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]

4.47 million (1998)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

4 (in addition, there are two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions [time series]

1.75 million (1992 est.)

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

fresh vegetables; poultry

Budget [time series]

revenues: $30.1 billion expenditures: $26 billion, including capital expenditures of $289 million (FY97/98)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

Debt - external (Debt--external) [time series]

none (1996)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

none

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Indeed, imports and exports, including reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Real GDP growth averaged a remarkable 8% in 1987-88 and a still strong 5% in 1989-97. The widespread Asian economic difficulties in 1998 hit this trade-dependent economy quite hard, with GDP down 5%.

Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]

28.598 billion kWh (1997)

Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]

1.483 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]

5.875 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]

27 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates [time series]

Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$--7.74 (1997-99), 7.730 (1996), 7.800 (1995), 7.800 (1994); note--linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$

Exports [time series]

$188.08 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 1997)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

China 35%, US 22%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 4% (1997)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April--31 March

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

purchasing power parity--$168.1 billion (1998 est.)

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

agriculture: 0.1% industry: 15.9% services: 84% (1997 est.)

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

purchasing power parity?$25,100 (1998 est.)

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

-5% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$208.63 billion (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is reexported

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

China 38%, Japan 14%, Taiwan 8%, US 8%, Singapore 5% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-3.7% (1998)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.9% (1998 est.)

Labor force [time series]

3.216 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]

wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31.9%, social services 9.9%, manufacturing 9.2%, financing, insurance, and real estate 13.1%, transport and communications 5.7%, construction 2.6%, other 27.6% (October 1998)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

5.5% (1998 est.)

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative (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 (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 (Geography--note) [time series]

more than 200 islands

Irrigated land [time series]

20 sq km (1997 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: 20% other: 72% (1997 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

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (special administrative region of China)

Capital [time series]

Victoria

Constitution [time series]

Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conventional short form: Hong Kong local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu local short form: Xianggang abbreviation: HK

Data code [time series]

HK

Dependency status [time series]

special administrative region of China

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

none (special administrative region of China)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President of China JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) head of government: Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex-officio members and 10 appointed members; ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Anson CHAN (since 29 November 1993), Financial Secretary Donald TSANG (since 7 March 1995), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997) elections: NA

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Government type [time series]

NA

Independence [time series]

none (special administrative region of China)

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 20 elected by popular vote, and 10 elected by an 800-member election committee; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 May 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--Democratic Party 13, Liberal Party 9, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 9, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 5, Frontier Party 3, Citizens Party 1, independents 20

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 1-2 October; note--1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

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

Democratic Party [Martin LEE,

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

Association for Democracy Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Confederation of Trade Chamber of Commerce; Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Professional 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 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member Election Commission drawn from broad regional groupings and other central government bodies

Background [time series]

Pursuant to the agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. Under the terms of this agreement, China has promised that under its "one country, two systems" formula its socialist economic system will not be practiced in Hong Kong, and that Hong Kong shall enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs.

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Hong Kong garrison of the PLA including elements of the PLA Army, the 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

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures--dollar figure) [time series]

$NA

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

NA%

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower--availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,924,304 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower--fit for military service) [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,452,110 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - military age (Military manpower--military age) [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually (Military manpower--reaching military age annually) [time series]

males: 45,656 (1999 est.)

Military - note (Military--note) [time series]

defense is the responsibility of China

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 18% (male 644,982; female 598,188) 15-64 years: 71% (male 2,397,277; female 2,490,745) 65 years and over: 11% (male 323,949; female 391,984) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

12.9 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.96 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Chinese 95%, other 5%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

Chinese (Cantonese), English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 78.91 years male: 76.15 years female: 81.85 years (1999 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]

12.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

6,847,125 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.9% (1999 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: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.39 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Disputes - international (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

Airports [time series]

3 (1998 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Heliports [time series]

2 (1998 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,831 km paved: 1,831 km unpaved: 0 km (1997)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 195 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,075,304 GRT/10,133,186 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 117, cargo 18, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 2, container 40, liquefied gas tanker 1, multifunction large-load carrier 2, oil tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 13 countries among which are UK 16, South Africa 3, China 9, Japan 6, Bermuda 2, Germany 3, Canada 2, Cyprus 1, Belgium 1, and Norway 1 (1998 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Hong Kong

Railways [time series]

total: 34 km standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (all electrified) (1996 est.)