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Introduction |
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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.
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Geography |
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Location: |
Eastern Asia,
bordering the South China Sea and China
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Geographic
coordinates: |
22 15 N, 114 10 E
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Map references: |
Southeast Asia
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Area: |
total: 1,092
sq km
land: 1,042 sq km
water: 50 sq km
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Area -
comparative: |
six times the size
of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: |
total: 30 km
regional border: China 30 km
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Coastline: |
733 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea:
3 nm
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Climate: |
tropical monsoon;
cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through
summer, warm and sunny in fall
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Terrain: |
hilly to
mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
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Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
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Natural
resources: |
outstanding
deepwater harbor, feldspar
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Land use: |
arable land:
5.05%
permanent crops: 1.01%
other: 93.94% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
20 sq km (1998
est.)
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Natural hazards: |
occasional typhoons
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Environment -
current issues: |
air and water
pollution from rapid urbanization
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Environment -
international agreements: |
party to:
Marine Dumping (associate member)
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Geography -
note: |
more than 200
islands
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People |
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Population: |
6,898,686 (July
2005 est.)
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Age structure: |
0-14 years:
13.8% (male 498,771/female 454,252)
15-64 years: 73.5% (male 2,479,656/female 2,591,170)
65 years and over: 12.7% (male 404,308/female 470,529)
(2005 est.)
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Median age: |
total: 39.4
years
male: 39.3 years
female: 39.6 years (2005 est.)
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Population
growth rate: |
0.65% (2005 est.)
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Birth rate: |
7.23 births/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Death rate: |
5.98 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Net migration
rate: |
5.24 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Sex ratio: |
at birth:
1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality
rate: |
total: 2.97
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy
at birth: |
total
population: 81.39 years
male: 78.72 years
female: 84.3 years (2005 est.)
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Total fertility
rate: |
0.91 children
born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate: |
0.1% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
2,600 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
less than 200 (2003
est.)
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Nationality: |
noun:
Chinese/Hong Konger
adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong
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Ethnic groups: |
Chinese 95%, other
5%
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Religions: |
eclectic mixture of
local religions 90%, Christian 10%
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Languages: |
Chinese
(Cantonese), English; both are official
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Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 93.5%
male: 96.9%
female: 89.6% (2002)
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Government |
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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
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Government type: |
limited democracy
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Administrative
divisions: |
none (special
administrative region of China)
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Independence: |
none (special
administrative region of China)
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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
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Constitution: |
Basic Law approved
in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong
Kong's "mini-constitution"
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Legal system: |
based on English
common law
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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 200,000 members of functional
constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from
broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central
government bodies
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Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since
24 June 2005)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of seven non-official
members and 14 official members
elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was
elected to second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member
election committee dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation
accepted 12 March 2005; Donald TSANG acted as chief executive
between 12 March 2005 and 25 May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief
executive between 25 May 2005 and 24 June 2005; last election 16
June 2005 to fill final two years of TUNG's term (next to be
held in June 2007)
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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 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25)
independents 11, Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier
Party 1, NWSC 1; other 1
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Judicial branch: |
Court of Final
Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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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 [LEE Wing-tat, chairman]; Frontier
Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Liberal Party [James
TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy -
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, Democratic
Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the
Betterment of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal
Party
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Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Chinese General
Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers'
Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU
(pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan,
general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries;
Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (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]; Neighborhood and
Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance
[Bernard CHAN, exco member]
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International
organization participation: |
APEC, AsDB, BIS,
ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau),
IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate),
WTO
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Flag
description: |
red with a
stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
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Economy |
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Economy -
overview: |
Hong Kong has a
free market, entrepot economy, highly dependent on international
trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials
must be imported. Gross imports and exports (i.e., including
reexports to and from third countries) 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
made manufacturing in China much more cost effective. Hong
Kong's reexport business to and from China is a major driver of
growth. Per capita GDP is comparable to that of the four big
economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5%
from 1989 to 1997, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the
past six years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and
the global downturn in 2001 and 2002. Although the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak also battered Hong Kong's
economy, 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 and in 2004.
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GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $234.5 billion (2004 est.)
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GDP - real
growth rate: |
7.9% (2004 est.)
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GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $34,200 (2004 est.)
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GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture:
0.1%
industry: 11.3%
services: 88.6% (2004 est.)
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Labor force: |
3.54 million
(October 2004 est.)
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Labor force - by
occupation: |
manufacturing 7.5%,
construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and
hotels 43.7%, financing, insurance, and real estate 19.2%,
transport and communications 7.9%, community and social services
18.5%
note: above data exclude public sector (2004 est.)
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Unemployment
rate: |
6.7% (2004 est.)
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Population below
poverty line: |
NA
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Household income
or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA
highest 10%: NA
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
-0.3% (2004 est.)
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Investment
(gross fixed): |
22.7% of GDP (2004
est.)
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Budget: |
revenues:
$26.6 billion
expenditures: $31.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $5.9 billion (2004 est.)
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Public debt: |
2.1% of GDP (2004
est.)
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Agriculture -
products: |
fresh vegetables,
poultry, fish, pork
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Industries: |
textiles, clothing,
tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys,
watches, clocks
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Industrial
production growth rate: |
1% (2004 est.)
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Electricity -
production: |
35.51 billion kWh
(2003)
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Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity -
consumption: |
38.45 billion kWh
(2003)
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Electricity -
exports: |
3 billion kWh
(2003)
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Electricity -
imports: |
10.4 billion kWh
(2003)
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Oil -
production: |
0 bbl/day (2003
est.)
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Oil -
consumption: |
257,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
NA
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Oil - imports: |
NA
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Natural gas -
production: |
NA
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Natural gas -
consumption: |
680.9 million cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
exports: |
0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
imports: |
680.9 million cu m
(2001 est.)
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Current account
balance: |
$14.85 billion
(2004 est.)
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Exports: |
$268.1 billion
f.o.b., including reexports (2004 est.)
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Exports -
commodities: |
electrical
machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches
and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
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Exports -
partners: |
China 44%, US 17%,
Japan 5.3% (2004)
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Imports: |
$275.9 billion
(2004 est.)
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Imports -
commodities: |
raw materials and
semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs,
fuel (most is re-exported)
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Imports -
partners: |
China 43.5%, Japan
12.1%, Taiwan 7.3%, US 5.3%, Singapore 5.3%, South Korea 4.8%
(2004)
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Reserves of
foreign exchange and gold: |
$123.6 billion (31
December 2004 est.)
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Debt - external: |
$66.94 billion
(2004 est.)
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Currency (code): |
Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
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Currency code: |
HKD
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Exchange rates: |
Hong Kong dollars
per US dollar - 7.788 (2004), 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002),
7.7988 (2001), 7.7912 (2000)
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Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31 March
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Communications |
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Telephones -
main lines in use: |
3,801,300 (2003)
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Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
7,241,400 (2003)
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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
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Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 5, FM 9,
shortwave 0 (2004)
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Radios: |
4.45 million (1997)
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Television
broadcast stations: |
4 (2004)
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Televisions: |
1.84 million (1997)
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Internet country
code: |
.hk
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Internet hosts: |
591,993 (2003)
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Internet Service
Providers (ISPs): |
17 (2000)
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Internet users: |
3,212,800 (2003)
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Transportation |
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Highways: |
total: 1,831
km
paved: 1,831 km
unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)
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Ports and
harbors: |
Hong Kong
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Merchant marine: |
total: 837
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,478,042 GRT/34,554,455 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 446, cargo 119,
chemical tanker 44, combination ore/oil 2, container 105,
liquefied gas 20, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum
tanker 75, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned: 453 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Belgium 3,
Canada 9, China 246, Denmark 3, France 5, Germany 13, Greece 19,
India 1, Indonesia 1, Israel 1, Japan 51, Norway 16, Philippines
13, Singapore 17, South Korea 8, Taiwan 5, Thailand 4, UAE 1,
United Kingdom 32, United States 3)
registered in other countries: 373 (2005)
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Airports: |
4 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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Heliports: |
2 (2004 est.)
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Military |
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Military
branches: |
no regular
indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's
People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes 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
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Military
manpower - military age and obligation: |
18 years of age
(2004)
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Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 18-49:
1,743,972 (2005 est.)
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Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 18-49:
1,403,088 (2005 est.)
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Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
40,343 (2005 est.)
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Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
Hong Kong garrison
is funded by China; figures are NA
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Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA
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Military note: |
defense is the
responsibility of China
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Transnational Issues |
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Disputes -
international: |
none
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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 conduit for
money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs,
especially among young people
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