View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1995 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: 2.5 million

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

3,000,000 telephones; modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services local: NA intercity: microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission network international: 3 INTELSAT (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) earth stations; 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

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 4 (British Broadcasting Corporation repeater 1; British Forces Broadcasting Service repeater 1) televisions: 1.312 million (1,224,000 color TV sets)

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Headquarters of British Forces, Army, 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 - $207 million, 0.2% of GDP (FY92/93); this represents 65% of the total cost of defending the colony, the remainder being paid by the UK

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,634,559; males fit for military service 1,245,905; males reach military age (18) annually 40,996 (1995 est.)

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of the UK HOWLAND ISLAND (territory of the US)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

minor role in the economy; local farmers produce 26% fresh vegetables, 27% live poultry; 8% of land area suitable for farming

Budget [time series]

revenues: $19.2 billion expenditures: $19.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: 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]

capacity: 8,930,000 kW production: 33 billion kWh consumption per capita: 4,628 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.800 (1994), 7.800 (1993), 7.741 (1992), 7.771 (1991), 7.790 (1990); note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985

Exports [time series]

$168.7 billion (including re-exports of $121.0 billion )(f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys partners: China 32%, US 23%, Germany 5%, Japan 5%, UK 3% (1993 est.)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

none (1993)

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; increasing indigenous amphetamine and cocaine abuse

Imports [time series]

$160 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is re-exported partners: China 36%, Japan 19%, Taiwan 9%, US 7% (1993 est.)

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

growth rate 2% (1993 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.5% (1994)

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

GDP - purchasing power parity - $136.1 billion (1994 est.)

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

$24,530 (1994 est.)

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

5.5% (1994 est.)

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 17% 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, and 5.5% in 1994. 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. Prospects for 1995-96 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 in 1997.

Unemployment rate [time series]

1.9% (1994 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 1,040 sq km land area: 990 sq km 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]

current issues: air and water pollution from rapid urbanization natural hazards: occasional typhoons international agreements: NA

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

20 sq km (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]

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map references [time series]

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural resources [time series]

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Note [time series]

more than 200 islands

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]

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor Chris PATTEN (since 9 July 1992); Chief Secretary Anson CHAN Fang On-Sang (since 29 November 1993) cabinet: Executive Council; appointed by the governor

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

[852] 845-4845

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

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch (Legislative Council) [time series]

indirect elections last held 12 September 1991 and direct elections were held for the first time 15 September 1991 (next to be held 17 September 1995 when the number of directly-elected seats increases to 50); 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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

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]

Liberal Party, Allen LEE, chairman; 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), LAU Chin-shek, 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

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

Democratic Party, Martin LEE, chairman; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, TSANG Yuk-shing, chairman; Hong Kong Democratic Foundation, Dr. Patrick SHIU Kin-ying, chairman note: in April 1994, the United Democrats of Hong Kong (UDHK) and Meeting Point merged to form the Democratic Party; the merger became effective in October 1994

Suffrage [time series]

direct election 21 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

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 W. MUELLER consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 523-9011

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 19% (female 499,460; male 549,734) 15-64 years: 70% (female 1,866,540; male 2,016,684) 65 years and over: 11% (female 331,391; male 279,060) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

12.02 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.02 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Chinese 95%, other 5%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 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: 80.18 years male: 76.78 years female: 83.78 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over has ever attended school (1971) total population: 77% male: 90% female: 64%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese

Net migration rate [time series]

-7.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population [time series]

5,542,869 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.12% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.39 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 3 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,100 km paved: 794 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, earth 306 km

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 217 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,657,749 GRT/13,181,496 DWT ships by type: bulk 116, cargo 29, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 6, container 28, liquefied gas tanker 5, oil tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 7, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 15 countries among which are UK with 53 ships, China 15, Bermuda 7, Japan 6, Belgium 3, Germany 3, Greece 3, Canada 2, Netherlands 2, Singapore 2

Ports [time series]

Hong Kong

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

total: 35 km standard gauge: 35 km 1.435-m gauge