|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Common Name: Hong Kong
|
Local Official Name: Xianggang
|
|
Abbreviated Name: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
|
Official Name: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
|
|
Official Script Name: Hong Kong
|
Local Common Name: HK
|
|
Former Name: Hong Kong
|
Territory of: China
|
|
|
Head of State: President of China HU Jintao
|
Government Type: Limited Democracy
|
Independence: none (special administrative region of China)
|
Constitution: Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
|
National Holiday: National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949)
|
International Organization Participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO
|
Administrative Divisions: none (special administrative region of China)
|
Dependent Areas: NA
|
Legal System: based on English common law
|
Suffrage: 18 years
|
Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: 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 14 official members and 15 non-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; TSANG was elected on 16 June 2005 to fill final two years of TUNG's term (next election to be held in March 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 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11, Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1; non-voting LEGCO president 1
Judicial Branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
|
Party Leaders: Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [MA Lik]; Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Democratic Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party
|
International Disputes: NA
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Location of Hong Kong: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
|
|
Continent: Asia
|
Land Area Total: 1,092 sq km
|
|
Region: North East Asia |
Land Area Land: 1,042 sq km
|
|
Capitol City: NA
|
Land Area Water: 50 sq km
|
|
Current: +8
|
|
|
|
|
Latitude: 022 15 N
|
Border Boundary Land: 30 km
|
|
Longitude: 0114 10
|
Border Boundary Coastline: 733 km
|
|
|
|
Arable Land: 5.05 %
|
Pastures: 0.00 %
|
|
Crops: 1.01 %
|
Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
|
|
|
|
Highest Elevation: 958 m
|
Location: Tai Mo Shan
|
|
Lowest Elevation: 0 m
|
Location: South China Sea
|
|
|
|
Largest City in Hong Kong:
|
Largest City Population: 0
|
|
|
Threatened Species: 0
|
Environmental Issues: air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
|
Environmental Agreements: party to: Marine Dumping (associate member)
|
Irrigated Land: 20
|
Bordering Countries: China 30 km
|
Natural Resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
|
Geographical Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
|
Comparative Area of Hong Kong: six times the size of Washington, DC
|
Hong Kong's Geography: more than 200 islands
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Hong Kong.
|
General Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
|
Natural Hazards: occasional typhoons
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Economic 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 2005, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past eight years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998 and the global downturn in 2001-2002. Although the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 also battered Hong Kong's economy, a solid rise in exports, a boom in tourism from the mainland because of China's easing of travel restrictions, and a return of consumer confidence resulted in the resumption of strong growth from late 2003 through 2005.
|
|
|
|
GDP: $227,300,000,000 USD
|
Currency: Hong Kong dollar
|
|
GDP per Capita: $32,900 USD
|
Currency Code: HKD
|
|
GDP Growth Rate: 7.30 %
|
One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% HKD
|
|
|
Currency Exchange Rate History: Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7773 (2005), 7.788 (2004), 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001)
|
|
|
|
GDP of Agriculture: 0.10 %
|
GDP of Industry: 9.20 %
|
|
GDP of Services: 90.60 % |
|
|
|
|
Inflation Rate: -1.60 % |
Population in Poverty: 0.00 %
|
|
Unemployment Rate: 5.50 %
|
Tourism: 0.00 visitors each year
|
|
|
|
Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.00 %
|
Budget Revenue in USD: $31,310,000,000 USD
|
|
Consumption by upper 10%: 0.00 %
|
Budget Expenditures in USD: $32,300,000,000 USD
|
|
|
|
Electricity Production: 37,300,000,000 kWh
|
Electricity Exports: 3,086,000,000 kWh
|
|
Electricity Consumption: 39,220,000,000 kWh
|
Electricity Imports: 9,840,000,000 kWh
|
Electricity Production by Source:
|
|
|
Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 100.00%
|
Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
|
|
Hydro Electricity Production: 0.00%
|
Other Electricity Production: 0.00%
|
|
|
|
Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
|
|
Oil Consumption: 293,000 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Consumption: 692,200,000 cu m
|
|
Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
|
|
Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
|
Natural Gas Imports: 71,150,000 cu m
|
|
Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
|
Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
|
|
|
|
External Debt: $72,040,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $0 USD
|
|
|
Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
|
|
|
Agricultural Products: fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish
|
Primary Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
|
Industrial Growth Rate: -0.60 %
|
|
|
Import Amount in USD: $296,100,000,000 USD - foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics, machinery, electrical equipment; a large share is reexported
|
Import Partners: China 45%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 7.2%, Singapore 5.8%, US 5.1%, South Korea 4.4%
|
Export Amount in USD: $191,000,000,000 USD - electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
|
Export Partners: China 45%, US 16.1%, Japan 5.3%
|
|
|
GINI Index: 0.00%
|
Labor Force Number of People: 3,440,000
|
Labor Force by Occupations: manufacturing 7.5%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.9%, financing, insurance, and real estate 19.6%, transport and communications 7.1%, community and social services 18.8%
note: above data exclude public sector
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Radio Broadcast Stations: 14 |
Number of People with Radios: 4,450,000 |
|
Television Broadcast Stations: 55 |
Number of People with Televisions: 1,840,000 |
|
Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 3,794,600 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 8,214,000 |
|
|
|
Internet Service Providers: 859,926 |
Internet Users: 4,878,713 |
|
|
|
Internet Country Code: .hk |
Newspapers: 0 |
|
Two Letter Country Code: HK |
Weights and Measures: |
|
Phone Country Code: +852 |
Electricity Voltage: Volts |
|
|
Telephone Systems: 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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Highways: 1,955 km |
Railways: 34 km
|
|
Gas And Oil Pipelines: 0 km |
Waterways: 0 km
|
|
Airports: 3 |
Heliports: 3
|
|
|
|
Motor Vehicles: 0 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 0 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
|
|
Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.00 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
|
|
Merchant Marines: Total: 924 ships (1000 GRT or over) 30,838,025 GRT/51,957,682 DWT
By Type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 495, cargo 121, chemical tanker 44, container 133, liquefied gas 22, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 76, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned: 562 (Australia 1, Belgium 3, Canada 28, China 274, Denmark 6, Germany 6, Greece 27, Indonesia 4, Japan 67, South Korea 6, Norway 26, Philippines 16, Portugal 1, Singapore 24, Syria 1, Taiwan 6, UAE 2, UK 43, US 21)
registered in other countries: 417 (Bahamas 8, Belize 8, Bermuda 10, Cambodia 15, China 7, Cyprus 1, France 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2, Greece 1, Honduras 2, India 1, Liberia 37, Malaysia 14, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 7, Norway 55, Panama 169, Philippines 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 50, Taiwan 3, Tuvalu 8, unknown 7) (2006)
|
Ports and Harbors: Hong Kong
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Population: 6,940,432 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 7.29 births per 1,000 people |
|
Population Density: 0.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 6.29 deaths per 1,000 people |
|
Population Growth: 0.59% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 0.95 babies born per woman |
|
|
|
Population Male 0-14: 488,607 |
Population Female 0-14: 445,593 |
|
Population Male 15-64: 2,495,679 |
Population Female 15-64: 2,620,366 |
|
Population Male 65+: 413,031 |
Population Female 65+: 477,186 |
|
|
|
Population 0-14: 13.50% |
Literacy Rate: 93.50% |
|
Population 15-64: 73.70% |
Literacy rate of Males: 96.90% |
|
Population 65+: 12.80% |
Literacy rate of Females: 89.60% |
|
|
|
Population that is Male: 54.00
% |
Population that is Female: 46.00% |
|
Life expectancy at birth in years: 81.59 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 2.95 Babies die per 1,000 births |
|
Life expectancy at birth for Males: 78.90 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 84.50 years |
|
|
|
Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.10%
|
Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 2,600
|
|
|
Number of people who died of AIDS: 0 |
|
|
Disease Risk:
|
Diseases:
|
Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: 4.89
|
Nationality: Chinese/Hong Kong
|
Ethnic Groups: Chinese 95%, other 5%
|
|
|
Primary Language: Chinese (Cantonese)
|
Other Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official
|
|
|
Primary Religion: eclectic mixture of local reli
|
Other Religions: Christian 10%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
|
Manpower Available: 3,648,939 People
|
Manpower Fit to Serve: 2,936,366 People
|
Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 78,577 People per year
|
Expenditures: $0 USD per year
|
Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 0.00
|
|
|
|
Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong Spa and Resort Directory
|
Hong Kong Home Exchanges and Home Swaps
|
Hong Kong Vacation Rentals And Holiday Villas
|
Hong Kong City Information Game Earn Real Money
|
