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Communications

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]

3.31 million (1996)

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.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

fresh vegetables; poultry

Budget [time series]

revenues: $19 billion expenditures: $14.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $289 million (FY95/96 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

Debt - external [time series]

none (1996)

Economic aid [time series]

$NA

Economic overview (Economy - 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, 4.8% in 1995, and 4.7% in 1996. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Prospects for 1997 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 on 1 July 1997.

Electricity - capacity [time series]

10.32 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita [time series]

3,716 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

25.14 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates [time series]

Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.730 (1996), 7.800 (1995), 7.800 (1994), 7.800 (1993), 7.741 (1992); note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$

Exports [time series]

total value : $197.2 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys partners: China 33%, US 22%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 3%, Singapore 3% (1995)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

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

purchasing power parity - $163.6 billion (1996 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]

purchasing power parity - $26,000 (1996 est.)

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

4.7% (1996 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $217.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is reexported partners: China 36%, Japan 15%, Taiwan 9%, US 8%, Singapore 5%, South Korea 5% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-2.6% (1996)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate - consumer price index) [time series]

6.5% (1996)

Labor force [time series]

total: 3.251 million (1996) by occupation: wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 34.4%, services 19.8%, manufacturing 14.2%, financing, insurance, and real estate 12.4%, transport and communications 5.1%, construction 2.1%, other 12% (1994)

Unemployment rate [time series]

3.1% (1996 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 1,092 sq km land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

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

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geographic coordinates [time series]

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Geography - note [time series]

more than 200 islands

Irrigated land [time series]

20 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 30 km border countries: China 30 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 6% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland : 22% other: 70% (1993 est.)

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 hazards [time series]

occasional typhoons

Natural resources [time series]

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Terrain [time series]

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Constitution [time series]

the Letters Patent together with the Royal Instructions form the written constitution of Hong Kong; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for scheduled reversion to China on 1 July 1997

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

Dependency status [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state : Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor and President of the Executive Council Christopher Francis PATTEN (since 9 July 1992); Chief Secretary Anson CHAN Fang On-Sang (since 29 November 1993) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed by the queen

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

[852] 2845-1598

Flag (Flag description) [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 note: to be replaced on 1 July 1997 by a red flag with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Government type [time series]

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, BIS (pending member), 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 [time series]

unicameral Legislative Council (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 20 elected by popular vote, and 10 elected by election committee; members serve four-year terms); note - the Legislative Council will be replaced by a provisional legislature on 1 July 1997 elections: indirect and direct elections last held 17 September 1995; note - elections for the first post-reversion Legislative Council are scheduled to be held in 1998 election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 21, Liberal Party 10, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 6, other parties and independents 23; note - subsequent to the election, there has been a change in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is as follows - Democratic Party 19, Liberal Party 10, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 6, other parties and independents 25

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Victoria

National holiday [time series]

Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)

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

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [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

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

Military

Military - note [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Military 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 - dollar figure [time series]

$207 million (FY92/93); note - this represents 65% of the total cost of defending the colony, the remainder being paid by the UK

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

0.2% (FY92/93)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,884,488 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males: 1,427,567 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 46,601 (1997 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 19% (male 629,981; female 584,807) 15-64 years: 71% (male 2,319,009; female 2,348,794) 65 years and over: 10% (male 299,503; female 365,095) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

12.72 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.79 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Chinese 95%, other 5%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages [time series]

Chinese (Cantonese), English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 78.71 years male: 75.98 years female: 81.62 years (1997 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population : 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.2% (1996 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese

Net migration rate [time series]

18.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population [time series]

6,547,189 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.59% (1997 est.)

Religions [time series]

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.33 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and money-laundering center; increasing indigenous amphetamine abuse HOWLAND ISLAND (territory of the US)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

2 (1996 est.) note: new international airport under construction and will open in 1998

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total : 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Heliports [time series]

1 (1996 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,717 km paved : 1,717 km unpaved: 0 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 221 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,908,237 GRT/13,580,012 DWT ships by type: bulk 124, cargo 31, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 2, container 38, liquefied gas tanker 2, multifunction large load carrier 2, oil tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 15 countries among which are UK 50, South Africa 12, Belgium 10, China 9, Japan 8, Bermuda 5, US 5, Israel 4, Germany 3, and Switzerland 3; Hong Kong owns an additional 498 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,810,794 DWT that operate under the registries of The Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, Panama, Philippines, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Vanuatu

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Hong Kong

Railways [time series]

total : 34 km standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (1996 est.) note: also has 43 km of metro with 38 stations