View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1993 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 2 useable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

1,100 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth

Merchant marine [time series]

176 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 5,870,007 GRT/10,006,390 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 29 container, 15 oil tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 6 combination ore/oil, 5 liquefied gas, 88 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry; ships registered in Hong Kong fly the UK flag, and an estimated 500 Hong Kong-owned ships are registered elsewhere

Ports [time series]

Hong Kong

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

35 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services; 3,000,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission network; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) repeater station and 1 British Forces Broadcasting Service repeater station; 2,500,000 radio receivers; 1,312,000 TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets); satellite earth stations - 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(territory of the US)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989 est.); this represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending itself, the remainder being paid by the UK

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,635,516; fit for military service 1,256,057; reach military age (18) annually 43,128 (1993 est.)

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

minor role in the economy; rice, vegetables, dairy products; less than 20% self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water

Budget [time series]

revenues $17.4 billion; expenditures $14.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $152 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $923 million

Electricity [time series]

9,566,000 kW capacity; 29,400 million kWh produced, 4,980 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.800 (1992), 7.771 (1991), 7.790 (1990), 7.800 (1989), 7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987); note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985

Exports [time series]

$118 billion, including reexports of $85.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys partners: US 29%, China 21%, Germany 8%, UK 6%, Japan 5% (1990)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$9.5 billion (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

Illicit drugs [time series]

a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and major financial and money-laundering center

Imports [time series]

$120 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum partners: China 37%, Japan 16%, Taiwan 9%, US 8% (1990)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

9.4% (1992)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $86 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$14,600 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

5.9% (1992)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 accounts for about 18% of GDP, employs 28% of the labor force, and exports about 90% of its output. 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 and 5.9% in 1992. Unemployment, which has been declining since the mid-1980s, is now about 2%. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Short-term prospects remain bright so long as major trading partners continue to be reasonably prosperous.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 1,040 km2 land area: 990 km2 comparative area: slightly less than six times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

733 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

more than 200 islands; occasional typhoons

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

20 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 30 km, China 30 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 7% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 12% other: 79%

Location [time series]

East Asia, on the southeast coast of China bordering the South China Sea

Map references [time series]

Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural resources [time series]

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Terrain [time series]

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Government

Abbreviation [time series]

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Capital [time series]

Victoria

Constitution [time series]

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

as a dependent territory of the UK, the interests of Hong Kong in the US are represented by the UK

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Legislative Council: indirect elections last held 12 September 1991 and direct elections were held for the first time 15 September 1991 (next to be held in September 1995 when the number of directly-elected seats increases to 20); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total; 21 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 18 directly elected, 18 appointed by governor, 3 ex officio members); indirect elections - number of seats by functional constituency NA; direct elections - UDHK 12, Meeting Point 3, ADPL 1, other 2

Executive branch [time series]

British monarch, governor, chief secretary of the Executive Council

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

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)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) Head of Government: Governor Chris PATTEN (since NA July 1992); Chief Secretary Sir David Robert FORD (since NA February 1987)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Legislative Council

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

APEC, AsDB, CCC, ESCAP (associate), GATT, ICFTU, IMO (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Hong Kong

National holiday [time series]

Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Cooperative Resources Center, Allen LEE, chairman; Meeting Point, Anthony CHEUNG, chairman; Association of Democracy and People's Livelihood, Frederick FUNG Kin Kee, chairman; Liberal Democratic Federation, HEUNG Yee Kuk; Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China); Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Confederation of Trade Unions (prodemocracy); 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; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

United Democrats of Hong Kong, Martin LEE, chairman; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Democratic Foundation

Suffrage [time series]

direct election 21 years of age; universal as a permanent resident 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

Government type (Type) [time series]

dependent territory of the UK scheduled to revert to China in 1997

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Consul General Richard L. WILLIAMS embassy: Consulate General at 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 239-011

People

Birth rate [time series]

12.27 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.68 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Chinese 98%, other 2%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

2.8 million (1990) by occupation: manufacturing 28.5%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 27.9%, services 17.7%, financing, insurance, and real estate 9.2%, transport and communications 4.5%, construction 2.5%, other 9.7% (1989)

Languages [time series]

Chinese (Cantonese), English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 79.99 years male: 76.55 years female: 83.64 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1971) total population: 77% male: 90% female: 64%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese

Net migration rate [time series]

-7.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

5,552,965 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.06% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.34 children born/woman (1993 est.)