Hong Kong

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

17 (2000)

Internet country code

.hk

Internet users

4.35 million (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

4.45 million (1997)

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

Telephones - main lines in use

3.839 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

3.7 million (December 1999)

Television broadcast stations

4 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

1.84 million (1997)

Agriculture - products

fresh vegetables; poultry, fish, pork

Budget

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

Currency

Hong Kong dollar (HKD)

Currency code

HKD

Debt - external

$58.8 billion (2001 est.)

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%.

Electricity - consumption

35.402 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

1.181 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

9.195 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

29.449 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

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

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

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)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

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

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

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

GDP - real growth rate

0% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

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)

Industrial production growth rate

-9% (2001 est.)

Industries

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

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.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

5.2% (2001 est.)

Area

total: 1,092 sq km water: 50 sq km land: 1,042 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: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Geographic coordinates

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Geography - note

more than 200 islands

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 30 km border countries: China 30 km

Land use

arable land: 5.05% other: 93.94% (1998 est.) permanent crops: 1.01%

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 (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"

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (special administrative region of China)

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

Flag description

red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Government type

NA

Independence

none (special administrative region of China)

International organization participation

APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO

Judicial branch

The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Legal system

based on English common law

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

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

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]

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

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.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of China

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 expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

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 - military age

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 47,139 (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.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Ethnic groups

Chinese 95%, other 5%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.06% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

2,500 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

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

Languages

Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official

Life expectancy at birth

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

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

7.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

7,303,334 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

1.26% (2002 est.)

Religions

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

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.)

Total fertility rate

1.3 children born/woman (2002 est.)

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

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)

Highways

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

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.)

Ports and harbors

Hong Kong

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)

Waterways

none