FACTBOX: Central bank rate cuts around the world

(Reuters) - South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan on Thursday followed the Federal Reserve and central banks from Europe, Canada and China in cutting interest rates to contain the market meltdown.

Following are some details about interest rate cuts announced this week by central banks around the world:

* AUSTRALIA - The Reserve Bank of Australia cut its benchmark cash rate by 100 basis points to 6.0 percent on Tuesday, stunning investors with its biggest interest rate cut in 16 years.

* BAHRAIN - Bahrain cut its one-week deposit rate and overnight lending rate by 25 basis points and its repurchase rate by 50 basis points on Thursday. The one-week deposit rate was reduced to 1.75 percent from 2 percent and the overnight deposit rate was reduced to 1.25 percent from 1.5 percent.

* BRITAIN - The Bank of England cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday. The unscheduled cut to 4.5 percent was the biggest in seven years and only the second time the BoE has moved interest rates outside of its regular monthly cycle since the central bank was made independent in 1997.

* CANADA - The Bank of Canada unexpectedly cut its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 2.50 percent on Wednesday.

* CHINA - China cut interest rates and lowered banks' required reserves on Wednesday. The cost of one-year bank loans will fall from Thursday to 6.93 percent from 7.20 percent, while the benchmark one-year deposit rate will fall to 3.87 percent from 4.14 percent. It is the first time that the People's Bank of China has announced a change in interest rates at the same time as other central banks.

* EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK - The European Central Bank on Wednesday slashed its main rate to 3.75 percent from 4.25 percent and said it would halve the premium banks pay for emergency borrowing over its main refinancing rate.

* HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Monetary Authority on Thursday lowered the base rate charged through its overnight discount window by 50 basis points to 2.0 percent.

* INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India on Monday said it would cut the cash reserve ratio for banks by 50 basis points to 8.5 percent from October 11, a step it said would release 200 billion rupees ($4.2 billion) into the banking system.

* ISRAEL - The Bank of Israel reduced its key lending rate by a half-point to 3.75 percent from 4.25 percent in an unscheduled move on Tuesday.

* KUWAIT - Kuwait slashed the benchmark discount rate to 4.5 percent from 5.75 percent and the repo rate to 2.5 percent from 3.5 percent on Wednesday.

* SOUTH KOREA - The Bank of Korea on Thursday lowered its base rate to 5.00 percent from a 7-1/2-year high of 5.25 percent set in August, the first rate reduction after a string of eight increases since late 2004.

* SWITZERLAND - The Swiss National Bank (SNB) lowered on Wednesday its target for the LIBOR by 25 basis points to 2.50 percent. It was the first time in over five years that SNB cut interest rates.

* TAIWAN - Taiwan's Central Bank slashed its interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, bringing down the benchmark discount rate to 3.25 percent, the lowest level since September 2007.

* USA - The Federal Reserve cut its key federal funds lending rate by half a percentage point to 1.5 percent on Wednesday. It also lowered its discount rate by the same amount to 1.75 percent.

(Compiled by Jijo Jacob, Editing by David Cutler)