Hong Kong

• arable land 7%;
• permanent crops 1%;
• meadows and pastures 1%;
• forest and woodland 12%;
• other 79%;
• includes irrigated 3%

• 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 for 50 years after transition

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

Chief of State:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

Head of Government:

Governor-designate Chris PATTEN (since July 1992); Chief Secretary Sir David Robert FORD (since February 1987)

• direct election - universal at age 21 as a permanent resident 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

Legislative Council:

• indirect elections last held 12 September 1991 and direct elections were held 15 September 1991 (next to be held for the first time in September 1995);
• 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

Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan), Confederation of Trade Unions (prodemocracy), 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, Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China

• 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

• minor role in the economy;
• rice, vegetables, dairy products;
• less than 20% self-sufficient;
• shortages of rice, wheat, water

• Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.800 (1991), 7.790 (1990), 7.800 (1989), 7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987);
• note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985

• 2 total;
• 2 usable;
• 2 with permanent-surface runways;
• none with runways over 3,659 m;
• 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
• none with runways 1,220-2,439 m

• modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services;
• 3,000,000 telephones;
• microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission network;
• broadcast stations - 6 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV;
• 1 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) repeater station and 1 British Forces Broadcasting Service repeater station;
• 2,500,000 radio receivers;
• 1,312,000 TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets);
• satellite earth stations - 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT;
• 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

• males 15-49, 1,732,360;
• 1,334,923 fit for military service;
• 46,285 reach military age (18) annually

• exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989 est.);
• this represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending itself, the remainder being paid by the UK