|
|
|
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
imposed on 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
water: 50 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
six
times the size of Washington, DC |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total:
30 km
regional border: China 30 km |
|
Coastline:
|
733 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: 5.05%
other: 93.94% (2001)
permanent crops: 1.01% |
|
Irrigated land:
|
20 sq
km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
occasional
typhoons |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
air and
water pollution from rapid urbanization |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party
to: Marine Dumping (associate member) |
|
Geography - note:
|
more
than 200 islands
|
|
Population:
|
6,855,125
(July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 14.2% (male 510,702; female 465,145)
15-64 years: 73.3% (male 2,461,914; female
2,560,382)
65 years and over: 12.5% (male 394,697;
female 462,285) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
39.4 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 39.6 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.65%
(2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
7.23
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
5.98
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
5.24
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at
birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
2.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.)
male: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 81.39 years
male: 78.72 years
female: 84.3 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
0.91
children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.1%
(2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
2,600
(2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
less
than 200 (2003 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
Chinese/Hong Konger
adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong |
|
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: 93.5%
male: 96.9%
female: 89.6% (2002)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region
conventional short form: Hong Kong
local short form: Xianggang
local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
abbreviation: HK |
|
Dependency status:
|
special
administrative region of China |
|
Government type:
|
limited
democracy |
|
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 HU Jintao (since 15
March 2003)
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 Donald TSANG
Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary
Henry TANG (since 2 August 2003), and Secretary of
Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997)
elections: TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to a
second term in March 2002 by an 800-member election
committee dominated by pro-Beijing forces; the next
election is scheduled to be held in 2007 |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral
Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004 30
seats indirectly elected by functional
constituencies, 30 elected by popular vote; members
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next
to be held in September 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party -
pro-democracy group 62%; seats by party -
(pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10,
independents 9, HKPA 1, FTU 1, FLU 1; (pro-democracy
25) independents 11, Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL
1, Frontier Party 1, NSWC 1; other 1 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Court
of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Association
for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL
[Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party
[Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the
Betterment of Hong Kong or DAB [MA Lik, chairman];
Democratic Party [YEUNG Sum, chairman]; Frontier
Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong
Progressive Alliance or HKPA [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen];
Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]; New
Century Forum or NCF [MA Fung-kwok, 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) [CHENG Yiu-tong,
executive councilor]; 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, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO (associate),
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL,
WCO, 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 James KEITH
consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong
Kong
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP
96521-0006
telephone: [852] 2523-9011
FAX: [852] 2524-0860 |
|
Flag description:
|
red
with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower
in the center
|
|
Economy - overview:
|
Hong
Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on
international trade. Natural resources are limited,
and food and raw materials must be imported. 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. Hong
Kong has been further integrating its economy with
China because China's growing openness to the world
economy has increased competitive pressure on Hong
Kong's service industries, and Hong Kong's re-export
business from China is a major driver of growth. Per
capita GDP compares with the level in the four big
economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a
strong 5% in 1989-1997, but Hong Kong suffered two
recessions in the past 6 years because of the Asian
financial crisis in 1998 and the global downturn of
2001-2002. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
outbreak also battered Hong Kong's economy, but a
boom in tourism from the mainland because of China's
easing of travel restrictions, a return of consumer
confidence, and a solid rise in exports resulted in
the resumption of strong growth in late 2003. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing
power parity - $213 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
3.3%
(2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing
power parity - $28,800 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
0.1%
industry: 12.1%
services: 87.9% (2003 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
22.3%
of GDP (2003) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
|
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
-2.6%
(2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
3.5
million (2003 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
manufacturing
8.2%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade,
restaurants, and hotels 43.5%, financing, insurance,
and real estate 19.5%, transport and communications
7.8%, community and social services 17.8% (Note:
above data exclude public sector) (2002 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
7.9%
(2003) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$26.17 billion
expenditures: $32.64 billion, including
capital expenditures of $5 billion (2003) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
fresh
vegetables, poultry, fish, pork |
|
Industries:
|
textiles,
clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics,
plastics, toys, watches, clocks |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
-9.2%
(2003 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
30.48
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
37.12
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
1.581
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
10.36
billion kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
257,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA
(2001) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA
(2001) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
680.9
million cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
680.9
million cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$17.42
billion (2003) |
|
Exports:
|
$225.9
billion f.o.b., including reexports (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
electrical
machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel,
footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics,
precious stones |
|
Exports - partners:
|
China
42.6%, US 18.7%, Japan 5.4% (2003 est.) |
|
Imports:
|
$230.3
billion (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
electrical
machinery and appliances, textiles, foodstuffs,
transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures,
petroleum, plastics; a large share is reexported |
|
Imports - partners:
|
China
43.5%, Japan 11.9%, Taiwan 6.9%, US 5.5%, Singapore
5%, South Korea 4.8% (2003 est.) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
|
$118.4
billion (2003) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$59.21
billion (2003 est.) |
|
Currency:
|
Hong
Kong dollar (HKD) |
|
Currency code:
|
HKD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Hong
Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989
(2002), 7.7988 (2001), 7.7912 (2000), 7.7575 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 April
- 31 March
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
3,801,300
(2003) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
7,241,400
(2003) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: modern facilities provide excellent
domestic and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and
extensive fiber-optic network
international: country code - 852; 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 hosts:
|
591,993
(2003) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
17
(2000) |
|
Internet users:
|
3,212,800
(2003)
|
|
Highways:
|
total:
1,831 km
paved: 1,831 km
unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Hong
Kong |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
663 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,478,042 GRT/34,554,455
DWT
registered in other countries: 569 (2003
est.)
foreign-owned: Australia 2, Belgium 1,
British Virgin Islands 1, China 178, Cyprus 1,
Denmark 3, France 2, Germany 14, Greece 4, India 9,
Indonesia 2, Japan 22, South Korea 2, Malaysia 3,
Monaco 9, Norway 16, Panama 4, Philippines 17,
Singapore 22, Taiwan 3, Thailand 1, United Kingdom
22, United States 1
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 364, cargo 78,
chemical tanker 23, combination bulk 2, combination
ore/oil 3, container 97, liquefied gas 20,
multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum
tanker 60, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 4,
short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 2, vehicle
carrier 4 |
|
Airports:
|
4 (2003
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)
914 to 1523 m: 1 |
|
Heliports:
|
2 (2003
est.)
|
|
Military branches:
|
no
regular indigenous military forces; 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 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males
age 15-49: 1,878,574 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males
age 15-49: 1,404,705 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age
annually:
|
males:
41,821 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
Hong
Kong garrison is funded by China; figures are NA |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
NA
(FY02) |
|
Military - note:
|
defense
is the responsibility of China
|
| Transnational
Issues |
Hong
Kong |
|
Disputes - international:
|
none |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
Makes
strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces
difficult challenges in controlling transit of
heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world
markets; modern banking system provides a conduit
for money laundering; rising indigenous use of
synthetic drugs, especially among young people
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
