# The World Factbook (1982)/Hong Kong

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## HONG KONGHONG KONG

* (See reference map VIII)

### LANDLAND

1,036 km$^2$; 14% arable, 10% forested, 76% other (mainly grass, shrub, steep hill country)
Land boundaries: 24 km

### WATERWATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 3 nm
Coastline: 733 km

### PEOPLEPEOPLE

Population: 5,272,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.3%
Nationality: adjective—Hong Kong
Ethnic divisions: 98% Chinese, 2% other
Religion: 10% Christian, 90% eclectic mixture of local religions
Language: Chinese, English
Literacy: 75%
Labor force (1976 Census): 1.87 million; 45.3% manufacturing, 18.6% services, 6.0% construction, mining, quarrying and utilities, 19.4% commerce, 2.6% agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and hunting, 7.3% communications, 0.8% other; est. unemployment 3.0%, underemployment is a serious problem
Organized labor: 21% of 1976 labor force

### GOVERNMENTGOVERNMENT

Official name: Hong Kong
Type: British colony
Capital: None
Political subdivisions: Hong Kong, Kowloon, and New Territories
Legal system: English common law
Branches: Governor assisted by advisory Executive Council; he legislates with advice and consent of Legislative Council; Urban Council which alone includes elected ​representatives, responsible for health, recreation, and resettlement; independent judiciary
Government leader: Governor and Commander in Chief Sir Edward YOUDE
Suffrage: limited to 200,000 to 300,000 professional or skilled persons
Elections: every two years to select one-half of elected membership of Urban Council; other Urban Council members appointed by the Governor
Political parties: Civic Association; Reform Club; Socialist Democratic Party; Hong Kong Labor Party
Voting strength: (elected Urban Council members) Civic Association 4, Reform Club 3, and 1 independent Communists: an estimated 2,000 cadres affiliated with Communist Party of China
Other political or pressure groups: Federation of Trade Unions (Communist controlled), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (Nationalist Chinese dominated), Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (Communist controlled), Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong
Member of: ADB

### ECONOMYECONOMY

GDP: $17.4 billion (1979, in 1979 prices), $3,600 per capita; average real growth 1979, 11.5%
Agriculture: agriculture occupies a minor position in the economy; main products—rice, vegetables, dairy products; less than 20% self-sufficient; food shortages—rice, wheat
Major industries: textiles and clothing, tourism, plastics, electronics, light metal products, food processing
Shortages: industrial raw materials, water, food
Electric power: 3,491,000 kW capacity (1980); 11.320 billion kWh produced (1980), 2,195 kWh per capita
Exports: $15.2 billion (f.o.b., 1979), including $4.0 billion reexports; principal products—clothing, plastic articles, textiles, electrical goods, wigs, footwear, light metal manufactures
Imports: $17.26 billion (c.i.f., 1979)
Major trade partners: (1979) exports—33.6% US, 11.4% West Germany, 10.7% UK; imports—22.5% Japan, 17.6% China, 12.0% US
Budget: (1979/80) $2.8 billion
Monetary conversion rate: 4.9 Hong Kong dollars=US$1 (December 1979)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

### COMMUNICATIONSCOMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: 35 km standard gauge (1.435 m); government owned
Highways: 966 km total; 660 km paved, 306 km gravel and crushed stone, or earth
Ports: 1 major
Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
Airfields: 2 total; 2 usable; 2 permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services; 62 telephone exchanges, 1.5 million telephones; 5 AM and 2 FM radiobroadcast stations with 11 transmitters; 5 TV stations; 2.5 million radio and 1.1 million TV receivers; 10,100 Telex subscriber lines with direct connections to 47 countries; 2 INTELSAT ground stations with access to Pacific and Indian Ocean satellites; coaxial cable to Guangzhou (Canton), China; 3 international submarine cables; troposcatter to Taiwan available but inactive

### DEFENSE FORCESDEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,550,000; 1,220,000 fit for military service; about 52,000 reach military age (18) annually
Defense is the responsibility of UK