Hong Kong

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

3 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

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

Telephones

3.31 million (1996)

Television broadcast stations

4 (British Broadcasting Corporation repeater 1; British Forces Broadcasting Service repeater 1)

Televisions

1.75 million (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

fresh vegetables; poultry

Budget

revenues: $19 billion expenditures: $14.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $289 million (FY95/96 est.)

Currency

1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

none (1996)

Economic aid

$NA

Economy - overview

Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy with few tariffs or nontariff barriers. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Manufacturing and construction account for about 18% of GDP. Goods and services exports account for about 50% of GDP. Real GDP growth averaged a remarkable 8% in 1987-88, slowed to 3.0% in 1989-90, and picked up to 4.2% in 1991, 5.0% in 1992, 5.2% in 1993, 5.5% in 1994, 4.8% in 1995, and 4.7% in 1996. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Prospects for 1997 remain bright so long as major trading partners continue to be reasonably prosperous and so long as investors feel China will support free market practices after the takeover on 1 July 1997.

Electricity - capacity

10.32 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

3,716 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

25.14 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.730 (1996), 7.800 (1995), 7.800 (1994), 7.800 (1993), 7.741 (1992); note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$

Exports

total value : $197.2 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys partners: China 33%, US 22%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 3%, Singapore 3% (1995)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $163.6 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 0.2% industry: 18.4% services: 81.4% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $26,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.7% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $217.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is reexported partners: China 36%, Japan 15%, Taiwan 9%, US 8%, Singapore 5%, South Korea 5% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

-2.6% (1996)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

6.5% (1996)

Labor force

total: 3.251 million (1996) by occupation: wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 34.4%, services 19.8%, manufacturing 14.2%, financing, insurance, and real estate 12.4%, transport and communications 5.1%, construction 2.1%, other 12% (1994)

Unemployment rate

3.1% (1996 est.)

Area

total: 1,092 sq km land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km

Area - comparative

six times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Coastline

733 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Environment - current issues

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements

party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geographic coordinates

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Geography - note

more than 200 islands

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 30 km border countries: China 30 km

Land use

arable land: 6% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland : 22% other: 70% (1993 est.)

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons

Natural resources

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Terrain

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Administrative divisions

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Constitution

the Letters Patent together with the Royal Instructions form the written constitution of Hong Kong; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for scheduled reversion to China on 1 July 1997

Country name

conventional long form : none conventional short form: Hong Kong abbreviation : HK

Data code

HK

Dependency status

dependent territory of the UK; note - scheduled to revert to China on 1 July 1997

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Consul General Richard A. BOUCHER consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30, FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 2523-9011

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Executive branch

chief of state : Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor and President of the Executive Council Christopher Francis PATTEN (since 9 July 1992); Chief Secretary Anson CHAN Fang On-Sang (since 29 November 1993) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed by the queen

FAX

[852] 2845-1598

Flag description

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the shield note: to be replaced on 1 July 1997 by a red flag with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Government type

NA

Independence

none (dependent territory of the UK; the UK signed an agreement with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle)

International organization participation

APEC, AsDB, BIS (pending member), CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICFTU, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Council (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 20 elected by popular vote, and 10 elected by election committee; members serve four-year terms); note - the Legislative Council will be replaced by a provisional legislature on 1 July 1997 elections: indirect and direct elections last held 17 September 1995; note - elections for the first post-reversion Legislative Council are scheduled to be held in 1998 election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 21, Liberal Party 10, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 6, other parties and independents 23; note - subsequent to the election, there has been a change in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is as follows - Democratic Party 19, Liberal Party 10, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 6, other parties and independents 25

National capital

Victoria

National holiday

Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party, Martin LEE, chairman; Liberal Party, Allen LEE, chairman; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, TSANG Yuk-shing, chairman; Hong Kong Democratic Foundation, Dr. Patrick SHIU Kin-ying, chairman

Political pressure groups and leaders

Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL), Frederick FUNG Kin Kee, chairman; Liberal Democratic Federation, HU Fa-kuang, chairman; Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China), LEE Chark-tim, president; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy), LEE Cheuk-yan, chairman; Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, CHEUNG Man-kwong, president; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China, Szeto WAH, chairman

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 professionals of electoral college and functional constituencies

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK until 1 July 1997, when China will assume command

Military branches

Headquarters of British Forces, Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$207 million (FY92/93); note - this represents 65% of the total cost of defending the colony, the remainder being paid by the UK

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.2% (FY92/93)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,884,488 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 1,427,567 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 46,601 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 19% (male 629,981; female 584,807) 15-64 years: 71% (male 2,319,009; female 2,348,794) 65 years and over: 10% (male 299,503; female 365,095) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

12.72 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

5.79 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

Chinese 95%, other 5%

Infant mortality rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Chinese (Cantonese), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.71 years male: 75.98 years female: 81.62 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population : 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.2% (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese

Net migration rate

18.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

6,547,189 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

2.59% (1997 est.)

Religions

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.33 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and money-laundering center; increasing indigenous amphetamine abuse HOWLAND ISLAND (territory of the US)

Airports

2 (1996 est.) note: new international airport under construction and will open in 1998

Airports - with paved runways

total : 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Heliports

1 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 1,717 km paved : 1,717 km unpaved: 0 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 221 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,908,237 GRT/13,580,012 DWT ships by type: bulk 124, cargo 31, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 2, container 38, liquefied gas tanker 2, multifunction large load carrier 2, oil tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 15 countries among which are UK 50, South Africa 12, Belgium 10, China 9, Japan 8, Bermuda 5, US 5, Israel 4, Germany 3, and Switzerland 3; Hong Kong owns an additional 498 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,810,794 DWT that operate under the registries of The Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, Panama, Philippines, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Vanuatu

Ports and harbors

Hong Kong

Railways

total : 34 km standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (1996 est.) note: also has 43 km of metro with 38 stations