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Compare Barbados (2007) - Hong Kong (2005)

Compare Barbados (2007) z Hong Kong (2005)

 Barbados (2007)Hong Kong (2005)
 BarbadosHong Kong
Administrative divisions 11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas none (special administrative region of China)
Age structure 0-14 years: 19.7% (male 27,659/female 27,573)


15-64 years: 71.4% (male 98,633/female 102,020)


65 years and over: 8.9% (male 9,662/female 15,399) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 498,771/female 454,252)


15-64 years: 73.5% (male 2,479,656/female 2,591,170)


65 years and over: 12.7% (male 404,308/female 470,529) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, vegetables, cotton fresh vegetables, poultry, fish, pork
Airports 1 (2007) 4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
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.)
Area total: 431 sq km


land: 431 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 1,092 sq km


land: 1,042 sq km


water: 50 sq km
Area - comparative 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC six times the size of Washington, DC
Background The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. 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.
Birth rate 12.61 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7.23 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $847 million (including grants)


expenditures: $886 million (2000 est.)
revenues: $26.6 billion


expenditures: $31.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (2004 est.)
Capital name: Bridgetown


geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
-
Climate tropical; rainy season (June to October) tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Coastline 97 km 733 km
Constitution 30 November 1966 Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Barbados
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
Death rate 8.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 5.98 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $668 million (2003) $66.94 billion (2004 est.)
Dependency status - special administrative region of China
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN


embassy: U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael


mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055


telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950


FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379
chief of mission: Consul General James B. CUNNINGHAM


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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING


chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200


FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467


consulate(s) general: Miami, New York


consulate(s): Los Angeles
none (special administrative region of China)
Disputes - international in April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a decision that delimited a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and compelled Barbados to enter a fishing agreement limiting Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea none
Economic aid - recipient $2.07 million (2005) -
Economy - overview Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth was positive in 2005-06, as economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately improved. 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.
Electricity - consumption 886.3 million kWh (2005) 38.45 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 3 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 10.4 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 953 million kWh (2005) 35.51 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Environment - current issues pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member)
Ethnic groups black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% Chinese 95%, other 5%
Exchange rates Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002) Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.788 (2004), 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001), 7.7912 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)


head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 7 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)


head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005)


cabinet: Executive Council consists of seven non-official members and 14 official members


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)
Exports NA bbl/day NA
Exports - commodities sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
Exports - partners US 27.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 15%, UK 10.2%, Saint Lucia 7%, Jamaica 6.5%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.3% (2006) China 44%, US 17%, Japan 5.3% (2004)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident) red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 6%


industry: 16%


services: 78% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 0.1%


industry: 11.3%


services: 88.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $34,200 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.5% (2006 est.) 7.9% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 13 10 N, 59 32 W 22 15 N, 114 10 E
Geography - note easternmost Caribbean island more than 200 islands
Heliports - 2 (2004 est.)
Highways - total: 1,831 km


paved: 1,831 km


unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center 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
Imports NA bbl/day NA
Imports - commodities consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)
Imports - partners US 37.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 22.6%, UK 5.9% (2006) China 43.5%, Japan 12.1%, Taiwan 7.3%, US 5.3%, Singapore 5.3%, South Korea 4.8% (2004)
Independence 30 November 1966 (from UK) none (special administrative region of China)
Industrial production growth rate -3.2% (2000 est.) 1% (2004 est.)
Industries tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Infant mortality rate total: 11.55 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 12.88 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 10.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 2.97 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 2.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) -0.5% (2003 est.) -0.3% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO
Irrigated land 50 sq km (2003) 20 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice is the highest court of appeal Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Labor force 128,500 (2001 est.) 3.54 million (October 2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 10%


industry: 15%


services: 75% (1996 est.)
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%


note: above data exclude public sector (2004 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 30 km


regional border: China 30 km
Land use arable land: 37.21%


permanent crops: 2.33%


other: 60.46% (2005)
arable land: 5.05%


permanent crops: 1.01%


other: 93.94% (2001)
Languages English Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official
Legal system English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on English common law
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008)


election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7
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 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11, Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1; other 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73 years


male: 71.02 years


female: 75.01 years (2007 est.)
total population: 81.5 years


male: 78.81 years


female: 84.41 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 99.7%


male: 99.7%


female: 99.7% (2002 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 93.5%


male: 96.9%


female: 89.6% (2002)
Location Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Southeast Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Merchant marine total: 71 ships (1000 GRT or over) 539,579 GRT/793,899 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 39, chemical tanker 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 67 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 9, Greece 11, India 1, Lebanon 1, Monaco 1, Norway 35, Sweden 5, UK 3)


registered in other countries: 1 (St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)
total: 837 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,478,042 GRT/34,554,455 DWT


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


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)


registered in other countries: 373 (2005)
Military - note the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2005) defense is the responsibility of China
Military branches Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2007) 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
Military expenditures - dollar figure - Hong Kong garrison is funded by China; figures are NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.5% (2006 est.) NA
National holiday Independence Day, 30 November (1966) 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
Nationality noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)


adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
noun: Chinese/Hong Konger


adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong
Natural hazards infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides occasional typhoons
Natural resources petroleum, fish, natural gas outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Net migration rate -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 5.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG] 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]


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
Political pressure groups and leaders Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST]; Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, which includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados Workers Union or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD] 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]
Population 280,946 (July 2007 est.) 6,898,686 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA
Population growth rate 0.369% (2007 est.) 0.65% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Hong Kong
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.003 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.967 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.627 male(s)/female


total population: 0.938 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 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
Telephone system general assessment: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of 75 per 100 persons


domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system


international: country code - 1-246; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2007)
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
Telephones - main lines in use 134,900 (2005) 3,801,300 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 206,200 (2005) 7,241,400 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004) 4 (2004)
Terrain relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Total fertility rate 1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.) 0.91 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 10.7% (2003 est.) 6.7% (2004 est.)
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