Hong Kong (2001) | Andorra (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | none (special administrative region of China) | 7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
17.73% (male 677,785; female 600,781) 15-64 years: 71.52% (male 2,554,329; female 2,602,662) 65 years and over: 10.75% (male 354,199; female 420,749) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 14.8% (male 5,471/female 4,995)
15-64 years: 71.5% (male 26,463/female 23,977) 65 years and over: 13.7% (male 4,780/female 4,863) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fresh vegetables; poultry | small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep |
Airports | 3 (2000 est.) | none (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
1,092 sq km land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km |
total: 468 sq km
land: 468 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | six times the size of Washington, DC | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Urgel). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous Andorra achieved considerable prosperity since World War II through its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal) are attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes. |
Birth rate | 11.13 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 9 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$20.8 billion expenditures: $24.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00) |
revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997) |
Capital | - | Andorra la Vella |
Climate | tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall | temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
Coastline | 733 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" | Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991, approved by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 4 May 1993 |
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 abbreviation: HK |
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra local long form: Principat d'Andorra local short form: Andorra |
Currency | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) | - |
Death rate | 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.07 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $48.1 billion (1999) | $NA |
Dependency status | special administrative region of China | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Consul General 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 |
the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are represented by the Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (93) 280-2227; FAX: [34] (93) 280-6175 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (special administrative region of China) | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jelena V. PIA-COMELLA
chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064 FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | none |
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. | Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for roughly 80% of GDP. An estimated 9 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage has recently eroded as the economies of neighboring France and Spain have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its "tax haven" status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products. |
Electricity - consumption | 32.202 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 633 million kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 7.05 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower |
Electricity - production | 27.726 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m |
lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m
highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m |
Environment - current issues | air and water pollution from rapid urbanization | deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member) |
party to: Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Chinese 95%, other 5% | Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) |
Exchange rates | Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7990 (January 2001), 7.7912 (2000), 7.7575 (1999), 7.7453 (1998), 7.7421 (1997), 7.7343 (1996); note - Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China on 1 July 1997; before then, the Hong Kong dollar was linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per US dollar | euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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 Anson CHAN (since 29 November 1993), Financial Secretary Donald TSANG (since 7 March 1995), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997) elections: NA |
chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish Coprince Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003), represented by Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since NA)
head of government: Executive Council President Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA (since 27 May 2005) cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive Council president elections: Executive Council president elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term; election last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held April-May 2005) election results: Marc FORNE MOLNE elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - NA% |
Exports | $204 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $58 million f.o.b. (1998) |
Exports - commodities | clothing, textiles, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys | tobacco products, furniture |
Exports - partners | China 33%, US 24%, Japan 5%, UK 4%, Germany, Singapore (1999) | Spain 58%, France 34% (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat of arms features a quartered shield; similar to the flags of Chad and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the center, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $181 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
0.1% industry: 14.3% services: 85.6% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $25,400 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $26,800 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 10% (2000 est.) | 2% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 22 15 N, 114 10 E | 42 30 N, 1 30 E |
Geography - note | more than 200 islands | landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees |
Heliports | 2 (2000 est.) | - |
Highways | total:
1,831 km paved: 1,831 km unpaved: 0 km (1997) |
total: 269 km
paved: 198 km unpaved: 71 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | a hub for Southeast Asian heroin and regional stimulants trade; transshipment and money-laundering center; increasing indigenous amphetamine abuse | - |
Imports | $215 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $1.077 billion (1998) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is reexported | consumer goods, food, electricity |
Imports - partners | China 44%, Japan 12%, US 7%, Taiwan 7%, South Korea, Singapore (1999) | Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (2000) |
Independence | none (special administrative region of China) | 1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel) |
Industrial production growth rate | 2.1% (2000) | NA% |
Industries | textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks | tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking |
Infant mortality rate | 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 4.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.7% (2000 est.) | 4.3% (2000) |
International organization participation | APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO | CE, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 17 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 20 sq km (1997 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice or Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional |
Labor force | 3.39 million (2000 est.) | 33,000 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | 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) | agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
30 km border countries: China 30 km |
total: 120.3 km
border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km |
Land use | arable land:
6% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 20% other: 72% (1997 est.) |
arable land: 2.22%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.78% (2001) |
Languages | Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official | Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese |
Legal system | based on English common law | based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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 |
unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the 7 parishes; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held March-April 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%, CDA 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS 12, CDA 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.67 years male: 76.97 years female: 82.55 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 83.51 years
male: 80.6 years female: 86.6 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.2% (1996 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China | Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea:
3 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total:
354 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,330,662 GRT/17,227,315 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 208, cargo 36, chemical tanker 7, combination bulk 2, container 59, liquefied gas 6, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, petroleum tanker 26, refrigerated cargo 3, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Bermuda 2, Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 9, Japan 3, Mongolia 1, Norway 1, South Africa 1, UK 7 (2000 est.) |
registered in other countries: 1 |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of China | defense is the responsibility of France and Spain |
Military branches | 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 | no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA; note - separate budget for Hong Kong not established by China | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
2,020,937 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
1,520,531 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
47,139 (2001 est.) |
- |
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 | Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) |
Nationality | noun:
Chinese adjective: Chinese |
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran |
Natural hazards | occasional typhoons | avalanches |
Natural resources | outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar | hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead |
Net migration rate | 7.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [leader NA]; 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 |
Andorran Democratic Center Party or CDA (formerly Democratic Party or PD) [leader NA]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA (formerly Liberal Union or UL) [Albert PINTAT]; Social Democratic Party or PS (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND) [Mariona GONZALEZ REOLIT] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (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] | NA |
Population | 7,210,505 (July 2001 est.) | 70,549 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.3% (2001 est.) | 0.95% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Hong Kong | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 4.45 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total:
34 km standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (all electrified) (1996 est.) |
- |
Religions | eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% | Roman Catholic (predominant) |
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: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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 | 18 years of age; universal |
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 |
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges international: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and Spain |
Telephones - main lines in use | 3.839 million (1999) | 35,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3.7 million (December 1999) | 23,500 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997) | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north | rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys |
Total fertility rate | 1.29 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.29 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4.5% (2000 est.) | 0% (1996 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |