Statistical information Hong Kong 1993

Hong Kong in the World
top of pageBackground: Pursuant to the agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong will become a special administrative region of China on 1 July 1997. Under the terms of this agreement, China has promised that Hong Kong shall enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs.
top of pageLocation:
East Asia, on the southeast coast of China bordering the South
China Sea
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal: 1,040 km²
Land: 990 km²
Land boundaries: total 30 km, China 30 km
Coastline: 733 km
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: 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
ElevationNatural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land useArable land: 7%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 1%
Forest and woodland: 12%
Other: 79%
Irrigated land: 20 km² (1989)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 5,552,965 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: -0.06% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Chinese
Adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups: Chinese 98%, other 2%
Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English
Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: -0.06% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 12.27 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 5.68 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: -7.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentAir pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 5.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 79.99 years
Male: 76.55 years
Female: 83.64 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
Total population: 77%
Male: 90%
Female: 64%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Hong Kong
Government type: dependent territory of the UK scheduled to revert to China in 1997
Capital: Victoria
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Dependent areasIndependence:
none (dependent territory of the UK; the UK signed an agreement with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1
July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 August (1945)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; new Basic Law approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
Legal system: based on English common law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: direct election 21 years of age; universal as a permanent resident living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years indirect election limited to about 100,000 professionals of electoral college and functional constituencies
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief secretary of the Executive Council
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) Head of Government: Governor Chris PATTEN (since NA July 1992; Chief Secretary Sir David Robert FORD (since NA February 1987)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: APEC, AsDB, CCC, ESCAP (associate), GATT, ICFTU, IMO (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us: as a dependent territory of the UK, the interests of Hong Kong in the US are represented by the UK
From the us chief of mission: Consul General Richard L. WILLIAMS
From the us embassy: Consulate General at 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong
From the us mailing address: Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO AP 96,522-0002
From the us telephone: 852 239-011
Flag description
: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a shield (bearing two junks below a crown) held by a lion (representing the UK) and a dragon (representing China) with another lion above the shield and a banner bearing the words HONG KONG below the shield
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy with few tariffs or nontariff barriers. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Manufacturing accounts for about 18% of GDP, employs 28% of the labor force, and exports about 90% of its output. Real GDP growth averaged a remarkable 8% in 1987-88, slowed to 3.0% in 1989-90, and picked up to 4.2% in 1991 and 5.9% in 1992. Unemployment, which has been declining since the mid-1980s, is now about 2%. A shortage of labor continues to put upward pressure on prices and the cost of living. Short-term prospects remain bright so long as major trading partners continue to be reasonably prosperous.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 5.9% (1992)
Real gdp per capita: $14,600 (1992 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: minor role in the economy; rice, vegetables, dairy products; less than 20% self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water
Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%
Labor force: 2.8 million (1990)
By occupation manufacturing: 28.5%
By occupation wholesaleandretailtrade restaurants and hotels: 27.9%
By occupation services: 17.7%
By occupation financing insurance andrealestate: 9.2%
By occupation transport and communications: 4.5%
By occupation construction: 2.5%
By occupation other: 9.7% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $17.4 billion; expenditures $14.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $118 billion, including reexports of $85.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: clothing, textiles, yarn and fabric, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys
Partners: China 37%, Japan 16%, Taiwan 9%, US 8% (1990)
Imports: $120 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.800 (1992), 7.771 (1991), 7.790 (1990), 7.800 (1989), 7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987; note - linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
top of pageElectricityProduction: 9,566,000 kW capacity; 29,400 million kWh produced, 4,980 kWh per capita (1992)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989 est.); this represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending itself, the remainder being paid by the UK
Percent of gdp note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 2
Usable: 2
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 0
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine:
176 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 5,870,007
GRT/10,006,390 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 29 container, 15 oil tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 6 combination ore/oil, 5 liquefied gas, 88 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience registry; ships registered in Hong Kong fly the UK flag, and an estimated 500 Hong Kong-owned ships are registered elsewhere
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and major financial and money-laundering center