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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
Hong Kong
    n 1: formerly a Crown Colony on the coast of southern China in
         Guangdong province; leased by China to Britain in 1842 and
         returned in 1997; one of the world's leading commercial
         centers

2. CIA World Factbook 2002
Hong Kong

   Introduction Hong Kong
   ----------------------
                            Background: 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 Hong Kong
   -------------------
                              Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South
                                        China Sea and China
                Geographic coordinates: 22 15 N, 114 10 E
                        Map references: Southeast Asia
                                  Area: total: 1,092 sq km
                                        water: 50 sq km
                                        land: 1,042 sq km
                    Area - comparative: six times the size of Washington, DC
                       Land boundaries: total: 30 km
                                        border countries: China 30 km
                             Coastline: 733 km
                       Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 NM
                               Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in
                                        winter, hot and rainy from spring
                                        through summer, warm and sunny in
                                        fall
                               Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep
                                        slopes; lowlands in north
                    Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
                                        highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
                     Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor,
                                        feldspar
                              Land use: arable land: 5.05%
                                        other: 93.94% (1998 est.)
                                        permanent crops: 1.01%
                        Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)
                       Natural hazards: occasional typhoons
          Environment - current issues: air and water pollution from rapid
                                        urbanization
            Environment - international party to: Marine Dumping (associate
                            agreements: member), Ship Pollution (associate
                                        member)
                      Geography - note: more than 200 islands
  
   People Hong Kong
   ----------------
                            Population: 7,303,334 (July 2002 est.)
                         Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.5% (male 679,311;
                                        female 599,811)
                                        15-64 years: 71.6% (male 2,587,509;
                                        female 2,641,418)
                                        65 years and over: 10.9% (male
                                        364,864; female 430,421) (2002 est.)
                Population growth rate: 1.26% (2002 est.)
                            Birth rate: 10.92 births/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                            Death rate: 6.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                    Net migration rate: 7.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population
                                        (2002 est.)
                             Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
                                        under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
                                        15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
                                        65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/
                                        female
                                        total population: 0.99 male(s)/
                                        female (2002 est.)
                 Infant mortality rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
                                        est.)
              Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.8 years
                                        female: 82.69 years (2002 est.)
                                        male: 77.1 years
                  Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (2002 est.)
      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.06% (1999 est.)
     HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 2,500 (1999 est.)
                                  AIDS:
                     HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
                           Nationality: noun: Chinese
                                        adjective: Chinese
                         Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%, other 5%
                             Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions
                                        90%, Christian 10%
                             Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English; both
                                        are official
                              Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever
                                        attended school
                                        total population: 92.2%
                                        male: 96%
                                        female: 88.2% (1996 est.)
  
   Government Hong Kong
   --------------------
                          Country name: conventional long form: Hong Kong
                                        Special Administrative Region
                                        conventional short form: Hong Kong
                                        local short form: Xianggang
                                        local long form: Xianggang Tebie
                                        Xingzhengqu
                                        abbreviation: HK
                     Dependency status: special administrative region of
                                        China
                       Government type: NA
              Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region
                                        of China)
                          Independence: none (special administrative region
                                        of China)
                      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"
                          Legal system: based on English common law
                              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 committee
                                        drawn from broad regional groupings,
                                        municipal organizations, and 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 Donald
                                        TSANG Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001),
                                        Financial Secretary Antony LEUNG
                                        (since 1 May 2001), 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, 24 elected by
                                        popular vote, and 6 elected by an
                                        800-member election committee;
                                        members serve four-year terms)
                                        elections: last held 10 September
                                        2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
                                        election results: percent of vote by
                                        party - NA%; seats by party -
                                        Democratic Party 12, Democratic
                                        Alliance for the Betterment of Hong
                                        Kong 10, Liberal Party 7, Frontier
                                        Party 5, Hong Kong Progressive
                                        Alliance 4, New Century Forum 2,
                                        Hong Kong Association for Democracy
                                        and People's Livelihood 1,
                                        independents 19
                       Judicial branch: The Court of Final Appeal in the
                                        Hong Kong Special Administrative
                                        Region
         Political parties and leaders: Association for Democracy and
                                        People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG
                                        Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party
                                        [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic
                                        Alliance for the Betterment of Hong
                                        Kong [Jasper TSANG Yok-sing,
                                        chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin
                                        LEE Chu-ming, chairman]; Frontier
                                        Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing,
                                        chairwoman]; Hong Kong Association
                                        for Democracy and People's
                                        Livelihood [leader NA]; Hong Kong
                                        Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU
                                        Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party [James
                                        TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]; New
                                        Century Forum [NQ Ching-fai,
                                        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
          Political pressure groups and Chinese General Chamber of Commerce
                               leaders: (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) [LEE Chark-tim,
                                        president]; 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]
             International organization APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP
                         participation: (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO
                                        (associate), Interpol (subbureau),
                                        IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO,
                                        WToO (associate), WTrO
   Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region
                                        of China)
     Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Consul General
                                    US: Michael KLOSSON
                                        consulate(s) general: 26 Garden
                                        Road, Hong Kong
                                        mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30,
                                        FPO AP 96522-0002
                                        telephone: [852] 2523-9011
                                        FAX: [852] 2845-1598
                      Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-
                                        petal bauhinia flower in the center
  
   Economy Hong Kong
   -----------------
                    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. Per capita GDP compares
                                        with the level in the four big
                                        economies of Western Europe. GDP
                                        growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989-
                                        97. The widespread Asian economic
                                        difficulties in 1998 hit this trade-
                                        dependent economy quite hard, with
                                        GDP down 5%. The economy, with
                                        growth of 10% in 2000, recovered
                                        rapidly from the Asian financial
                                        crisis. The recent global downturn
                                        has badly hurt Hong Kong's exports
                                        and GDP growth is estimated to be 0%
                                        in 2001. Private sector analysts
                                        project 2002 GDP growth to be 1.8%.
                                   GDP: purchasing power parity - $180
                                        billion (2001 est.)
                GDP - real growth rate: 0% (2001 est.)
                      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,000
                                        (2001 est.)
           GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1%
                                        industry: 14.3%
                                        services: 85.6% (1999 est.)
         Population below poverty line: NA%
     Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
                      percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
      Inflation rate (consumer prices): -1.6% (2001 est.)
                           Labor force: 3.44 million (2001 est.)
           Labor force - by occupation: wholesale and retail trade,
                                        restaurants, and hotels 31%,
                                        financing, insurance, and real
                                        estate 13%, community and social
                                        services 11%, manufacturing 7%,
                                        transport and communications 6%,
                                        construction 2%, other 30% (2001
                                        est.)
                     Unemployment rate: 5.2% (2001 est.)
                                Budget: revenues: $22.9 billion
                                        expenditures: $24.6 billion,
                                        including capital expenditures of
                                        $465 million (FY00/01)
                            Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism,
                                        banking, shipping, electronics,
                                        plastics, toys, watches, clocks
     Industrial production growth rate: -9% (2001 est.)
              Electricity - production: 29.449 billion kWh (2000)
    Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
                                        hydro: 0%
                                        other: 0% (2000)
                                        nuclear: 0%
             Electricity - consumption: 35,401.57 million kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - exports: 1.181 billion kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - imports: 9.195 billion kWh (2000)
                Agriculture - products: fresh vegetables; poultry, fish,
                                        pork
                               Exports: $191 billion (including reexports;
                                        f.o.b., 2001 est.)
                 Exports - commodities: clothing, textiles, footwear,
                                        electrical appliances, watches and
                                        clocks, toys, plastics, precious
                                        stones
                    Exports - partners: China 34%, US 23%, Japan 6%, Germany
                                        4%, UK 4%, Taiwan 3%, Singapore 2%
                                        (2000)
                               Imports: $203 billion (2001 est.)
                 Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw
                                        materials, semimanufactures,
                                        petroleum, plastics, machinery,
                                        electrical equipment; a large share
                                        is reexported
                    Imports - partners: China 43%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 8%, US
                                        7%, South Korea 5%, Singapore 3%
                                        (2000)
                       Debt - external: $58.8 billion (2001 est.)
                              Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
                         Currency code: HKD
                        Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars per US dollar -
                                        7.798 (January 2002), 7.7994 (2001),
                                        7.7918 (2000), 7.7589 (1999), 7.7462
                                        (1998), 7.7425 (1997); note - the
                                        Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US
                                        dollar at a rate of about 7.8 Hong
                                        Kong dollars per US dollar
                           Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
  
   Communications Hong Kong
   ------------------------
        Telephones - main lines in use: 3.839 million (1999)
          Telephones - mobile cellular: 3.7 million (December 1999)
                      Telephone system: general assessment: 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
              Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
                                Radios: 4.45 million (1997)
         Television broadcast stations: 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
                           Televisions: 1.84 million (1997)
                 Internet country code: .hk
     Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 17 (2000)
                        Internet users: 3.93 million (2001)
  
   Transportation Hong Kong
   ------------------------
                              Railways: total: 34 km
                                        standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge
                                        (electrified and double-tracked)
                                        note: connects to China railway
                                        system at Hong Kong-China border
                                        (2001)
                              Highways: total: 1,831 km
                                        paved: 1,831 km
                                        unpaved: 0 km (1997)
                             Waterways: none
                     Ports and harbors: Hong Kong
                       Merchant marine: total: 433 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
                                        totaling 13,539,257 GRT/22,682,757
                                        DWT
                                        ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk
                                        264, cargo 38, chemical tanker 10,
                                        combination bulk 2, container 73,
                                        liquefied gas 8, multi-functional
                                        large-load carrier 1, petroleum
                                        tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 1,
                                        short-sea passenger 1, vehicle
                                        carrier 2
                                        note: includes some foreign-owned
                                        ships registered here as a flag of
                                        convenience: Belgium 5, Belize 1,
                                        British Virgin Islands 1, China 115,
                                        Denmark 2, Germany 19, Greece 2,
                                        India 8, Japan 8, Liberia 1,
                                        Malaysia 7, Norway 1, Panama 2,
                                        Philippines 5, Singapore 7, South
                                        Korea 2, Taiwan 1, United Kingdom
                                        27, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002
                                        est.)
                              Airports: 3 (2001)
         Airports - with paved runways: total: 3
                                        over 3,047 m: 1
                                        1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
                             Heliports: 2 (2001)
  
   Military Hong Kong
   ------------------
                     Military 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
      Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
      Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,028,208 (2002
                                        est.)
   Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 1,523,378 (2002
                               service: est.)
           Military manpower - reaching males: 47,139 (2002 est.)
                 military age annually:
     Military expenditures - percent of NA%
                                   GDP:
                       Military - note: defense is the responsibility of
                                        China
  
   Transnational Issues Hong Kong
   ------------------------------
              Disputes - international: none
                         Illicit drugs: strenuous law enforcement efforts,
                                        but faces serious 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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