Introduction Hong Kong

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Introduction Hong Kong ,C{0WE-w

\/uKq:~S;n Background: -?.]'~6R"] r!Ckv
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.  +U~+hM6T9\,{?
Geography Hong Kong
QI]'sSHZ&\ Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China  V^Kk6}1A-J
Geographic coordinates: 22 15 N, 114 10 E  7ma8k3?W K h~a;B(GUL
Map references: Southeast Asia  C EIM.Bd
Area: total: 1,092 sq km cd2{ a:^ U,StT
land: 1,042 sq km T)D-jqj$|(^)Z;n%x7G/J
water: 50 sq km  O&G ?4j,_
Area - comparative: six times the size of Washington, DC  
Z4s*ev${@:j[ Land boundaries: total: 30 km
@uWs[n5M regional border: China 30 km  
R7}rU/\ Coastline: 733 km  
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t?'L a%sAR Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm  -uZ(L*\Bj6\0O
Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall  
Z2r(AOwY1U Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north  
!~j0]Cv3]S~Q Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m 6J'm~E%V3u
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m  J#h[4HQ3bX
Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar  
kvd HT Land use: arable land: 5.05%
O)bj'Ww a NY permanent crops: 1.01%
|5c UkdQfVf` other: 93.94% (2001)  $uX
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Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)  
\.}'^ n%Y3P1}[/E Natural hazards: occasional typhoons  
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Environment - current issues: air and water pollution from rapid urbanization  
U[_}x5Y%F x1L-_ Environment - international agreements: party to: Marine Dumping (associate member)  h$khp|$PG:hr
Geography - note: more than 200 islands  *NW ysO|r

-QV"d*IM4~S People Hong Kong hkSE [

I2g+`n7^-w8gb?'E Population: 6,898,686 (July 2005 est.)  ,zH?]|&HJW5a
Age structure: 0-14 years: 13.8% (male 498,771/female 454,252) TT._'?V$J.k!r:h&{O
15-64 years: 73.5% (male 2,479,656/female 2,591,170) 1v:^ED_ Y~
65 years and over: 12.7% (male 404,308/female 470,529) (2005 est.)  (fE I*X.}z
Median age: total: 39.4 years 8bBx?B^'}!V#s
male: 39.3 years }Ac8O(e*H
female: 39.6 years (2005 est.)  
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H7b$i.K Population growth rate: 0.65% (2005 est.)  M6WZBlR[0X0[&`/t9sX
Birth rate: 7.23 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)  ,N]Mz"~3b:O ~p+AW8W
Death rate: 5.98 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)  
1^NM}:P5z-lOE Net migration rate: 5.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)  Mh ?{/GZ;h'O
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
t$w,]A\q;CSPG under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
l6c)r~ PW 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female Y}q rz^/ZH%f }@9L
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
o0xX]?mB#g5E$CQ5u total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)  
m2} QSD)H1iJ Infant mortality rate: total: 2.97 deaths/1,000 live births
x U!Nc'Yu {(xZ male: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births *u/^L6xH
female: 2.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)  
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Ol Z!pHxsF+D{9@"V5G Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.5 years
\9c1Z%Z1t!C male: 78.81 years
lK;rG7k_B}o:j female: 84.41 years (2005 est.)  #Dp.B"[+}
Total fertility rate: 0.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)  
VPxSWx X HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)  
/?m%Y"[4^L0m HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,600 (2003 est.)  
xY*@`%J-\ HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)  1t"ast`
Nationality: noun: Chinese/Hong Konger
(s?]']JO5J adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong  
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m"uB Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%, other 5%  ;R,v)o8o$k(J
Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%  ,_3Sf"@L+O
Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official  
@O PD;vJC1l c0q Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school Bd)g$k}
total population: 93.5%
SJ)bi V male: 96.9%
H!zI ]._Z female: 89.6% (2002)

Government Hong Kong $qQ%RHX
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Country name: conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region m?\Yu
conventional short form: Hong Kong
:}@INWY?(KFR local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu 0bGU*Zs3K&qK
local short form: Xianggang

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HUs*^/J e2J/L abbreviation: HK  #u9^/aG1u"r"l4b8W:g5F
Dependency status: special administrative region of China  -bGMe\?
Government type: limited democracy  'z1z/~G]X4Z}
Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region of China)  
s'o%im5`$J&n%] Independence: none (special administrative region of China)  1YX&G*U+c&UhL
National holiday: National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day  
A'e0A1t8\ s.C"g*e#N Constitution: Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"  
fqO5NF*\ Legal system: based on English common law  ~qJ$@*{Z+ro
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  
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H Executive branch: chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
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S_f2WZ head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005)
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o^:w%m cabinet: Executive Council consists of seven non-official members and 14 official members C(L`"OB!P9]GZ'dc
elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member election committee dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation accepted 12 March 2005; Donald TSANG acted as chief executive between 12 March 2005 and 25 May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief executive between 25 May 2005 and 24 June 2005; last election 16 June 2005 to fill final two years of TUNG's term (next to be held in June 2007)  ;\+R"K'KAR)B5@6^6NS
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)
Gf0Jn.LPw*T?hq.S elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September 2008) s.c N9h.PG U
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; other 1  +SH9nKuec
Judicial branch: Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region  
.J.?4V.I|XA T3dcL 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] ^m
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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  xZs:[ r P h(|V l*W
Political pressure groups and leaders: Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (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]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member]  
)m#xPj4K NoF6v International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO  
S2IX{9zD&@&e Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region of China)  
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D2O7Tlj? T Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General James B. CUNNINGHAM 9z#U'N}[q
consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong
]9Wc*?-`&P` mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006 5u wS6G~S0X
telephone: [852] 2523-9011
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M FAX: [852] 2524-0860  
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N)bNk9L Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Economy Hong Kong
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YO7]U'cZX S o Economy - overview: Hong Kong has a free market, entrepot economy, highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Gross imports and exports (i.e., including reexports to and from third countries) 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 made manufacturing in China much more cost effective. Hong Kong's reexport business to and from China is a major driver of growth. Per capita GDP is comparable to that of the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 1997, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past six years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and the global downturn in 2001 and 2002. Although the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak also battered Hong Kong's economy, 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 and in 2004.  
%[%j#vTtlV {0K*q GDP (purchasing power parity): $234.5 billion (2004 est.)  
0T1v}}wM/u GDP - real growth rate: 7.9% (2004 est.)  MSd_Ta:lf
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $34,200 (2004 est.)  D5C4HuL6daB
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1% TG|!O-? Hu(dmj.v'^
industry: 11.3% EU
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services: 88.6% (2004 est.)  6S
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Labor force: 3.54 million (October 2004 est.)  %c7t+@c6Q0W!t4RYM
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Labor force - by occupation: manufacturing 7.5%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.7%, financing, insurance, and real estate 19.2%, transport and communications 7.9%, community and social services 18.5% ;Xn*M(FY4_!V
note: above data exclude public sector (2004 est.)  
zu:U?R Unemployment rate: 6.7% (2004 est.)  /BcsF$H]%VX
Population below poverty line: NA  
/I"ql'Vu:v F.u Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA
Z N?2@,L'I highest 10%: NA  
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j.hD Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.3% (2004 est.)  
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Investment (gross fixed): 22.7% of GDP (2004 est.)  
0m)Xo6He Budget: revenues: $26.6 billion
Hq8Qk*uN_ expenditures: $31.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (2004 est.)  ;dd/py^1fW
Public debt: 2.1% of GDP (2004 est.)  
:M1l:nrnp"C~ Agriculture - products: fresh vegetables, poultry, fish, pork  
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W;O Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks  
"[3q1ZF+u6[{#A0wY Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2004 est.)  pP6ME3I,p%l
Electricity - production: 35.51 billion kWh (2003)  'W(z*wD9b"o ~
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% 5}a CzW6s5B
hydro: 0% EK^4p EI?+y
nuclear: 0%
p.G L*L&__/d'nm other: 0% (2001)  xJ h^0f
Electricity - consumption: 38.45 billion kWh (2003)  Y q6h/n2a;]
Electricity - exports: 3 billion kWh (2003)  

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?;NY)f4v8X Electricity - imports: 10.4 billion kWh (2003)  
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t0`NU8{ Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)  
7x!I(JpC1Q@I/Q Oil - consumption: 257,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)  
1G*@'hk)fdn Oil - exports: NA  
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Xj Oil - imports: NA  
.F{%w"_ Y5[ Natural gas - production: NA  #u7pz3^l
Natural gas - consumption: 680.9 million cu m (2001 est.)  3N+e3U'ZN&F'O"~
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)  8~/^ `dv.aO3D
Natural gas - imports: 680.9 million cu m (2001 est.)   qj{})ve/e^/X2i
Current account balance: $14.85 billion (2004 est.)  Rw i8F4@'gC
Exports: $268.1 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2004 est.)  Oa9BbB
Exports - commodities: electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material  
"V1A?H x*J?l Exports - partners: China 44%, US 17%, Japan 5.3% (2004)   ~DwGRQzXb9U
Imports: $275.9 billion (2004 est.)  7s1\7xT*Z?I9Y
Imports - commodities: raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)  
y5u,GB"|1v Imports - partners: China 43.5%, Japan 12.1%, Taiwan 7.3%, US 5.3%, Singapore 5.3%, South Korea 4.8% (2004)  
4oh6Tes7i'e Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $123.6 billion (31 December 2004 est.)  .rNQo9z
Debt - external: $66.94 billion (2004 est.)  
/M1v^!z6y#g/p8V Currency (code): Hong Kong dollar (HKD)  V.mh-mq/~
Currency code: HKD  
J-uZ!B!h `w W Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.788 (2004), 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001), 7.7912 (2000)  K"A*BoY`c
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Hong Kong xFpI"UwO8Y
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Telephones - main lines in use: 3,801,300 (2003)  1Q%Oc{'[
Telephones - mobile cellular: 7,241,400 (2003)  
,\\{V#|`aB;PY Telephone system: general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services
?"I0X^@'p@ domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network 'n"~*~$y _
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international: country code - 852; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe  
8`-TO0e&JL Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2004)  
0_;F P?R;p1~S Radios: 4.45 million (1997)  
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kd c Television broadcast stations: 4 (2004)  {*u,mxmY
Televisions: 1.84 million (1997)  9UO$| @p3s
Internet country code: .hk  
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w3U0@/I4j&V/Jmi Internet hosts: 591,993 (2003)  
S^O-r,B Bk'c Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 17 (2000)  f#ss9A\'M1}
Internet users: 3,212,800 (2003)  
V'U0xH$i-O+K:A Transportation Hong Kong
}-qlD,^3JO^ z Highways: total: 1,831 km
4qc)k6`?OZQ paved: 1,831 km
5D$zWWx#e+d(i unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)  
#sX&F1Lu-^'f6b~f Ports and harbors: Hong Kong  ER
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Merchant marine: total: 837 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,478,042 GRT/34,554,455 DWT
;R"C-rx3A\(e by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 446, cargo 119, chemical tanker 44, combination ore/oil 2, container 105, liquefied gas 20, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 75, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 8
5[LfwyO\^G9R3z6@ foreign-owned: 453 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Belgium 3, Canada 9, China 246, Denmark 3, France 5, Germany 13, Greece 19, India 1, Indonesia 1, Israel 1, Japan 51, Norway 16, Philippines 13, Singapore 17, South Korea 8, Taiwan 5, Thailand 4, UAE 1, United Kingdom 32, United States 3)
i$M1[(Q/Mix;{ registered in other countries: 373 (2005)  
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O Airports: 4 (2004 est.)  b#INP5c
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4
-]8[RfT_+t#W9b%k over 3,047 m: 1 .d$m2QB{6As]
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 Wr"{s3JQ_
914 to 1523 m: 1 +i:V2V*Z)Tj
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)  
A#tj:eU Heliports: 2 (2004 est.)  
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Military Hong Kong
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Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes 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  1}&Vr^}ju;[
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (2004)  'BY-jj-t9V#wM
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 1,743,972 (2005 est.)  )ba|sj8P Q
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,403,088 (2005 est.)   d$pw7k;Y`-]
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 40,343 (2005 est.)  `l%P\s4ta^:G
Military expenditures - dollar figure: Hong Kong garrison is funded by China; figures are NA  
w.] sY }:zmMX Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA  
?:C y3KR_E/j4e Military - note: defense is the responsibility of China  
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Transnational Issues Hong Kong -YC Q,~k7fvm8L

k]%x*u8|9EE1KPX Disputes - international: none  
Cwd9z2} Illicit 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 conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people  
|VouA+Z This page was last updated on 1 November, 2005

cool

it's awesome to read this. yet, it talkes some time due my poor reading. it's not necessary to rush, anyway.

At least we can understand most of it, I think. Try your best to do it and you will get something from your reading.

I want to go there,but I have to wait for two years at least...
m V B2Pw9LLg4UL cP#~9Xd5rNx
no passport..it is a problem..:)

Would you take some picture for HK ?

I am not in HK, so I may try my best to find some for you on website...:P

I have been there in last October~

[img]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/michael.hughes99/photos/hk19.jpg[/img]
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[[i] Last edited by  shirllytao at 2007-3-21 10:32 [/i]]

Reply #10 alexiong's post

Would you like sharing your experience in HK with us?:P

HK, a good place for shopping??

Reply #13 mindy's post

It is said to be the paredise for shopping ,but I heard that people in HK always come to Shenzhen to go shopping at weekend.

Reply #14 shirllytao's post

maybe the items in shenzhen are cheaper than the same ones in HK.:lol