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FACTS ABOUT HONG KONG:
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Eastern Asia, bordering the
South China Sea and China |
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Geographic coordinates:
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22 15 N, 114 10 E |
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Map references:
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Southeast
Asia |
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Area:
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total: 1,092 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km
water: 50 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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six times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 30 km
regional border: China 30 km |
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Coastline:
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733 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring
through summer, warm and sunny in fall |
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Terrain:
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hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m |
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Natural resources:
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outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar |
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Land use:
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arable land: 5.05%
permanent crops: 1.01%
other: 93.94% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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20 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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occasional typhoons |
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Environment - current issues:
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air and water pollution from rapid urbanization |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Marine Dumping (associate member) |
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Geography - note:
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more than 200 islands
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Population:
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6,855,125 (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median age:
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total: 39.4 years
male: 39.3 years
female: 39.6 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.65% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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7.23 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.98 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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5.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 2.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 81.39 years
male: 78.72 years
female: 84.3 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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0.91 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2,600 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 200 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Chinese/Hong Konger
adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong |
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Ethnic groups:
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Chinese 95%, other 5% |
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Religions:
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eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% |
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Languages:
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Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 93.5%
male: 96.9%
female: 89.6% (2002)
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Country name:
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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 |
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Dependency status:
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special administrative region of China |
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Government type:
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limited democracy |
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Administrative divisions:
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none (special administrative region of China) |
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Independence:
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none (special administrative region of China) |
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National holiday:
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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 |
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Constitution:
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Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress
is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" |
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Legal system:
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based on English common law |
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Suffrage:
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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 committee drawn from broad regional
groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies |
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Executive branch:
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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 three ex-officio members
and 10 appointed members; ex-officio members are: 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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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 9, HKPA 1, FTU 1, FLU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents
11, Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NSWC 1; other 1 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 [YEUNG Sum, chairman]; Frontier Party [Emily
LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong Progressive Alliance or HKPA
[Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman];
New Century Forum or NCF [MA Fung-kwok, chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party,
Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New Century
Forum |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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]; Liberal Democratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman] |
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International organization participation:
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APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau),
IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (special administrative region of China) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $213 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.3% (2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $28,800 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 12.1%
services: 87.9% (2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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22.3% of GDP (2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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-2.6% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3.5 million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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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.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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7.9% (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $26.17 billion
expenditures: $32.64 billion, including capital expenditures of
$5 billion (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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fresh vegetables, poultry, fish, pork |
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Industries:
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textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics,
toys, watches, clocks |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-9.2% (2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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30.48 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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37.12 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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1.581 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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10.36 billion kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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257,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA
(2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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680.9 million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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680.9 million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$17.42 billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$225.9 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear,
watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones |
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Exports - partners:
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China 42.6%, US 18.7%, Japan 5.4% (2003) |
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Imports:
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$230.3 billion (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, foodstuffs, transport
equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics; a large
share is reexported |
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Imports - partners:
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China 43.5%, Japan 11.9%, Taiwan 6.9%, US 5.5%, Singapore 5%, South
Korea 4.8% (2003) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
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$118.4 billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$59.21 billion (2004 est.) |
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Currency:
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Hong Kong dollar (HKD) |
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Currency code:
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HKD |
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Exchange rates:
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Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988
(2001), 7.7912 (2000), 7.7575 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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3,801,300 (2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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7,241,400 (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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4 (plus two repeaters) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.hk |
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Internet hosts:
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591,993 (2003) |
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Internet users:
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3,212,800 (2003)
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Highways:
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total: 1,831 km
paved: 1,831 km
unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Hong Kong |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 663 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,478,042 GRT/34,554,455
DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 364, cargo 78, chemical tanker 23,
combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 3, container 97, liquefied gas
20, multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 60,
refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea/passenger 1,
specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: Australia 2, Belgium 1, British Virgin Islands 1,
China 178, Cyprus 1, Denmark 3, France 2, Germany 14, Greece 4, India 9,
Indonesia 2, Japan 22, South Korea 2, Malaysia 3, Monaco 9, Norway 16,
Panama 4, Philippines 17, Singapore 22, Taiwan 3, Thailand 1, United
Kingdom 22, United States 1
registered in other countries: 569 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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4 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Heliports:
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2 (2003 est.)
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Military branches:
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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 |
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Military manpower - military age and obligation:
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18 years of age (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49: 1,878,574 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49: 1,404,705 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males: 41,821 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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Hong Kong garrison is funded by China; figures are NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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NA (FY02) |
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of China
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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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
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Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/hk.html
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