| Background: |
Occupied by the
UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the
following year; various adjacent lands were added later in
the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China
and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July
1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its
"one country, two systems" formula, China's
socialist economic system will not be practiced in Hong Kong
and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in
all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next
50 years. |
| Location: |
Eastern Asia,
bordering the South China Sea and China |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
22 15 N, 114 10 E |
| Map
references: |
Southeast Asia |
| Area: |
total:
1,092 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km
water: 50 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
six times the
size of Washington, DC |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
30 km
border countries: China 30 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial
sea: 3 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical monsoon;
cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through
summer, warm and sunny in fall |
| Terrain: |
hilly to
mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m |
| Natural
resources: |
outstanding
deepwater harbor, feldspar |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
6%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 20%
other: 72% (1997 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
20 sq km (1997
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
occasional
typhoons |
| Environment
- current issues: |
air and water
pollution from rapid urbanization |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate
member) |
| Geography
- note: |
more than 200
islands |
| Population: |
7,210,505 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
17.73% (male 677,785; female 600,781)
15-64 years: 71.52% (male 2,554,329; female
2,602,662)
65 years and over: 10.75% (male 354,199; female
420,749) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.3% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
11.13
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
6.02 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
7.9 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
5.83 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 79.67 years
male: 76.97 years
female: 82.55 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.29 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.06% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
2,500 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100
(1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Chinese
adjective: Chinese |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Chinese 95%,
other 5% |
| Religions: |
eclectic mixture
of local religions 90%, Christian 10% |
| Languages: |
Chinese
(Cantonese), English; both are official |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 92.2%
male: 96%
female: 88.2% (1996 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Hong Kong
local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
local short form: Xianggang
abbreviation: HK |
| Dependency
status: |
special
administrative region of China |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none (special
administrative region of China) |
| Independence: |
none (special
administrative region of China) |
| National
holiday: |
National Day
(Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of
China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated
as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day |
| Constitution: |
Basic Law
approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress
is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" |
| Legal
system: |
based on English
common law |
| Suffrage: |
direct election
18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in
the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years;
indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of
functional constituencies and an 800-member election
committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal
organizations, and central government bodies |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: President of China JIANG Zemin (since 27
March 1993)
head of government: Chief Executive TUNG
Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three
ex-officio members and 10 appointed members; ex-officio
members are: Chief Secretary Anson CHAN (since 29 November
1993), Financial Secretary Donald TSANG (since 7 March
1995), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July
1997)
elections: NA |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly
elected by functional constituencies, 24 elected by popular
vote, and 6 elected by an 800-member election committee;
members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 September 2000 (next to
be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 12, Democratic
Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 10, Liberal Party
7, Frontier Party 5, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 4, New
Century Forum 2, Hong Kong Association for Democracy and
People's Livelihood 1, independents 19 |
| Judicial
branch: |
The Court of
Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee,
chairman]; Citizens Party [leader NA]; Democratic Alliance
for the Betterment of Hong Kong [Jasper TSANG Yok-sing,
chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin LEE Chu-ming, chairman];
Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [leader
NA]; Hong Kong Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen];
Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]; New Century
Forum [NQ Ching-fai, chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy -
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens
Party, Democratic Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing -
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, Hong
Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New Century Forum |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Chinese General
Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers'
Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions
(pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan,
general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries;
Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China) [LEE Chark-tim,
president]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic
Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong
Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong
General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional
Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Liberal
Democratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman] |
| International
organization participation: |
APEC, AsDB, BIS,
CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IMO (associate),
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO,
WToO (associate), WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (special
administrative region of China) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Consul General Michael KLOSSON
consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong
mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30, FPO AP
96522-0002
telephone: [852] 2523-9011
FAX: [852] 2845-1598 |
| Flag
description: |
red with a
stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center |
| Economy
- overview: |
Hong Kong has a
bustling free market economy highly dependent on
international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food
and raw materials must be imported. Indeed, imports and
exports, including reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar
value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese
administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive trade and
investment ties with China. Per capita GDP compares with the
level in the four big countries of Western Europe. GDP
growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989-97. The widespread Asian
economic difficulties in 1998 hit this trade-dependent
economy quite hard, with GDP down 5%. The economy is
undergoing a rapid recovery, with growth of 10% in 2000 to
be followed by projected growth of 5% in 2001. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $181 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
10% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $25,400 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
0.1%
industry: 14.3%
services: 85.6% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3.7% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
3.39 million
(2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
wholesale and
retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31.5%, community and
social services 24%, financing, insurance, and real estate
14.5%, transport and communications 11.6%, manufacturing
7.7%, construction 2.6% (October 1999) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
4.5% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$20.8 billion
expenditures: $24.5 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY99/00) |
| Industries: |
textiles,
clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches,
clocks |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
2.1% (2000) |
| Electricity
- production: |
27.726 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
32.202 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
633 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
7.05 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
fresh vegetables;
poultry |
| Exports: |
$204 billion
(including reexports; f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
clothing,
textiles, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and
clocks, toys |
| Exports
- partners: |
China 33%, US
24%, Japan 5%, UK 4%, Germany, Singapore (1999) |
| Imports: |
$215 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs,
transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures,
petroleum; a large share is reexported |
| Imports
- partners: |
China 44%, Japan
12%, US 7%, Taiwan 7%, South Korea, Singapore (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$48.1 billion
(1999) |
| Currency: |
Hong Kong dollar
(HKD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Hong Kong dollars
per US dollar - 7.7990 (January 2001), 7.7912 (2000), 7.7575
(1999), 7.7453 (1998), 7.7421 (1997), 7.7343 (1996); note -
Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China on
1 July 1997; before then, the Hong Kong dollar was linked to
the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per
US dollar |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31
March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
3.839 million
(1999) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
3.7 million
(December 1999) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: modern facilities provide excellent
domestic and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and
extensive fiber-optic network
international: satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable
to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine
cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan,
Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 7, FM 13,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: |
4.45 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
4 (plus two
repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
1.84 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.hk |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
17 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
1.85 million
(2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
34 km
standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (all
electrified) (1996 est.) |
| Highways: |
total:
1,831 km
paved: 1,831 km
unpaved: 0 km (1997) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Hong Kong |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
354 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,330,662 GRT/17,227,315
DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 208, cargo
36, chemical tanker 7, combination bulk 2, container 59,
liquefied gas 6, multi-functional large-load carrier 2,
petroleum tanker 26, refrigerated cargo 3, short-sea
passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3
note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Bermuda 2, Belgium
1, Canada 2, China 9, Japan 3, Mongolia 1, Norway 1, South
Africa 1, UK 7 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
3
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Hong Kong
garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) including
elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air
Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the
Central Military Commission in Beijing and under
administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military
Region |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,020,937 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,520,531 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
47,139 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA; note -
separate budget for Hong Kong not established by China |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA% |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of China |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
a hub for
Southeast Asian heroin and regional stimulants trade;
transshipment and money-laundering center; increasing
indigenous amphetamine abuse |
|
