departure
  4. expected date and time of arrival
  5. types of Sanitary Control Certificate for ship, issued date and place
  6. number of crew and passengers
  7. any deaths or patients with communicable diseases on board within 30 days prior to arrival and their relevant information
  8. any deaths from unknown causes within 30 days prior to arrival
  9. any breeding of rats or vectors
  10. other relevant matters.
When sailing time of the voyage is less than 4 hours, upon approval of the quarantine authority, the above report may be submitted just prior to commencement of the voyage.
If death occurs or patients with communicable disease are detected after reporting, it should immediately be reported to the quarantine authority, such as the number of infections or deaths, their names, symptoms or causes of deaths.
In addition, inbound ships arriving from foreign countries shall submit to the quarantine authority the following information in order to complete port entry quarantine formalities:
   Maritime Declaration of Health
   Ports of Call List
   Ship Sanitation Control (Exemption) Certificate.
Contact:  Taiwan Center for Disease Control www.cdc.gov.tw
POLLUTION:  Pollution incidents should be reported to the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and nearest harbour bureau.
Environmental Protection Administration T: +886 (2) 311 7722. T: +886 (2) 311 2467 (emergency). M: +886 921888651.
Kaohsiung Harbour Bureau T: +886 (7) 562 2248. T: +886 (7) 562 2127 (emergency). F: +886 (7) 532 1361.
Taichung Harbour Bureau T: +886 (4) 2656 2611. T: +886 (4) 2664 2327 (emergency). F: +886 (4) 2656 5702.
Hualien Harbour Bureau T: +886 (3) 832 5131. F: +886 (4) 2656 5702.
MEDICAL:  Taiwan has adequate health and dental facilities to handle routine, emergency and outpatient treatment. Some have English-speaking staff. Hospitals operate on a ``pay as you use'' basis. Make sure you have adequate health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
There has been a significant increase in cases of dengue fever. Cases are usually concentrated in the south of Taiwan (including the cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan) and are highest during the summer months. See the Taiwan Centre for Disease Control website www.cdc.gov.tw for more information. You should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
When bringing medications into Taiwan, you should bring a prescription from a hospital, clinic or doctor stating that the medicines are for the use of the individual. The amount brought in must be consistent with the amount on the prescription.
POLICE/AMBULANCE/FIRE:  You can contact the emergency services by calling 110 (police) or 119 (ambulance and fire).
HOLIDAYS:  1–2 January (New Year's Day); 1–3 January (Chinese Lunar New Year's Day); 28 February (Memorial Day); 29 March (Youth Day); 4 April (Women & Children's Day); 5 April (Qingming Day); 1 May (Labour Day, for labourers only); 5 May (Chinese Lunar Dragon Boat Festival); 15 August (Chinese Lunar Mid-Autumn Festival); 28 September (Confucius' Birthday); 10 October (Double Tenth); 25 October (Taiwan Restoration Day); 31 October (former President Chiang Kai-shek's Birthday); 12 November (Dr Sun Yat-sen's Birthday); 25 December (Constitution Day); 29–30 December (Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve).
WEATHER/TIDES:  The tropical cyclone (typhoon) season in Taiwan normally runs from May to November. You should monitor alerts issued by the Central Weather Bureau www.cwb.gov.tw and follow the advice of the local authorities, including any evacuation orders. There has been a significant increase in cases of dengue fever.
CONSULS:  Contact details of foreign missions/representation in Taiwan, and Taiwan missions overseas is available at the Ministry of foreign Affairs website www.mofa.gov.tw
BANKS:  ATMs are plentiful but not all accept foreign bank cards; most ATMs in 7-11 convenience stores accept international cards. Designated banks will accept American Express, Citibank or Thomas Cook travellers’ cheques but you should be prepared to produce your purchase certificate or receipt as well as your passport when cashing them. If in doubt, check whether your travellers’ cheques will be accepted in Taiwan before you travel.
CUSTOMS:  eweb.customs.gov.tw
AUTHORITY:  Ministry of Transportation and Communications, No. 50, Sec. 1, Ren'ai Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, 100, Taiwan. T: +886 (2) 2349 2900. F: +886 (2) 2349 2491. www.motc.gov.tw