From Wikitravel

This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit the Hong Kong article.

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.

Contents 1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

Geography

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
border countries: 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% (1998 est.)
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), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Geography - note 

more than 200 islands

People

Population 

7,303,334 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 17.5% (male 679,311; female 599,811)
15-64 years: 71.6% (male 2,587,509; female 2,641,418)
65 years and over: 10.9% (male 364,864; female 430,421) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

1.26% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

10.92 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

6.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

7.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 79.8 years
female: 82.69 years (2002 est.)
male: 77.1 years

Total fertility rate 

1.3 children born/woman (2002 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.)

Government

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 

NA

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 Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary Antony LEUNG (since 1 May 2001), 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 [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; 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, IHO, 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

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 economies 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, with growth of 10% in 2000, recovered rapidly from the Asian financial crisis. The recent global downturn has badly hurt Hong Kong's exports and GDP growth is estimated to be 0% in 2001. Private sector analysts project 2002 GDP growth to be 1.8%.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $180 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

0% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 0%
industry: 14%
services: 86% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

-1.6% (2001 est.)

Labor force 

3.44 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation 

wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31%, financing, insurance, and real estate 13%, community and social services 11%, manufacturing 7%, transport and communications 6%, construction 2%, other 30% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate 

5.2% (2001 est.)

Budget 

revenues: $22.9 billion
expenditures: $24.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $465 million (FY00/01)

Industries 

textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks

Industrial production growth rate 

-9% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production 

29.449 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

35.402 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

1.181 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

9.195 billion kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

fresh vegetables; poultry, fish, pork

Exports 

$191 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities 

clothing, textiles, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones

Exports - partners 

China 34%, US 23%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 4%, Taiwan 3%, Singapore 2% (2000)

Imports 

$203 billion (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities 

foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics, machinery, electrical equipment; a large share is reexported

Imports - partners 

China 43%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 8%, US 7%, South Korea 5%, Singapore 3% (2000)

Debt - external 

$58.8 billion (2001 est.)

Currency 

Hong Kong dollar (HKD)

Currency code 

HKD

Exchange rates 

Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.798 (January 2002), 7.7994 (2001), 7.7918 (2000), 7.7589 (1999), 7.7462 (1998), 7.7425 (1997); note - the Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar at a rate of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per US dollar

Fiscal year 

1 April - 31 March

Communications

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 

4.35 million (2002)

Transportation

Railways 

total: 34 km
standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified and double-tracked)
note: connects to China railway system at Hong Kong-China border (2001)

Highways 

total: 1,831 km
paved: 1,831 km
unpaved: 0 km (1997)

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Hong Kong

Merchant marine 

total: 433 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,539,257 GRT/22,682,757 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 264, cargo 38, chemical tanker 10, combination bulk 2, container 73, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 2
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 5, Belize 1, British Virgin Islands 1, China 115, Denmark 2, Germany 19, Greece 2, India 8, Japan 8, Liberia 1, Malaysia 7, Norway 1, Panama 2, Philippines 5, Singapore 7, South Korea 2, Taiwan 1, United Kingdom 27, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.)

Airports 

3 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)

Heliports 

2 (2002)

Military

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 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability 

males age 15-49: 2,028,208 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service 

males age 15-49: 1,523,378 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually 

males: 47,139 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 

NA%

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of China

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none

Illicit drugs 

strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces serious 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