1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

22 15 N, 114 10 E -- Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China Flag ----

Area

comparative area

six times the size of Washington, DC

land area

990 sq km

total area

1,040 sq km

Climate

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

Coastline

733 km

Environment

current issues

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

international agreements

NA

natural hazards

occasional typhoons

Geographic coordinates

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Geographic note

more than 200 islands

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1989)

Land boundaries

border country

China 30 km

total

30 km

Land use

arable land

7%

forest and woodland

12%

meadows and pastures

1%

other

79%

permanent crops

1%

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

territorial sea

3 nm

Natural resources

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Terrain

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

highest point

Tai Mo Shan 958 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

Age structure

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

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

Death rate

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

Ethnic divisions

Chinese 95%, other 5%

Infant mortality rate

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

Languages

Chinese (Cantonese), English

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.71 years (1996 est.)

male

78.88 years

total population

82.19 years

Literacy

age 15 and over has ever attended school (1995 est.)

female

88.2%

male

96%

total population

92.2%

Nationality

adjective

Chinese

noun

Chinese

Net migration rate

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

Population

6,305,413 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.77% (1996 est.)

Religions

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.05 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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

Total fertility rate

1.3 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Capital

Victoria

Constitution

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

Data code

HK

Diplomatic representation in US

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council was appointed by the Governor

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)

FAX

[852] 2845-1598

Flag

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

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

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Legislative Council

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

Name of country

abbreviation

HK

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Hong Kong

National holiday

Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)

Other political or pressure groups

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 and leaders

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

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

Type of government

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

US diplomatic representation

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

Agriculture

fresh vegetables; poultry

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$19 billion

Currency

1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

$NA

Economic overview

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

capacity

8,930,000 kW

consumption per capita

4,628 kWh (1993)

production

33 billion kWh

Exchange rates

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

$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)

External debt

none (1995)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

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

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

0.2%

industry

18.4%

services

81.4% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita

$27,500 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$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

2% (1993 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.4% (1995)

Labor force

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

3.5% (1995 est.)

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

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

Defense note

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

Manpower availability

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.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

3 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

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

4.13 million (1995 est.)

Television broadcast stations

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

Televisions

1.75 million (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

note

new international airport to be commissioned in 1997/98

total

2

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

1 (1995 est.)

Heliports

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

1,661 km

total

1,661 km

unpaved

0 km (1994 est.)

Merchant marine

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.)

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

total

238 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,632,224 GRT/14,820,657 DWT

Ports

Hong Kong

Railways

standard gauge

35 km 1.435-m gauge

total

35 km