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CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)
Broadcast media
2 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 radio networks, one of which is government funded, operate about 15 radio stations (2012)
Internet country code
.hk
Internet users
total: 6.066 million | percent of population: 85% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61
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; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China (2015)
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 4,327,286 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 61 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36
Telephones - mobile cellular
total: 16.736 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 234 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60
◆ ECONOMY(41 fields)
Agriculture - products
fresh vegetables and fruit; poultry, pork; fish
Budget
revenues: $66.06 billion | expenditures: $56.47 billion (2015 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
3.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12
Central bank discount rate
0.5% (31 December 2013) | 0.5% (31 December 2012) | country comparison to the world: 130
Commercial bank prime lending rate
5% (31 December 2015 est.) | 5% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141
Current account balance
$9.395 billion (2015 est.) | $3.787 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22
Debt - external
$491.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $460.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26
Distribution of family income - Gini index
53.7 (2011) | 53.3 (2007) | country comparison to the world: 10
Economy - overview
Hong Kong has a free market economy, highly dependent on international trade and finance - the value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of re-exports, is about four times GDP. Hong Kong has no tariffs on imported goods, and it levies excise duties on only four commodities, whether imported or produced locally: hard alcohol, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. There are no quotas or dumping laws. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983. | Hong Kong's open economy left it exposed to the global economic slowdown that began in 2008. Although increasing integration with China through trade, tourism, and financial links helped it to make an initial recovery more quickly than many observers anticipated, its continued reliance on foreign trade and investment leaves it vulnerable to renewed global financial market volatility or a slowdown in the global economy. | The Hong Kong Government is promoting the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the site for Chinese renminbi (RMB) internationalization. Hong Kong residents are allowed to establish RMB-denominated savings accounts; RMB-denominated corporate and Chinese government bonds have been issued in Hong Kong; and RMB trade settlement is allowed. The territory far exceeded the RMB conversion quota set by Beijing for trade settlements in 2010 due to the growth of earnings from exports to the mainland. RMB deposits grew to roughly 9.4% of total system deposits in Hong Kong by the end of 2015. The government is pursuing efforts to introduce additional use of RMB in Hong Kong financial markets and is seeking to expand the RMB quota. | The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for about half of Hong Kong's total trade by value. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory has surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 47.3 million in 2014, outnumbering visitors from all other countries combined. Mainland visitors to Hong Kong declined 3% in 2015 to approximately 45.7 million, reflecting an overall drop of 2.5% in total visitors to Hong Kong. Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. In 2015, mainland Chinese companies constituted about 51% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for about 62.1% of the Exchange's market capitalization. During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly. In 2014, Hong Kong and China signed a new agreement on achieving basic liberalization of trade in services in Guangdong Province under the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement, adopted in 2003 to forge closer ties between Hong Kong and the mainland. The new measures, effective from March 2015, cover a negative list and a most-favored treatment provision, and will improve access to the mainland's service sector for Hong Kong-based companies. | Credit expansion and a tight housing supply have caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly; consumer prices increased 4.4% in 2014, but slowed to 2.9% in 2015. Lower- and middle-income segments of the population are increasingly unable to afford adequate housing. | Hong Kong’s economic integration with the mainland continues to be most evident in the banking and finance sector. Initiatives like the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect, the Mutual Recognition of Funds, and The Hong Kong Shanghai Gold Connect are all important steps towards opening up the Mainland’s capital markets and has reinforced Hong Kong’s leading role as China’s offshore RMB market. Additional connect schemes from bonds to commodities and other investment products are also under exploration by Hong Kong authorities.
Exchange rates
Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar - | 7.7524 (2015 est.) | 7.755 (2014 est.) | 7.754 (2013 est.) | 7.756 (2012 est.) | 7.784 (2011 est.)
Exports
$505.7 billion (2015 est.) | $515.7 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8
Exports - commodities
electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
Exports - partners
China 53.7%, US 9.5% (2015)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
GDP (official exchange rate)
$309.9 billion (2015 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$414.6 billion (2015 est.) | $405 billion (2014 est.) | $394.6 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 45
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 66.3% | government consumption: 9.7% | investment in fixed capital: 22.7% | investment in inventories: -1% | exports of goods and services: 201.6% | imports of goods and services: -199.3% (2015 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 0.1% | industry: 7.1% | services: 92.8% (2015 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$56,700 (2015 est.) | $55,700 (2014 est.) | $54,600 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 18
GDP - real growth rate
2.4% (2015 est.) | 2.6% (2014 est.) | 3.1% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124
Gross national saving
24.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | 25.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | 25.5% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$528.5 billion (2015 est.) | $548.1 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8
Imports - commodities
raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is reexported)
Imports - partners
China 49%, Japan 6.4%, Singapore 6.1%, US 5.2%, South Korea 4.3% (2015)
Industrial production growth rate
1% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 145
Industries
textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (2015 est.) | 4.4% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139
Labor force
3.926 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93
Labor force - by occupation
manufacturing: 3.8% | construction: 2.8% | wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels: 53.3% | financing, insurance, and real estate: 12.5% | transport and communications: 10.1% | community and social services: 17.1% | note: above data exclude public sector (2013 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$3.082 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $2.814 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $2.248 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5
Population below poverty line
19.6% (2012 est.)
Public debt
37% of GDP (2015 est.) | 39.5% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$358.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $328.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9
Stock of broad money
$1.576 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.42 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$1.657 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.594 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$1.744 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.639 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 4
Stock of domestic credit
$655.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $687.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20
Stock of narrow money
$254.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $220.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 18
Taxes and other revenues
21.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148
Unemployment rate
3.3% (2015 est.) | 3.2% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27
◆ ENERGY(24 fields)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
90 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 42
Crude oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136
Crude oil - imports
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204
Crude oil - production
0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147
Crude oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 146
Electricity - consumption
42 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53
Electricity - exports
1.2 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48
Electricity - from fossil fuels
100% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 178
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108
Electricity - from other renewable sources
0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183
Electricity - imports
10 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20
Electricity - installed generating capacity
13 million kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55
Electricity - production
38 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
Natural gas - consumption
2.613 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115
Natural gas - imports
2.613 billion cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 150
Refined petroleum products - consumption
353,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38
Refined petroleum products - exports
12,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84
Refined petroleum products - imports
359,800 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19
Refined petroleum products - production
0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194
◆ GEOGRAPHY(18 fields)
Area
total: 1,108 sq km | land: 1,073 sq km | water: 35 sq km | country comparison to the world: 184
Area - comparative
six times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Coastline
733 km
Elevation
mean elevation: NA | 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
composed of more than 200 islands
Irrigated land
10 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
total: 33 km | regional border: China 33 km
Land use
agricultural land: 5% | arable land 3.2%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 0.9% | forest: 0% | other: 95% (2011 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
◆ GOVERNMENT(21 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (special administrative region of China)
Citizenship
see China
Constitution
several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law (2016)
Country name
conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | conventional short form: Hong Kong | local long form: Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu (Hanyu Pinyin) | local short form: Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang (Hanyu Pinyin) | abbreviation: HK | etymology: probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"
Dependency status
special administrative region of China
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Consul General Clifford A. HART Jr. (since 30 July 2013); note - also accredited to Macau | consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong | mailing address: Unit 8000, Box 1, DPO AP 96521-0006 | telephone: [852] 2523-9011 | FAX: [852] 2845-1598
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (Special Administrative Region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison and communication with the US Government and other US entities | commissioner: Clement C.M. LEUNG | office: 1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] 202 331-8947 | FAX: [1] 202 331-8958 | HKETO offices: New York, San Francisco
Executive branch
chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013) | head of government: Chief Executive LEUNG Chun-ying [C.Y. LEUNG] (since 1 July 2012) | cabinet: Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive | elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the Central People's Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); LEUNG Chun-ying [C.Y.LEUNG] elected chief executive on 25 March 2012 and took office on 1 July 2012 (next to be held in March 2017) | election results: LEUNG Chun-ying elected chief executive; Election Committee vote - LEUNG Chun-ying 689, Henry TANG 285, Albert HO 76 | note: the Legislative Council voted in June 2010 to expand the electoral committee to 1,200 seats for the 2012 election
Flag description
red with a stylized, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center; each petal contains a small, red, five-pointed star in its middle; the red color is the same as that on the Chinese flag and represents the motherland; the fragrant Bauhinia - developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century - has come to symbolize the region; the five stars echo those on the flag of China
Government type
presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the PRC
Independence
none (special administrative region of China)
International organization participation
ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges and 20 non-permanent judges); note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice and 3 permanent and 1 non-permanent judges | judge selection and term of office: all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive upon the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice and other judges, judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges appointed until normal retirement at age 65, but can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit | subordinate courts: High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals
Legal system
mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure)
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (70 seats; 35 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; 30 members indirectly elected by the approximately 220,000 members of various functional constituencies based on a variety of methods; five at large “super-seat” members directed elected by all of Hong Kong’s eligible voters who do not participate in a functional constituency; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 4 September 2016; (next general election to be in September 2020) | election results: percent of vote by block - pro-democracy 58.0%; pro-Beijing 42.0%; seats by block/party - pro-Beijing 40 (DAB 12, BPA 7, FTU 5, Liberal Party 4, NPP 3, other 9); pro-democracy 30 (Democratic Party 7, Civic Party 6, PP-LSD 2, ALLinHK 2, Professional Commons 2, CP-PPI-HKRO 1, Labor, 1, Demosisto 1, Democracy Groundwork 1, NWSC 1, PTU 1, independent democrat 5)
National anthem
note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see 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
National symbol(s)
orchid tree flower; national colors: red, white
Political parties and leaders
ALLinHK (alliance of 6 localist groups) | Business and Professional Alliance or BPA [Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen] | Civic Party [Audrey EU] | Civic Passion or CP [CHENG Chung-tai] (part of Civic Passion-Proletariat Political Institute-Hong Kong Resurgence Order alliance or CP-PPI-HKRO that dissolved after the 2016 election) | Democracy Groundwork [LAU Siu-lai] | Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [Starry LEE Wai-king] | Democratic Party [Emily LAU] | Demosisto [Nathan LAW] | Federation of Trade Unions or FTU [Stanley NG Chau-pei] | Labor Party [Suzanne WU Shui-shan] | League of Social Democrats or LSD [Avery NG Man-yuen] | Liberal Party [Felix CHUNG Kwok-pan] | Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC [LEUNG Yui-chung] | New People's Party or NPP [Regina IP Lau Su-yee] | People Power or PP [Erica YUEN Mi-ming] | Youngspiration [Sixtus "Baggio" LEUNG Chung-hang] | Professional Commons (think tank) [Charles Peter MOK] | Professional Teachers Union or PTU | note: political blocks include: pro-democracy - ALLinHK, Civic Party, Civic Passion, Democracy Groundwork, Democratic Party, Demosisto, Labor Party, LSD, PP, Professional Commons; pro-Beijing - DAB, FTU, Liberal Party, NPP, BPA; there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
Political pressure groups and leaders
Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China) | Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong | Civic Act-up [Cyd HO Sau-lan, Legislative Council of Hong Kong member] (pro-democracy) | Federation of Hong Kong Industries | Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Albert HO, chairman] | Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan) | Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce | Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [FUNG Wai-wah, president]
Suffrage
18 years of age in direct elections for half of the Legislative Council seats and all of the seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past 7 years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and a 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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 of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the subsequent 50 years.
◆ MILITARY AND SECURITY(2 fields)
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) 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 (2012)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(25 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 12.12% (male 459,358/female 409,547) | 15-24 years: 10.85% (male 404,490/female 372,873) | 25-54 years: 45.34% (male 1,385,536/female 1,864,077) | 55-64 years: 15.76% (male 548,929/female 580,913) | 65 years and over: 15.93% (male 537,196/female 604,484) (2016 est.)
Birth rate
9.1 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206
Contraceptive prevalence rate
79.5% (2007)
Death rate
7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 37% | youth dependency ratio: 16.4% | elderly dependency ratio: 20.6% | potential support ratio: 4.8% (2015 est.)
Education expenditures
3.6% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 124
Ethnic groups
Chinese 93.1%, Indonesian 1.9%, Filipino 1.9%, other 3% (2011 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Infant mortality rate
total: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 216
Languages
Cantonese (official) 89.5%, English (official) 3.5%, Putonghua (Mandarin) 1.4%, other Chinese dialects 4%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 82.9 years | male: 80.3 years | female: 85.8 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 7
Major urban areas - population
Hong Kong 7.26 million (2014)
Median age
total: 44 years | male: 43.2 years | female: 44.5 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10
Mother's mean age at first birth
29.8 (2008 est.)
Nationality
noun: Chinese/Hong Konger | adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong
Net migration rate
1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53
Population
7,167,403 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101
Population growth rate
0.35% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170
Religions
eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years | male: 16 years | female: 16 years (2014)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.74 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female | total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.19 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 221
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 9.4% | male: 11.3% | female: 7.8% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106
Urbanization
urban population: 100% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.74% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(3 fields)
Disputes - international
Hong Kong plans to reduce its 2,800-hectare Frontier Closed Area (FCA) to 400 hectares by 2015; the FCA was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration from and the smuggling of goods
Illicit drugs
despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
stateless persons: 1 (2015)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(8 fields)
Airports
2 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 201
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
B-H (2016)
Heliports
9 (2013)
Merchant marine
total: 1,644 | by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 785, cargo 198, carrier 10, chemical tanker 149, container 288, liquefied gas 31, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 156, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 7 | foreign-owned: 976 (Bangladesh 1, Belgium 26, Bermuda 20, Canada 77, China 500, Cyprus 3, Denmark 42, France 4, Germany 10, Greece 27, Indonesia 10, Iran 3, Japan 79, Libya 1, Norway 48, Russia 1, Singapore 13, South Korea 3, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 25, UAE 1, UK 33, US 44) | registered in other countries: 341 (Bahamas 3, Bermuda 4, Cambodia 10, China 18, Curacao 1, Cyprus 2, Georgia 3, India 2, Kiribati 2, Liberia 48, Malaysia 8, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 3, NZ 1, Panama 144, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 46, Thailand 1, UK 12, unknown 16) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 5
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 7 (registered in China) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 253 (registered in China) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 41,867,157 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 11.294 billion mt-km (2015)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Hong Kong
Roadways
total: 2,100 km | paved: 2,100 km (2015) | country comparison to the world: 175