GDP (purchasing power parity):
Labor force:
Labor force - by occupation:
note: essentially services with a small amount of industry; nearly all dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and the approximately 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican
Population below poverty line:
Industries:
printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy; a small portion of electricity is self-produced from solar panels
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7179 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)
Communications ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Telephones - main lines in use:
5,120 (2005) country comparison to the world: 211
Telephone system:
general assessment: automatic digital exchange
domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network
international: country code - 39; uses Italian system
Broadcast media:
the Vatican Television Center (CTV) transmits live broadcasts of the Pope's Sunday and Wednesday audiences, as well as the Pope's public celebrations; CTV also produces documentaries; Vatican Radio is the Holy See's official broadcasting service broadcasting via shortwave, AM and FM frequencies, and via satellite and Internet connections (2008)
Internet country code:
.va
Internet hosts:
68 (2010) country comparison to the world: 208
Military ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Military branches:
Pontifical Swiss Guard Corps (Corpo della Guardia SvizzeraPontificia) (2010)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard
Transnational Issues ::Holy See (Vatican City)
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@Honduras (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Honduras
Background:
Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage. Since then, the economy has slowly rebounded.
Geography ::Honduras
Location:
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 112,090 sq km country comparison to the world: 102 land: 111,890 sq km
water: 200 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,520 km
border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
Coastline:
820 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm
Climate:
subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Terrain:
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m
Natural resources:
timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 9.53%
permanent crops: 3.21%
other: 87.26% (2005)
Irrigated land:
800 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
95.9 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.86 cu km/yr (8%/12%/80%)
per capita: 119 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast
Environment - current issues:
urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with heavy metals
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
People ::Honduras
Population:
7,989,415 country comparison to the world: 93 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 1,521,006/female 1,457,790)
15-64 years: 58.4% (male 2,290,300/female 2,280,848)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 127,187/female 156,565) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.7 years
male: 20.3 years
female: 21.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.935% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 62
Birth rate:
25.61 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Death rate:
4.99 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Net migration rate:
-1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Urbanization:
urban population: 48% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.04 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 97 male: 23.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.51 years country comparison to the world: 143 male: 68.82 years
female: 72.28 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.17 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
28,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,900 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Honduran(s)
adjective: Honduran
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%
Languages:
Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 80%
male: 79.8%
female: 80.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (1991) country comparison to the world: 119
Government ::Honduras
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
conventional short form: Honduras
local long form: Republica de Honduras
local short form: Honduras
Government type:
democratic constitutional republic
Capital:
name: Tegucigalpa
geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Administrative divisions:
18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Atlantida,Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, FranciscoMorazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz,Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times
Legal system:
rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Porfirio LOBO Sosa (since 27 January 2010); Vice President Maria Antonieta Guillen de BOGRAN (since 27 January 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Porfirio LOBO Sosa (since 27 January 2010); Vice President Maria Antonieta Guillen de BOGRAN (since 27 January 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in November 2013)
election results: Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa elected president; percent of vote - Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa 56.3%, Elvin SANTOS Lozano 38.1%, other 5.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members elected proportionally by department to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 29 November 2009 (next to be held in November 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNH 71, PL 45, PDC 5, PUD 4, PINU 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 judges are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Felicito AVILA Ordonez];Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Cesar HAM]; Liberal Party or PL[Roberto MICHELETTI Bain]; National Party or PN [Antonio ALVAREZArias]; Social Democratic Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [JorgeRafael AGUILAR Paredes]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Beverage and Related Industries Syndicate or STIBYS; Committee forthe Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH; Confederation ofHonduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of PopularOrganizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT;Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; NationalAssociation of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union ofCampesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation ofHonduran Workers or CUTH
International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM,IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC (suspended),IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA,MINURSO, NAM, OAS (suspended), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG(suspended), SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO,UPU, WCO (suspended), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro
chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-2604
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco
honorary consulate(s): Jacksonville
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo LLORENS
embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa
mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa
telephone: [504] 236-9320, 238-5114
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue, with five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; the blue bands symbolize the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea; the white band represents the land between the two bodies of water and the peace and prosperity of its people
note: similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
National anthem:
name: "Himno Nacional de Honduras" (National Anthem of Honduras)
lyrics/music: Augusto Constancio COELLO/Carlos HARTLING
note: adopted 1915; the anthem's seven verses chronicle Honduran history; on official occasions, only the chorus and last verse are sung
Economy ::Honduras
Economy - overview:
Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America, suffers from extraordinarily unequal distribution of income, as well as high underemployment. While historically dependent on the export of bananas and coffee, Honduras has diversified its export base to include apparel and automobile wire harnessing. Nearly half of Honduras's economic activity is directly tied to the US, with exports to the US equivalent to 30% of GDP and remittances for another 20%. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) came into force in 2006 and has helped foster foriegn direct investment, but physical and political insecurity may deter potential investors; about 70% of FDI is from US firms. The economy registered marginally positive economic growth in 2010, insufficient to improve living standards for the nearly 60% of the population in poverty. The LOBO administration inherited a difficult fiscal position with off-budget debts accrued in previous administrations and government salaries nearly equivalent to tax collections. His government has displayed a commitment to improving tax collection and cutting expenditures. This enabled Tegucigalpa to secure an IMF Precautionary Stand-By agreement in October 2010. The IMF agreement has helped renew multilateral and bilateral donor confidence in Honduras following the ZELAYA administration's economic mismanagement and the political coup.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$33.77 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 104 $32.94 billion (2009 est.)
$33.65 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$15.34 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 140 -2.1% (2009 est.)
4.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,200 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 158 $4,200 (2009 est.)
$4,400 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.4%
industry: 26.9%
services: 60.8% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
3.394 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 39.2%
industry: 20.9%
services: 39.8% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 3.2% (2009 est.)
note: about 36% are unemployed or underemployed
Population below poverty line:
65% (2010)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 42.2% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
53.8 (2003) country comparison to the world: 15 56.3 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.3% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Public debt:
26.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 23.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.6% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 136 5.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA% (31 December 2009)
NA% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
19.16% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 17.94% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$1.296 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 129 $1.564 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$7.618 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 110 $7.064 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$7.581 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $7.029 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Agriculture - products:
bananas, coffee, citrus, corn, African palm; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster
Industries:
sugar, coffee, woven and knit apparel, wood products, cigars
Industrial production growth rate:
2.4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Electricity - production:
6.58 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Electricity - consumption:
6.54 billion kWh country comparison to the world: 102 note: approximately 1.5 billion kWh in transmission and distribution losses (2009 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
11.8 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 186
Oil - consumption:
56,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Oil - imports:
46,130 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 172
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Current account balance:
-$1.048 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 139 -$1.327 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$5.879 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $5.09 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
apparel, coffee, shrimp, wire harnessing, cigars, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber
Exports - partners:
US 59.6%, El Salvador 5.61%, Guatemala 5.28%, Mexico 4.19%, Germany 4.04% (2009)
Imports:
$8.878 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 94 $5.924 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
US 46.81%, Guatemala 8.92%, El Salvador 7.13%, Mexico 5.54%, CostaRica 4.91% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.302 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 92 $2.127 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.54 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120 $3.311 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - 18.9 (2010), 18.895 (2009), 18.983 (2008), 18.9 (2007), 18.895 (2006)
Communications ::Honduras
Telephones - main lines in use:
830,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 84
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.714 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 75
Telephone system:
general assessment: the number of fixed-line connections are increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp increase in the number of subscribers
domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage contributing to an increase in fixed-line teledensity to roughly 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership reached 100 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 504; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System
Broadcast media:
multiple privately-owned terrestrial television networks, supplemented by multiple cable TV networks; Radio Honduras is the lone government-owned radio network; roughly 300 privately-owned radio stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.hn
Internet hosts:
16,075 (2010) country comparison to the world: 115
Internet users:
731,700 (2009) country comparison to the world: 108
Transportation ::Honduras
Airports:
104 (2010) country comparison to the world: 56
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 92
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 74 (2010)
Railways:
total: 75 km country comparison to the world: 128 narrow gauge: 75 km 1.067-m gauge (2009)
Roadways:
total: 14,239 km country comparison to the world: 123 paved: 3,159 km
unpaved: 11,080 km (1,420 km summer only) (2009)
Waterways:
465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2010) country comparison to the world: 86
Merchant marine:
total: 104 country comparison to the world: 49 by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 50, carrier 2, chemical tanker 7, container 1, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 49 (Bahrain 5, Canada 1, China 2, Egypt 2, Greece 4,Hong Kong 1, Israel 1, Japan 4, Lebanon 2, Mexico 1, Montenegro 2,Panama 1, Singapore 12, South Korea 6, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, UK 1,Vietnam 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela
Military ::Honduras
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (FuerzaAerea Hondurena, FAH) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3-year military service (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,989,556
females age 16-49: 1,939,462 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,483,292
females age 16-49: 1,502,788 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 94,501
female: 90,757 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.6% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Transnational Issues ::Honduras
Disputes - international:
International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border in 1992 with final settlement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States (OAS) survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum; memorials and countermemorials were filed by the parties in Nicaragua's 1999 and 2001 proceedings against Honduras and Colombia at the ICJ over the maritime boundary and territorial claims in the western Caribbean Sea - final public hearings are scheduled for 2007
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity
page last updated on January 19, 2011
======================================================================
@Hong Kong (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Hong Kong
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 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.
Geography ::Hong Kong
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 1,104 sq km country comparison to the world: 183 land: 1,054 sq km
water: 50 sq km
Area - comparative:
six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 30 km
regional border: China 30 km
Coastline:
733 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate:
subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain:
hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Natural resources:
outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use:
arable land: 5.05%
permanent crops: 1.01%
other: 93.94% (2001)
Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
Geography - note:
more than 200 islands
People ::Hong Kong
Population:
7,089,705 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Age structure:
0-14 years: 12.2% (male 450,833/female 411,997)
15-64 years: 74.6% (male 2,551,256/female 2,713,532)
65 years and over: 13.1% (male 434,090/female 493,363) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.8 years
male: 42.4 years
female: 43.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.476% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Birth rate:
7.45 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 221
Death rate:
6.91 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Net migration rate:
4.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Urbanization:
urban population: 100% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.076 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.91 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 218 male: 3.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.96 years country comparison to the world: 8 male: 79.24 years
female: 84.88 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.04 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 223
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,600 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Nationality:
noun: Chinese/Hong Konger
adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong
Ethnic groups:
Chinese 95%, Filipino 1.6%, Indonesian 1.3%, other 2.1% (2006 census)
Religions:
eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Languages:
Cantonese 90.8% (official), English 2.8% (official), Putonghua (Mandarin) 0.9%, other Chinese dialects 4.4%, other 1.1% (2006 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 93.5%
male: 96.9%
female: 89.6% (2002)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 13 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 137
Government ::Hong Kong
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:
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'sCongress, is Hong Kong's charter
Legal system:
based on English common law
Suffrage:
direct election - 18 years of age 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
indirect election - limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and an 800-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, and municipal organizations
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG Yam-kuen (since 24 June 2005)
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 800-member electoral committee; election last held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
note: the LegCo voted in June 2010 to expand the electoral committee to 1,200 seats for the next election
election results: Donald TSANG elected chief executive receiving 84.1% of the vote of the election committee; Alan LEONG Kah-kit received 15.9%
Legislative branch:
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 next election; the measure was approved by the National People's Congress Standing Committee in August 2010; the 10 new seats will be chosen by popular vote
elections: last held on 7 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - 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 and non-voting LegCo president 2
Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
parties: Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL[LIU Sung Lee]; Civic Party [Audrey EU Yuet-mee]; DemocraticAlliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [TAMYiu Cheng]; Democratic Party [Albert HO Chun-yan]; League of SocialDemocrats [Raymond WONG Yuk-man]; Liberal Party [Miriam LAUKin-yee]; 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; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal 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); 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:
Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); ChineseManufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of TradeUnions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEECheuk-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 PatrioticDemocratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong andKowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamberof Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNGMan-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center orNWSC [LEUNG Yiu-chung, LegCo member] (pro-democracy); Civic Act-up[Cyd HO Sau-lan, LegCo member] (pro-democracy)
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office 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
NKETO offices: New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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
Flag description:
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
National anthem:
note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyonggjun Jinxingqu" is official (see China)
Economy ::Hong Kong
Economy - overview:
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, but its increasing integration with China, through trade, tourism, and financial links, helped it recover more quickly than many observers anticipated. 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 3.6% of total system deposits in Hong Kong by October 2010, an increase of over 250% 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 for 2011. 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 17.7 million in 2009, 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 2009 mainland Chinese companies constituted about 40% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for 60% 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 and in 2009 accounted for more than 90% of the territory's GDP. GDP growth averaged a strong 4% from 1989 to 2008. Hong Kong's GDP fell in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, but a recovery began in third quarter 2009, and the economy grew nearly 6% in 2010. The Hong Kong government adopted several temporary fiscal policy support measures in response to the crisis that it may discontinue if strong growth is sustained. Credit expansion and tight housing supply conditions caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly in 2010, and some lower 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$323.3 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $305.9 billion (2009 est.)
$314.7 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars