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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 the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.
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Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
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22 15 N, 114 10 E
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total: 1,104 sq km
country comparison to the world: 184
land:
1,054 sq km
water:
50 sq km
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six times the size of Washington, DC
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total: 30 km
regional border:
China 30 km
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733 km
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territorial sea: 3 nm
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subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
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hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
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lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point:
Tai Mo Shan 958 m
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outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
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arable land: 5.05%
permanent crops:
1.01%
other:
93.94% (2001)
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NA; note - included in the total for China (1998 est.)
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occasional typhoons
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air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
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party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
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composed of more than 200 islands
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noun: Chinese/Hong Konger
adjective:
Chinese/Hong Kong
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Chinese 95%, Filipino 1.6%, Indonesian 1.3%, other 2.1% (2006 census)
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Cantonese (official) 90.8%, English (official) 2.8%, Putonghua (Mandarin) 0.9%, other Chinese dialects 4.4%, other 1.1% (2006 census)
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eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
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7,153,519 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
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0-14 years: 11.4% (male 427,250/ female 390,856)
15-64 years:
74.6% (male 2,573,116/ female 2,766,169)
65 years and over:
13.9% (male 467,199/ female 528,929) (2012 est.)
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total: 43.9 years
male:
43.3 years
female:
44.4 years (2012 est.)
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0.421% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
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7.54 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 221
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7.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
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3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
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urban population: 100% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:
0.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
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at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.88 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
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total: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 218
male:
3.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
2.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
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total population: 82.12 years
country comparison to the world: 8
male:
79.39 years
female:
85.05 years (2012 est.)
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1.09 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 221
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0.1% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
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2,600 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
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fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
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4.5% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 82
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population:
93.5%
male:
96.9%
female:
89.6% (2002)
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total: 16 years
male:
15 years
female:
16 years (2009)
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total: 12.6%
country comparison to the world: 88
male:
15.1%
female:
10.3% (2009)
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conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
conventional short form:
Hong Kong
official long form:
Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
official short form:
Xianggang
abbreviation:
HK
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special administrative region of China
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limited democracy
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none (special administrative region of China)
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none (special administrative region of China)
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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
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The Basic Law, approved March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's charter
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mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure)
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18 years of age in direct elections for half the legislature and a majority of seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and an 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials
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chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government:
Chief Executive LEUNG Chun-ying (since 1 July 2012)
cabinet:
Executive Council or ExCo consists of 15 official members and 14 non-official members
(For more information visit the World Leaders website  )
elections:
chief executive elected for five-year term by a 800-member electoral committee; the election of Donald TSANG was held on 25 March 2007; on 25 March 2012 LEUNG Chun-ying [C.Y.LEUNG] was elected chief executive by a 1,193-member electoral committee; he will take office on 1 July 2012; (next election to be held in March 2017)
note:
the Legislative Council voted in June 2010 to expand the electoral committee to 1,200 seats for the 2012 election
election results:
LEUNG Chun-ying was elected with 689 votes; Henry TANG received 285 votes, and Albert HO received 76 of the 1,132 votes cast; 82 ballots were deemed invalid most were blank
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unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (60 seats; 30 members indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
note:
the LegCo voted in June 2010 to expand to 70 seats for the 2012 election; the measure was approved by the National People's Congress Standing Committee in August 2010; the 10 new seats will be elected by popular vote
elections:
last held on 7 September 2008 (next to be held on 9 September 2012)
election results:
percent of vote by block - pro-democracy 57%; pro-Beijing 40%, independent 3%; seats by parties - (pro-Beijing 35) DAB 13, Liberal Party 7, FTU 1, others 14; (pro-democracy 23) Democratic Party 8, Civic Party 5, CTU 3, League of Social Democrats 3, ADPL 2, The Frontier 1, NWSC 1; others 11; independents 2
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Court of Final Appeal, High Court (Court of Appeal and the Court of the First Instance), district courts, magistrates' courts, and other special courts
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parties: Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [LIU Sung Lee]; Civic Party [LEONG Ka-kit]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [TAM Yiu Cheng]; Democratic Party [Albert HO Chun-yan]; Labor Party [LEE Cheuk-yan]; League of Social Democrats or LSD [LEONG Kwok-hung]; Liberal Party [Miriam LAU Kin-yee]; New People's Party [Regina IP Lau Su-yee]; People Power [Raymond WONG Yuk-man]; The Frontier (disbanded)
others:
Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU; Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC
note:
political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Civic Party, Democratic Party, League of Social Democrats, People Power; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party, New People's Party, The Professional Forum (an informal group of three generally pro-government and pro-business LegCo members from functional constituencies and one independent elected from a geographic constituency), and Economic Synergy; there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
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Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [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 [LEE Cheuk-yan, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [FUNG Wai-wah, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC [LEUNG Yiu-chung, LegCo member] (pro-democracy); Civic Act-up [Cyd HO Sau-lan, LegCo member] (pro-democracy)
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ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WTO
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none (special administrative region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison and communication with the US Government and other US entities
representative:
Donald TONG
office:
1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
[1] 202 331-8947
FAX:
[1] 202 331-0318
HKETO offices:
New York, San Francisco
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chief of mission: Consul General Stephen M. YOUNG
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
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red with a stylized, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center; each petal contains a small, red, five-pointed star in its middle; the red color is the same as that on the Chinese flag and represents the motherland; the fragrant Bauhinia - developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century - has come to symbolize the region; the five stars echo those on the flag of China
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orchid tree flower
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note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyonggjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China)
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Hong Kong has a free market economy, highly dependent on international trade and finance - the value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of re-exports, is about four times GDP. Hong Kong's open economy left it exposed to the global economic slowdown that began in 2008. Although increasing integration with China, through trade, tourism, and financial links, helped it to make an initial recovery more quickly than many observers anticipated, it again faces a possible slowdown as exports to the Euro zone and US slump. The Hong Kong government is promoting the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the site for Chinese renminbi (RMB) internationalization. Hong Kong residents are allowed to establish RMB-denominated savings accounts; RMB-denominated corporate and Chinese government bonds have been issued in Hong Kong; and RMB trade settlement is allowed. The territory far exceeded the RMB conversion quota set by Beijing for trade settlements in 2010 due to the growth of earnings from exports to the mainland. RMB deposits grew to roughly 7.8% of total system deposits in Hong Kong by the end of 2011, an increase of over 59% since the beginning of the year. The government is pursuing efforts to introduce additional use of RMB in Hong Kong financial markets and is seeking to expand the RMB quota. The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for about half of Hong Kong's exports by value. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. 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 28 million in 2011, outnumbering visitors from all other countries combined. Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. In 2011 mainland Chinese companies constituted about 43% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for about 56% of the Exchange's market capitalization. During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly. Growth slowed to 5% in 2011. Credit expansion and tight housing supply conditions caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly in 2010 and inflation to rise 5.3% in 2011. Lower and middle income segments of the population are increasingly unable to afford adequate housing. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.
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$355.6 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
$338.8 billion (2010 est.)
$316.5 billion (2009 est.)
note:
data are in 2011 US dollars
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$243.3 billion (2011 est.)
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5% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
7% (2010 est.)
-2.6% (2009 est.)
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$49,800 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
$47,700 (2010 est.)
$44,900 (2009 est.)
note:
data are in 2011 US dollars
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agriculture: 0.1%
industry:
6.8%
services:
93.2% (2011 est.)
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3.703 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
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manufacturing: 4.3%
construction:
2.4%
wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels:
41.4%
financing, insurance, and real estate:
12.5%
transport and communications:
6.3%
community and social services:
16.8%
note:
above data exclude public sector (2011 est.)
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3.4% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
4.3% (2010 est.)
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NA%
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
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53.3 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 13
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21.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
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revenues: $55.53 billion
expenditures:
$46.97 billion (2011 est.)
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22.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
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3.5% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
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30.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
42.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
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5.3% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
2.3% (2010 est.)
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0.5% (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 137
0.5% (31 December 2010)
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5% (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
5% (31 December 2010 est.)
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$143.8 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
$130.4 billion (31 December 2010)
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$1.028 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
$917.5 billion (31 December 2010)
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$540.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
$463.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
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$2.24 trillion (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 6
$2.711 trillion (31 December 2010)
$2.292 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)
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fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish
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textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
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0.8% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
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$9.42 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
$12.39 billion (2010 est.)
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$427.9 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
$394 billion (2010 est.)
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electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
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China 52.4%, US 9.9%, Japan 4% (2011 est.)
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$482.6 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
$437 billion (2010 est.)
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raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is reexported)
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China 44.9%, Japan 8.9%, Taiwan 7.5%, US 4.9% (2011 est.)
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$285.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
$268.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
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$903.2 billion (30 June 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
$750.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
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$1.155 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
$1.09 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
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$997.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
$936 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
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Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -
7.784 (2011 est.)
7.77 (2010 est.)
7.75 (2009)
7.751 (2008)
7.802 (2007)
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1 April - 31 March
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41.22 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
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43.14 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
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2.75 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
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10.75 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
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12.62 million kW (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
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100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
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0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
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0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
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0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
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0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
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0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
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0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
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0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
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0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
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291,400 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
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16,620 bbl/day (2011)
country comparison to the world: 78
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375,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
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0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
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3.46 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
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0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
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3.195 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
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0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
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83.78 million Mt (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
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| Communications ::Hong Kong |
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4.348 million (2011)
country comparison to the world: 38
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14.931 million (2011)
country comparison to the world: 54
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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
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2 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 radio networks, one of which is government-funded, operate about 15 radio stations (2010)
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.hk
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861,516 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 48
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4.873 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 47
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| Transportation ::Hong Kong |
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2 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 201
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total: 2
over 3,047 m:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2012)
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9 (2012)
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total: 2,067 km
country comparison to the world: 172
paved:
2,067 km (2010)
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total: 1,644
country comparison to the world: 5
by type:
barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 785, cargo 198, carrier 10, chemical tanker 149, container 288, liquefied gas 31, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker 156, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 7
foreign-owned:
976 (Bangladesh 1, Belgium 26, Bermuda 20, Canada 77, China 500, Cyprus 3, Denmark 42, France 4, Germany 10, Greece 27, Indonesia 10, Iran 3, Japan 79, Libya 1, Norway 48, Russia 1, Singapore 13, South Korea 3, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 25, UAE 1, UK 33, US 44)
registered in other countries:
341 (Bahamas 3, Bermuda 4, Cambodia 10, China 18, Curacao 1, Cyprus 2, Georgia 3, India 2, Kiribati 2, Liberia 48, Malaysia 8, Malta 4, Marshall Islands 3, NZ 1, Panama 144, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 46, Thailand 1, UK 12, unknown 16) (2010)
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Hong Kong
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no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes 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 (2009)
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males age 16-49: 1,704,090
females age 16-49:
1,873,175 (2010 est.)
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males age 16-49: 1,387,213
females age 16-49:
1,505,875 (2010 est.)
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male: 39,579
female:
36,554 (2010 est.)
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NA
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defense is the responsibility of China
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| Transnational Issues ::Hong Kong |
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none
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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
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