conventional short form: Hong Konglocal long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
local short form: Xianggang
abbreviation: HK
Dependency status:
special administrative region of China
Government type:
limited democracy
Administrative divisions:
none (special administrative region of China)
Independence:
none (special administrative region of China)
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
Constitution:
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's
Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Legal system:
based on English common law
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 200,000 members of functional
constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad
regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government
bodies
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of seven non-official members
and 14 official members
elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to
second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member election committee
dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation accepted 12 March 2005;
Donald TSANG acted as chief executive between 12 March 2005 and 25
May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief executive between 25 May 2005
and 24 June 2005; last election 16 June 2005 to fill final two years
of TUNG's term (next to be held in June 2007)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004 30 seats
indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by
popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September
2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group
62%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10,
independents 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11,
Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1; other 1
Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL
[Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN
Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong or
DAB [MA Lik, chairman]; Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat, chairman];
Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Liberal Party
[James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood, Democratic Party, Frontier Party;
pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese
Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade
Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE
Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries;
Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong,
executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic
Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and
Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber
of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG
Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or
NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member]
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General James B. CUNNINGHAM consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521–0006 telephone: [852] 2523–9011 FAX: [852] 2524–0860
Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
Economy Hong Kong
Economy - overview:
Hong Kong has a free market, entrepot economy, highly dependent on
