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Compare Solomon Islands (2002) - Hong Kong (2008)

Compare Solomon Islands (2002) z Hong Kong (2008)

 Solomon Islands (2002)Hong Kong (2008)
 Solomon IslandsHong Kong
Administrative divisions 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul (Lauru), Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell/Bellona, Temotu, Western none (special administrative region of China)
Age structure 0-14 years: 43.4% (male 109,339; female 105,170)


15-64 years: 53.5% (male 134,125; female 130,804)


65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,467; female 7,881) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 13% (male 476,089/female 434,326)


15-64 years: 74% (male 2,515,518/female 2,652,660)


65 years and over: 12.9% (male 419,479/female 482,340) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish
Airports 31 (2001) 2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
total: 2


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 30


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
-
Area total: 28,450 sq km


land: 27,540 sq km


water: 910 sq km
total: 1,092 sq km


land: 1,042 sq km


water: 50 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland six times the size of Washington, DC
Background The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. 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 33.26 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 7.34 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $38 million (2001)


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
revenues: $36.9 billion


expenditures: $29.4 billion (FY07-08 est.)
Capital Honiara -
Climate tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Coastline 5,313 km 733 km
Constitution 7 July 1978 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: Solomon Islands


former: British Solomon Islands
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
Currency Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) -
Death rate 4.19 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $137 million (2001 est.) $588 billion (2007 est.)
Dependency status - special administrative region of China
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands 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] 2845-1598
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jeremiah MANELE


chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017


telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193


FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
none (special administrative region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington and two other cities carries out normal liaison and communication with the US Government and other US entities
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $28 million mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ (2001 est.) $6.95 million (2004)
Economy - overview The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country. Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade. In 2006, the total value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of reexports, was equivalent to 400% of GDP. The territory has become increasingly integrated with mainland China over the past few years through trade, tourism, and financial links. The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for 46% of Hong Kong's total trade by value in 2006. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory has surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 13.6 million in 2006, when they outnumbered visitors from all other countries combined. Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. Bolstered by several successful initial public offerings in 2007, mainland companies by September 2007 accounted for one-third of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and over half of the Exchange's market capitalization. Hong Kong's service industry over the past decade has grown rapidly as its manufacturing industry has moved to the mainland and now accounts for 91% of the territory's GDP. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2007, despite the economy suffering two recessions during the Asian financial crisis in 1997-98 and the global downturn in 2001-02. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.
Electricity - consumption 29.76 million kWh (2000) 40.3 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 4.5 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 10.9 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - production 32 million kWh (2000) 38.6 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
Ethnic groups Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% Chinese 94.9%, Filipino 2.1%, other 3% (2001 census)
Exchange rates Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.3728 (December 2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997) Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.802 (2007), 7.7678 (2006), 7.7773 (2005), 7.788 (2004), 7.7868 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir John LAPLI (since NA 1999)


head of government: Prime Minister Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
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 15 official members and 16 non-official members


elections: chief executive elected for five-year term by 800-member electoral committee; last held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held in 2012)


election results: Donald TSANG elected chief executive receiving 84.1% of the vote of the election committee; Alan LEONG received 15.9%
Exports $165 million f.o.b. (1999 est.) 22,420 bbl/day (2006)
Exports - commodities timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
Exports - partners Japan 22%, China 15%, Philippines 13%, South Korea 12%, UK 12%, Thailand 5% (2000) China 47%, US 15.1%, Japan 4.9% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
Flag description divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
GDP purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 42%


industry: 11%


services: 47% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 0.1%


industry: 8.1%


services: 91.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate -10% (2001 est.) 5.8% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 159 00 E 22 15 N, 114 10 E
Geography - note strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea more than 200 islands
Heliports - 5 (2007)
Highways total: 1,360 km


paved: 34 km


unpaved: 1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


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


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, 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 $152 million f.o.b. (1999 est.) 314,700 bbl/day (2006)
Imports - commodities plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)
Imports - partners Australia 27%, Singapore 25%, NZ 5.5%, Japan 5.3%, US 5.1% (2000) China 45.9%, Japan 10.3%, Taiwan 7.5%, Singapore 6.3%, US 4.8%, South Korea 4.6% (2006)
Independence 7 July 1978 (from UK) none (special administrative region of China)
Industrial production growth rate NA% -0.9% (2007 est.)
Industries fish (tuna), mining, timber textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Infant mortality rate 23.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 2.94 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 3.12 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 2.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7.9% (2001 est.) 2% (2007 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO ADB, APEC, BIS, ICC, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 20 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Court of Appeal Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Labor force 26,842 3.64 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.) manufacturing 6.5%, construction 2.1%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.3%, financing, insurance, and real estate 20.7%, transport and communications 7.8%, community and social services 19.5%


note: above data exclude public sector (2007 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 30 km


regional border: China 30 km
Land use arable land: 1.5%


permanent crops: 0.64%


other: 97.86% (1998 est.)
arable land: 5.05%


permanent crops: 1.01%


other: 93.94% (2001)
Languages Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population


note: 120 indigenous languages
Chinese (Cantonese) 89.2% (official), other Chinese dialects 6.4%, English 3.2% (official), other 1.2% (2001 census)
Legal system English common law, which is widely disregarded based on English common law
Legislative branch unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held by December 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP 20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents 18
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 63%, pro-Beijing 37%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10, FTU 1, independents 11; (pro-democracy 25) Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1, independents 11; non-voting LEGCO president 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.82 years


male: 69.38 years


female: 74.39 years (2002 est.)
total population: 81.68 years


male: 78.99 years


female: 84.6 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 93.5%


male: 96.9%


female: 89.6% (2002)
Location Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Map references Oceania Southeast Asia
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


continental shelf: 200 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 nm
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) total: 1,009 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,556,075 GRT/57,423,309 DWT


by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 499, cargo 135, chemical tanker 51, combination ore/oil 3, container 173, liquefied gas 24, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 91, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 8, vehicle carrier 8


foreign-owned: 617 (Belgium 4, Canada 39, China 309, Denmark 12, France 1, Germany 10, Greece 30, Indonesia 7, Japan 78, South Korea 6, Lebanon 1, Norway 30, Pakistan 1, Philippines 10, Portugal 1, Singapore 11, Syria 1, Taiwan 11, UAE 1, UK 32, US 22)


registered in other countries: 275 (Bahamas 3, Belize 5, Bermuda 4, Cambodia 11, China 6, Cyprus 2, Honduras 1, India 1, Liberia 21, Malaysia 14, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Mongolia 1, Norway 5, Panama 137, Philippines 2, Seychelles 1, Singapore 37, St Vincent and The Grenadines 7, Tuvalu 10, UK 2, unknown 7) (2007)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of China
Military branches no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of Ground Forces, Navy, and 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 $NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% NA
National holiday Independence Day, 7 July (1978) 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: Solomon Islander(s)


adjective: Solomon Islander
noun: Chinese/Hong Konger


adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong
Natural hazards typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity occasional typhoons
Natural resources fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 4.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]


note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Civic Party [KUAN Hsin-chi]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [TAM Yiu Cheng]; Democratic Party [Albert HO]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing]; League of Social Democrats [Raymond WONG]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun]


note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Democratic Party, Frontier Party, League of Social Democrats; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party, The Alliance (a group of five generally pro-government and pro-business Legco members from functional constituencies); there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
Political pressure groups and leaders NA 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 CHARNWUT, exco member]
Population 494,786 (July 2002 est.) 6,980,412 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.91% (2002 est.) 0.561% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina -
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios 57,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.096 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.948 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female


total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal direct election - 18 years of age for a number of non-executive positions; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election - limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, central government bodies, and municipal organizations
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services


domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network


international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China
Telephones - main lines in use 8,000 (1997) 3.87 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular 658 (1997) 9.913 million (2007)
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 55 (2 TV networks, each broadcasting on 2 channels) (2007)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Total fertility rate 4.5 children born/woman (2002 est.) 0.98 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 4.2% (2007 est.)
Waterways none -
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