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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 practiced in 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
Location
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates
22 15 N, 114 10 E
Area
total: 1,092 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km
water: 50 sq km
six times the size of Washington, DC
Border countries
China
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: 6%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 20%
other: 72% (1997 est.)
Note
more than 200 islands
People
Population: 7,210,505 (July 2001 est.)
Population growth rate
1.3% (2001 est.)
Birth rate
11.13 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate
6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate
5.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 79.67 years
male: 76.97 years
female: 82.55 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.29 children born/woman (2001 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 can read and write
total population: 92.2%
male: 96%
female: 88.2% (1996 est.)
Government
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
Government type
Not Applicable
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
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 countries 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 is undergoing a rapid recovery, with growth of 10% in 2000 to be followed by projected growth of 5% in 2001.
GDP by sector
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 14.3%
services: 85.6% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line
Not Applicable
Inflation rate
3.7% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 3.39 million (2000 est.)
wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31.5%
community and social services 24%, financing, insurance, and real estate 14.5%
transport and communications 11.6%
manufacturing 7.7%
construction 2.6% (October 1999)
Unemployment rate
4.5% (2000 est.)
Communications
Telephones: 3.839 million (1999)
Mobile Phones: 3.7 million (December 1999)
Radios: 4.45 million (1997)
Televisions: 1.84 million (1997)
Internet users: 1.85 million (2000)
Transportation
Railways: total: 34 km
Highways: total: 1,831 km
Waterways: none
Airports: 3 (2000 est.)
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