Hong Kong
Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionXianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
limited democracyIndependence none (special administrative region of China)
Hong Kong as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 121 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an 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. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.
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
19 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2004 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 14.2% (male 510,702; female 465,145)
- 15-64 years:
- 73.3% (male 2,461,914; female 2,560,382)
- 65 years and over:
- 12.5% (male 394,697; female 462,285) (2004 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.09 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.1 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.85 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Government
Limited democracy; President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003); Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997)
18 fieldsLegislative Council or LEGCO, 59 seats, elected 12 September 2004one 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 (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949);
- 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 200,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
- head of government:
- Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council consists of seven non-official members and 14 official members;
- including Chief Secretary Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary Henry TANG (since 2 August 2003), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997)
- elections:
- TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to a second term in March 2002 by an 800-member election committee dominated by pro-Beijing forces;
- the next election is scheduled to be held in 2007
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004 30 seats indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September 2008)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group 62%;
- seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10, independents 11, FTU 1;
- (pro-democracy 25) independents 11, Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1
Political parties and leaders
- Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman];
- Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung];
- Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong or DAB [MA Lik, chairman];
- Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat, chairman];
- Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman];
- Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, Democratic Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China);
- Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong;
- Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary];
- Federation of Hong Kong Industries;
- Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor];
- Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman];
- Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan);
- Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce;
- Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president];
- The Alliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member]
International organization participation
APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Consul General James KEITH
- consulate(s) general:
- 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong
- mailing address:
- PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006
- telephone:
- [852] 2523-9011
- FAX:
- [852] 2524-0860
Economy
Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade.
41 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. 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.
Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has increased competitive pressure on Hong Kong's service industries, and Hong Kong's re-export business from China is a major driver of growth. Per capita GDP compares with the level in the four big economies of Western Europe.
GDP growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989-1997, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past 6 years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and the global downturn of 2001-2002. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak also battered Hong Kong's economy, but a boom in tourism from the mainland because of China's easing of travel restrictions, a return of consumer confidence, and a solid rise in exports resulted in the resumption of strong growth in late 2003.
Labor force - by occupation
manufacturing 8.2%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.5%, financing, insurance, and real estate 19.5%, transport and communications 7.8%, community and social services 17.8% (Note: above data exclude public sector) (2002 est.)
Industries
textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Exports - commodities
electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones
Imports - commodities
electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics; a large share is reexported
Exchange rates
Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001), 7.7912 (2000), 7.7575 (1999)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services
- domestic:
- microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network
- international:
- country code - 852;
- 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
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 663 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,478,042 GRT/34,554,455 DWT
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Military
8 fieldsMilitary branches
- no regular indigenous military forces;
- Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) including elements of the PLA Ground Forces, 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
- Makes strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets;
- modern banking system provides a conduit for money laundering;
- rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Hong Kong.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/hong-kong/2004.