Hong Kong
Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionXianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
NAIndependence none (special administrative region of China)
Hong Kong as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
18 fieldsLand useshare of 1,092 sq km
Climate
tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 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.)
Sex ratio
- 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.)
Government
NA; President of China JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993); Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997)
20 fieldsLegislature, 60 seats, elected 25 May 1998one dot, one seat
Country name
- 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
National holiday
National Day, 1-2 October; note--1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Constitution
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
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 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member Election Commission drawn from broad regional groupings and other central government bodies
Executive branch
- 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
Legislative branch
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
Political pressure groups and leaders
- 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]
International organization participation
APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICFTU, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation from the US
- 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
Economy
Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy | highly dependent on international trade.
31 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1997 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy--overview
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%.
Labor force--by occupation
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)
Exports--commodities
clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys
Imports--commodities
foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is reexported
Exchange rates
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$
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone 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
Transportation
7 fieldsMerchant marine, 195 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,075,304 GRT/10,133,186 DWT
Networkskm
Military
8 fieldsMilitary branches
- 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
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
- a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade;
- transshipment and money-laundering center;
- increasing indigenous amphetamine abuse
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Hong Kong.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/hong-kong/1999.