View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1996 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

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

Military - note (Defense note) [time series]

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

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,895,535 males fit for military service: 1,442,072 males reach military age (18) annually: 46,248 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

3 million (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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 - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

4.13 million (1995 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

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

Televisions [time series]

1.75 million (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

fresh vegetables; poultry

Budget [time series]

revenues: $19 billion expenditures: $14.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $289 million (FY94/95)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

$NA

Economic 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 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, and 5.0% in 1995. Unemployment, which has been declining since the mid-1980s, edged up from 2% to 3.5% in 1995. Notwithstanding, a shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Prospects for 1996 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.

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 (1995), 7.800 (1994), 7.800 (1993), 7.741 (1992), 7.771 (1991); note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985

Exports [time series]

$177.1 billion (including re-exports)(f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys partners: China 33%, US 22%, Germany 5%, Japan 5%, UK 3% (1993)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

none (1995)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

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

purchasing power parity - $152.4 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

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

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

$27,500 (1995 est.)

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

5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and money-laundering center; increasing indigenous amphetamine abuse

Imports [time series]

$195.4 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is re-exported partners: China 38%, Japan 17%, Taiwan 9%, US 7% (1993)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

2% (1993 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.4% (1995)

Labor force [time series]

2,915,400 (1994) 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)

Unemployment rate [time series]

3.5% (1995 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]

more than 200 islands

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

20 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 30 km border country: 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

Terrain [time series]

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Government

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

Data code [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 (of the United Kingdom since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch head of government: Governor and President of the Executive Council Christopher Francis PATTEN (since 9 July 1992) was appointed by the Queen; Chief Secretary Anson CHAN Fang On-Sang (since 29 November 1993) cabinet: Executive Council was appointed by the Governor

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

[852] 2845-1598

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)

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch (Legislative Council) [time series]

indirect and direct elections last held 17 September 1995 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total, 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 20 directly elected, 10 elected by election committee) Democratic Party 21, Liberal Party 10, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 6, other parties and independents 23

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)

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

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

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

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

Suffrage [time series]

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

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

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

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

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

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 19% (male 609,493; female 593,687) 15-64 years: 70% (male 2,312,141; female 2,094,156) 65 years and over: 11% (male 307,186; female 388,750) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

10.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.23 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Chinese 95%, other 5%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

Chinese (Cantonese), English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 82.19 years male: 78.88 years female: 85.71 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over has ever attended school (1995 est.) total population: 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.2%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese

Net migration rate [time series]

12.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

6,305,413 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.77% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female all ages: 1.05 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.3 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 2 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1995 est.) note: new international airport to be commissioned in 1997/98

Heliports [time series]

1 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,661 km paved: 1,661 km unpaved: 0 km (1994 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 238 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,632,224 GRT/14,820,657 DWT ships by type: bulk 129, cargo 32, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 3, container 39, liquefied gas tanker 3, multifunction large load carrier 1, oil tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 5, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 17 countries among which are UK 51, China 11, Belgium 8, South Africa 8, US 8, Japan 7, Bermuda 6, Switzerland 6, Germany 3, and Israel 3 (1995 est.)

Ports [time series]

Hong Kong

Railways [time series]

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