population: 92.2%
male: 96%
female: 88.2% (1996 est.)
Hong Kong Government
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
Dependency status: special administrative region of China
Government type: NA
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 100,000 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 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
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
Judicial branch: The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region
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
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]
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC,
ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IMO (associate), Interpol
(subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate),
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (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
Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
Hong Kong Economy
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.
GDP:
