Hong Kong (2002) | Pakistan (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | none (special administrative region of China) | 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier Province, Punjab, Sindh
note: the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.5% (male 679,311; female 599,811)
15-64 years: 71.6% (male 2,587,509; female 2,641,418) 65 years and over: 10.9% (male 364,864; female 430,421) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 39.9% (male 30,321,217; female 28,581,334)
15-64 years: 56% (male 42,254,996; female 40,392,092) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 2,984,391; female 3,129,399) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fresh vegetables; poultry, fish, pork | cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; milk, beef, mutton, eggs |
Airports | 3 (2001) | 120 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 87
over 3,047 m: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 32 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 19 (2002) |
Area | total: 1,092 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km |
total: 803,940 sq km
land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km |
Area - comparative | six times the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than twice the size of California |
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 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. | The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. |
Birth rate | 10.92 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 30.4 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $22.9 billion
expenditures: $24.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $465 million (FY00/01) |
revenues: $8.9 billion
expenditures: $11.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | - | Islamabad |
Climate | tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall | mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north |
Coastline | 733 km | 1,046 km |
Constitution | Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" | 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999 |
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: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
conventional short form: Pakistan former: West Pakistan |
Currency | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) | Pakistani rupee (PKR) |
Death rate | 6.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 9.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $58.8 billion (2001 est.) | $31.5 billion (2001 est.) |
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy J. POWELL
embassy: Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad mailing address: P. O. Box 1048, Unit 62200, APO AE 09812-2200 telephone: [92] (51) 2080-0000 FAX: [92] (51) 2276427 consulate(s): Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (special administrative region of China) | chief of mission: Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir QAZI
chancery: 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-6205 FAX: [1] (202) 387-0484 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York, and Sunnyvale (California) |
Disputes - international | none | armed stand-off with India over the status and sovereignty of Kashmir continues; dispute with India over the terminus of Rann of Kutch prevents extension of a maritime boundary; water-sharing problems with India persist over the Indus River (Wular Barrage); close ties with Pashtuns in Afghanistan make long border difficult to control |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $2 billion (FY99/00) |
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 economies 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, with growth of 10% in 2000, recovered rapidly from the Asian financial crisis. The recent global downturn has badly hurt Hong Kong's exports and GDP growth is estimated to be 0% in 2001. Private sector analysts project 2002 GDP growth to be 1.8%. | Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, suffers from internal political disputes, lack of foreign investment, and a costly confrontation with neighboring India. Pakistan's economic prospects, marred by poor human development indicators, low levels of foreign investment, and reliance on international creditors for hard currency inflows, were nonetheless on an upswing through most of 2001. The MUSHARRAF government made significant inroads in macroeconomic reform - it completed an IMF short-term loan program for the first time and improved its standing with international creditors by increasing revenue collection and restraining the fiscal deficit in the 2001/02 budget. While Pakistan has capitalized on its international standing after the 11 September terrorist attacks on the US by garnering substantial assistance from abroad - including $1.3 billion in IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility aid and $12.5 billion in Paris Club debt rescheduling - long-term prospects remain uncertain. GDP growth will continue to hinge on crop performance; dependence on foreign oil leaves the import bill vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices; and foreign and domestic investors remain wary of committing to projects in Pakistan. Pakistani trade levels - already in decline due to the global economic downturn - worsened in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. |
Electricity - consumption | 35.402 billion kWh (2000) | 58.299 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 1.181 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 9.195 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 29.449 billion kWh (2000) | 62.687 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 64%
hydro: 35% nuclear: 1% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m |
Environment - current issues | air and water pollution from rapid urbanization | water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member) | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban |
Ethnic groups | Chinese 95%, other 5% | Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants) |
Exchange rates | Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.798 (January 2002), 7.7994 (2001), 7.7918 (2000), 7.7589 (1999), 7.7462 (1998), 7.7425 (1997); note - the Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar at a rate of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per US dollar | Pakistani rupees per US dollar - 60.719 (January 2002), 61.927 (2001), 53.648 (2000), 49.118 (1999), 44.943 (1998), 40.918 (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 Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary Antony LEUNG (since 1 May 2001), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997) elections: NA |
note: following a military takeover on 12 October 1999, Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Pervez MUSHARRAF, suspended Pakistan's constitution and assumed the additional title of Chief Executive; exercising the powers of the head of the government, he appointed an eight-member National Security Council to function as Pakistan's supreme governing body; on 12 May 2000, Pakistan's Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted MUSHARRAF executive and legislative authority for three years from the coup date; on 20 June 2001, MUSHARRAF named himself as president and was sworn in, replacing Mohammad Rafiq TARAR; in a referendum held on 30 April 2002, MUSHARRAF's presidency was extended by five more years
chief of state: President Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 20 June 2001) note - MUSHARRAF is both chief of state and head of government head of government: Chief Executive Pervez MUSHARRAF (since 12 May 2000) note - MUSHARRAF is both chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief executive elections: legislative election last held 10 October 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prior to the military takeover, Pakistan had an elected president and prime minister; the president was elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 31 December 1997; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition was usually elected prime minister by the National Assembly election results: results are for the 10 October 2002 election for prime minister - Mir Zafarullah Khan JAMALI elected prime minister (not a position of real power) |
Exports | $191 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2001 est.) | $8.8 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
Exports - commodities | clothing, textiles, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones | textiles (garments, cotton cloth, and yarn), rice, other agricultural products |
Exports - partners | China 34%, US 23%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 4%, Taiwan 3%, Singapore 2% (2000) | US 24.8%, UK 6.5%, UAE 6.2%, Hong Kong 5.9%, Germany 5.6%, (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center | green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $180 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $299 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0%
industry: 14% services: 86% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 26%
industry: 24% services: 50% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0% (2001 est.) | 3.3% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 22 15 N, 114 10 E | 30 00 N, 70 00 E |
Geography - note | more than 200 islands | controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent |
Heliports | 2 (2002) | 13 (2002) |
Highways | total: 1,831 km
paved: 1,831 km unpaved: 0 km (1997) |
total: 247,811 km
paved: 141,252 km (including 339 km of expressways) unpaved: 106,559 km (1998) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 28% (1997) (1997) |
Illicit drugs | strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces serious challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides a conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people | opium poppy cultivation practically eliminated; key transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western markets; Afghan narcotics continue to transit Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Balochistan Province, and Karachi; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain problems |
Imports | $203 billion (2001 est.) | $9.2 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics, machinery, electrical equipment; a large share is reexported | machinery, petroleum, petroleum products, chemicals, transportation equipment, edible oils, grains, pulses, flour |
Imports - partners | China 43%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 8%, US 7%, South Korea 5%, Singapore 3% (2000) | Kuwait 11.7%, UAE 10.7%, Saudi Arabia 10.5%, US 6%, Japan 5.6% (2000) |
Independence | none (special administrative region of China) | 14 August 1947 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | -9% (2001 est.) | 7% (2001 est.) |
Industries | textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks | textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp |
Infant mortality rate | 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 78.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -1.6% (2001 est.) | 4% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO | AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), C (suspended), CCC, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 17 (2000) | 30 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 20 sq km (1998 est.) | 180,000 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court |
Labor force | 3.44 million (2001 est.) | 40.4 million
note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31%, financing, insurance, and real estate 13%, community and social services 11%, manufacturing 7%, transport and communications 6%, construction 2%, other 30% (2001 est.) | agriculture 44%, industry 17%, services 39% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 30 km
border countries: China 30 km |
total: 6,774 km
border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.05%
permanent crops: 1.01% other: 93.94% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 27.81%
permanent crops: 0.79% other: 71.4% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official | Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8% |
Legal system | based on English common law | based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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 or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats - formerly 87; members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve six-year terms; one-third of the members up for election every two years) and the National Assembly (342 seats - formerly 217; 10 seats represent minorities; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 March 1997 (next to be held by October 2002); National Assembly - last held 10 October 2002 (next to be held by October 2007) election results: Senate results are for the last election prior to the military takeover; - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PML/N 30, PPP 17, ANP 7, MQM 6, JWP 5, BNP 4, JUI/F 2, PML/J 2, BNM/H 1, PKMAP 1, TJP 1, independents 6, vacant 5; National Assembly results are for the 10 October 2002 election - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPP 71, PML/Q 69, MMA 53, PML/N 14, MQM 13, MP 12, PML/F 4, PML/J 2, PPP/SB 2, female elected members 60, independents 21, minorities 10, others 11 note: Gen. Pervez MUSHARRAF dismissed Parliament 15 October 1999 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.8 years
male: 77.1 years female: 82.69 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 61.82 years
male: 60.96 years female: 62.73 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 can read and write
total population: 42.7% male: 55.3% female: 29% (1998) |
Location | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China | Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 NM | contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 433 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,539,257 GRT/22,682,757 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 264, cargo 38, chemical tanker 10, combination bulk 2, container 73, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 32, refrigerated cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 5, Belize 1, British Virgin Islands 1, China 115, Denmark 2, Germany 19, Greece 2, India 8, Japan 8, Liberia 1, Malaysia 7, Norway 1, Panama 2, Philippines 5, Singapore 7, South Korea 2, Taiwan 1, United Kingdom 27, Virgin Islands (UK) 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 241,832 GRT/367,093 DWT
ships by type: cargo 13, container 3, petroleum tanker 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of China | - |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; 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, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $2,545.5 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 4.6% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 2,028,208 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 36,941,592 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,523,378 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 22,606,576 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) | 17 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 47,139 (2002 est.) | males: 1,657,724 (2002 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 | Republic Day, 23 March (1956) |
Nationality | noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese |
noun: Pakistani(s)
adjective: Pakistani |
Natural hazards | occasional typhoons | frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August) |
Natural resources | outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar | land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone |
Net migration rate | 7.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -0.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 885 km; natural gas 4,044 km (1987) |
Political parties and leaders | Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; 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 |
Awami National Party or ANP [Wali KHAN]; Balochistan National Movement/Hayee Group or BNM/H [Dr. HAYEE Baluch]; Baluch National Party or BNP [Sardar Akhtar MENGAL]; Jamhoori Watan Party or JWP [Akbar Khan BUGTI]; Jamiat-al-Hadith or JAH [Sajid MIR]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Fazlur Rehman faction or JUI/F [Fazlur REHMAN]; Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Niazi faction or JUP/NI [Abdul Sattar Khan NIAZI]; Millat Party or MP [Farooq LEGHARI]; Milli Yakjheti Council or MYC is an umbrella organization which includes Jamaat-i-Islami or JI [Qazi Hussain AHMED], Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Sami-ul-Haq faction or JUI/S [Sami ul-HAQ], Tehrik-I-Jafria Pakistan or TJP [Allama Sajid NAQVI], and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Noorani faction or JUP/NO [Shah Ahmad NOORANI]; Mutahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf faction or MQM [Altaf HUSSAIN]; Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan or MMA [NA leader]; National People's Party or NPP [Ghulam Mustapha JATOI]; Pakhtun Khwa Milli Awami Party or PKMAP [Mahmood Khan ACHAKZAI]; Pakhtun Quami Party or PQP [Mohammed AFZAL Khan]; Pakistan Awami Tehrik or PAT [Tahir ul QADRI]; Pakistan Democratic Party or PDP [Nawabadzada KHAN]; Pakistan Muslim League, Functional Group or PML/F [Pir PAGARO]; Pakistan Muslim League, Junejo faction or PML/J [Hamid Nasir CHATTHA]; Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz Sharif faction or PML/N [Nawaz SHARIF]; Pakistan Muslim League, Quaid-l-Azam faction or PML/Q [Mian AZHAR]; Pakistan National Party or PNP [Hasil BIZENJO]; Pakistan People's Party or PPP [Benazir BHUTTO]; Pakistan People's Party/Shaheed Bhutto or PPP/SB [Ghinva BHUTTO]; Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf or PTI [Imran KHAN]
note: political alliances in Pakistan can shift frequently |
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] | military remains most important political force; ulema (clergy), landowners, industrialists, and small merchants also influential |
Population | 7,303,334 (July 2002 est.) | 147,663,429 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 35% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.26% (2002 est.) | 2.06% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Hong Kong | Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 27, FM 1, shortwave 21 (1998) |
Radios | 4.45 million (1997) | 13.5 million (1997) |
Railways | total: 34 km
standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified and double-tracked) note: connects to China railway system at Hong Kong-China border (2001) |
total: 8,163 km
broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified) narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2001) |
Religions | eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% | Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3% |
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: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 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 | 21 years of age; universal; separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims |
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: the domestic system is mediocre, but improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly increasing network capacity; despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the majority of the rural population
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 3.839 million (1999) | 2.861 million (March 1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3.7 million (December 1999) | 158,000 (1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997) | 22 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north | flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west |
Total fertility rate | 1.3 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 4.25 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 5.2% (2001 est.) | 6.3% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |