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Compare Hong Kong (2001) - United Kingdom (2002)

Compare Hong Kong (2001) z United Kingdom (2002)

 Hong Kong (2001)United Kingdom (2002)
 Hong KongUnited Kingdom
Administrative divisions none (special administrative region of China) England - 47 boroughs, 36 counties*, 29 London boroughs**, 12 cities and boroughs***, 10 districts****, 12 cities*****, 3 royal boroughs******; Barking and Dagenham**, Barnet**, Barnsley, Bath and North East Somerset****, Bedfordshire*, Bexley**, Birmingham***, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Bradford***, Brent**, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol*****, Bromley**, Buckinghamshire*, Bury, Calderdale, Cambridgeshire*, Camden**, Cheshire*, Cornwall*, Coventry***, Croydon**, Cumbria*, Darlington, Derby*****, Derbyshire*, Devon*, Doncaster, Dorset*, Dudley, Durham*, Ealing**, East Riding of Yorkshire****, East Sussex*, Enfield**, Essex*, Gateshead, Gloucestershire*, Greenwich**, Hackney**, Halton, Hammersmith and Fulham**, Hampshire*, Haringey**, Harrow**, Hartlepool, Havering**, Herefordshire*, Hertfordshire*, Hillingdon**, Hounslow**, Isle of Wight*, Islington**, Kensington and Chelsea******, Kent*, City of Kingston upon Hull*****, Kingston upon Thames******, Kirklees, Knowsley, Lambeth**, Lancashire*, Leeds***, Leicester*****, Leicestershire*, Lewisham**, Lincolnshire*, Liverpool***, City of London*****, Luton, Manchester***, Medway, Merton**, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne***, Newham**, Norfolk*, Northamptonshire*, North East Lincolnshire****, North Lincolnshire****, North Somerset****, North Tyneside, Northumberland*, North Yorkshire*, Nottingham*****, Nottinghamshire*, Oldham, Oxfordshire*, Peterborough*****, Plymouth*****, Poole, Portsmouth*****, Reading, Redbridge**, Redcar and Cleveland, Richmond upon Thames**, Rochdale, Rotherham, Rutland****, Salford***, Shropshire*, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield***, Slough, Solihull, Somerset*, Southampton*****, Southend-on-Sea, South Gloucestershire****, South Tyneside, Southwark**, Staffordshire*, St. Helens, Stockport, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent*****, Suffolk*, Sunderland***, Surrey*, Sutton**, Swindon, Tameside, Telford and Wrekin****, Thurrock, Torbay, Tower Hamlets**, Trafford, Wakefield***, Walsall, Waltham Forest**, Wandsworth**, Warrington, Warwickshire*, West Berkshire****, Westminster***, West Sussex*, Wigan, Wiltshire*, Windsor and Maidenhead******, Wirral, Wokingham****, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire*, York*****; Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2 cities*, 6 counties**; Antrim, County Antrim**, Ards, Armagh, County Armagh**, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast*, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, County Down**, Dungannon, Fermanagh, County Fermanagh**, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, County Londonderry**, Derry*, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane, County Tyrone**; Scotland - 32 council areas; Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, The Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), West Lothian; Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9 counties*, 2 cities and counties**; Isle of Anglesey*, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff**, Ceredigion*, Carmarthenshire*, Conwy, Denbighshire*, Flintshire*, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire*, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire*, Powys*, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea**, Torfaen, The Vale of Glamorgan*, Wrexham
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: 18.7% (male 5,732,385; female 5,443,900)


15-64 years: 65.5% (male 19,803,478; female 19,381,734)


65 years and over: 15.8% (male 3,931,463; female 5,485,042) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products fresh vegetables; poultry cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Airports 3 (2000 est.) 470 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total:
3

over 3,047 m:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total: 334


over 3,047 m: 8


2,438 to 3,047 m: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 151


914 to 1,523 m: 83


under 914 m: 59 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 136


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 22


under 914 m: 112 (2002)
Area total:
1,092 sq km

land:
1,042 sq km

water:
50 sq km
total: 244,820 sq km


land: 241,590 sq km


water: 3,230 sq km


note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Area - comparative six times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Oregon
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. Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999.
Birth rate 11.13 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 11.34 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues:
$20.8 billion

expenditures:
$24.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00)
revenues: $565 billion


expenditures: $540 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01)
Capital - London
Climate tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Coastline 733 km 12,429 km
Constitution Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
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: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


conventional short form: United Kingdom


abbreviation: UK
Currency Hong Kong dollar (HKD) British pound (GBP)
Death rate 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $48.1 billion (1999) $NA
Dependency status special administrative region of China -
Dependent areas - Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
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
chief of mission: Ambassador William S. FARISH


embassy: 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A1AE


mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040


telephone: [44] (0) 207499-9000 (switchboard)


FAX: [44] (0) 207 629-8288


consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
Diplomatic representation in the US none (special administrative region of China) chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Christopher J. R. MEYER


chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500


FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco


consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, and Seattle
Disputes - international none Spain and UK are discussing "total shared sovereignty" over Gibraltar, subject to a constitutional referendum by Gibraltarians, who have largely expressed opposition to any form of cession to Spain; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory) and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; Argentina claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark and Iceland; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $4.5 billion (2000)
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. The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the quartet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. GDP growth slipped in 2001-02 as the global downturn, the high value of the pound, and the bursting of the "new economy" bubble hurt manufacturing and exports. Still, the economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interest rates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good economic performance has complicated the BLAIR government's efforts to make a case for Britain to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The Prime Minister has pledged to hold a public referendum if membership meets Chancellor of the Exchequer BROWN's five economic "tests." Scheduled for assessment by mid-2003, the tests will determine whether joining EMU would have a positive effect on British investment, employment, and growth. Critics point out, however, that the economy is thriving outside of EMU, and they point to public opinion polls that continue to show a majority of Britons opposed to the single currency. Meantime, the government has been speeding up the improvement of education, transport, and health services, at a cost in higher taxes.
Electricity - consumption 32.202 billion kWh (1999) 345.03 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 633 million kWh (1999) 134 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 7.05 billion kWh (1999) 14.308 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 27.726 billion kWh (1999) 355.76 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 73%


hydro: 1%


nuclear: 23%


other: 2% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m

highest point:
Tai Mo Shan 958 m
lowest point: Fenland -4 m


highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m
Environment - current issues air and water pollution from rapid urbanization continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move towards a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the Government aims to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015; between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8.8% to 10.3%
Environment - international agreements party to:
Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Chinese 95%, other 5% English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
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 British pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997)
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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)


head of government: Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May 1997)


cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister


elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister
Exports $204 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 2000 est.) $286.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities clothing, textiles, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners China 33%, US 24%, Japan 5%, UK 4%, Germany, Singapore (1999) EU 58.1% (Germany 12.5%, France 10.2%, Netherlands 7.7%, Ireland 7.3%), US 15.4% (2001)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) and which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, as well as British overseas territories
GDP purchasing power parity - $181 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $1.52 trillion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
0.1%

industry:
14.3%

services:
85.6% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 25%


services: 74% (2000)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $25,400 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $25,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 10% (2000 est.) 1.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 22 15 N, 114 10 E 54 00 N, 2 00 W
Geography - note more than 200 islands lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
Heliports 2 (2000 est.) 11 (2002)
Highways total:
1,831 km

paved:
1,831 km

unpaved:
0 km (1997)
total: 371,603 km


paved: 371,603 km (including 3,303 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 28% (1995)
Illicit drugs a hub for Southeast Asian heroin and regional stimulants trade; transshipment and money-laundering center; increasing indigenous amphetamine abuse gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; major consumer of synthetic drugs, producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering center
Imports $215 billion (f.o.b., 2000) $330.1 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is reexported manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners China 44%, Japan 12%, US 7%, Taiwan 7%, South Korea, Singapore (1999) EU 51.7% (Germany 12.7%, France 8.6%, Netherlands 6.7%, Benelux 5.1%), US 13.2% (2001)
Independence none (special administrative region of China) England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales was enacted under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284; in the Act of Union of 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanent union as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927
Industrial production growth rate 2.1% (2000) -3.4% (2002 est.)
Industries textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Infant mortality rate 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 5.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.7% (2000 est.) 2.1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 17 (2000) more than 400 (2000)
Irrigated land 20 sq km (1997 est.) 1,080 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts); Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary
Labor force 3.39 million (2000 est.) 29.7 million (2001)
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 25%, services 74% (1999)
Land boundaries total:
30 km

border countries:
China 30 km
total: 360 km


border countries: Ireland 360 km
Land use arable land:
6%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
1%

forests and woodland:
20%

other:
72% (1997 est.)
arable land: 26.41%


permanent crops: 0.18%


other: 73.41% (1998 est.)
Languages Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Legal system based on English common law common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; British courts and legislation are increasingly subject to review by European Union courts
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
bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords (consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (659 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)


elections: House of Lords - no elections (some proposals for further reform include elections); House of Commons - last held 7 June 2001 (next to be held by NA May 2006)


election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Labor 42.1%, Conservative and Unionist 32.7%, Liberal Democrats 18.8%, other 6.4%; seats by party - Labor 412, Conservative and Unionist 166, Liberal Democrat 52, other 29; note - seating as of 15 February 2002: Labor 410, Conservative 164, Liberal Democrats 53, other 32


note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Parliament (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and was twice rescinded before reinstatement in November 2001); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly
Life expectancy at birth total population:
79.67 years

male:
76.97 years

female:
82.55 years (2001 est.)
total population: 77.99 years


male: 75.29 years


female: 80.84 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population:
92.2%

male:
96%

female:
88.2% (1996 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling


total population: 99% (2000 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Map references Southeast Asia Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea:
3 NM
continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries


exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
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.)
total: 212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,308,232 GRT/4,171,757 DWT


ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 32, chemical tanker 13, combination ore/oil 1, container 53, liquefied gas 3, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 26, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Bermuda 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 21, Germany 6, Greece 3, Hong Kong 4, Italy 1, Monaco 4, Netherlands 1, Norway 9, Russia 1, South Africa 2, Sweden 11, Taiwan 2, United States 5 (2002 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of China -
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 Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA; note - separate budget for Hong Kong not established by China $31.7 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 2.32% (2002)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
2,020,937 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 14,632,418 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
1,520,531 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 12,151,734 (2002 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 Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, celebrated on the second Saturday in June (1926)
Nationality noun:
Chinese

adjective:
Chinese
noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)


adjective: British
Natural hazards occasional typhoons winter windstorms; floods
Natural resources outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land
Net migration rate 7.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km; petroleum products 2,993 km; natural gas 12,800 km
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
Conservative and Unionist Party [Iain DUNCAN SMITH]; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Charles KENNEDY]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan Wyn JONES]; Scottish National Party or SNP [John SWINNEY]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [David TRIMBLE]
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] Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress
Population 7,210,505 (July 2001 est.) 59,778,002 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 17%
Population growth rate 1.3% (2001 est.) 0.21% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Hong Kong Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dover, Falmouth, Felixstowe, Glasgow, Grangemouth, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Peterhead, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Scapa Flow, Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport, Tyne
Radio broadcast stations AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios 4.45 million (1997) 84.5 million (1997)
Railways total:
34 km

standard gauge:
34 km 1.435-m gauge (all electrified) (1996 est.)
total: 16,878 km


standard gauge: 16,536 km 1.435-m gauge (4,928 km electrified; 12,591 km double- or multiple-tracked)


broad gauge: 342 km 1.600-m gauge (190 km double-tracked)


note: all 1.600-m gauge track is in common carrier service in Northern Ireland (1996)
Religions eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% Anglican and Roman Catholic 40 million, Muslim 1.5 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu 500,000, Jewish 350,000
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: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 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: technologically advanced domestic and international system


domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems


international: 40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers
Telephones - main lines in use 3.839 million (1999) 34.878 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3.7 million (December 1999) 43.5 million (yearend 1998)
Television broadcast stations 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997) 228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Total fertility rate 1.29 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.73 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.5% (2000 est.) 5.2% (2002 est.)
Waterways none 3,200 km
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