Part 90
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 November 11, 2009
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@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:
22 15 N, 114 10 E
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:
7,055,071 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
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) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.3 years
male: 41.9 years
female: 42.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.504% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Birth rate:
7.42 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 223
Death rate:
6.76 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Net migration rate:
4.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 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: 1.08 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 220 male: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.86 years country comparison to the world: 6 male: 79.16 years
female: 84.79 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.02 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 222
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
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: 113
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:
Chinese (Cantonese) 89.2% (official), other Chinese dialects 6.4%, English 3.2% (official), other 1.2% (2001 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:
3.9% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 112
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's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
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 and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional 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
elections: chief executive elected for five-year term by 800-member electoral committee; last held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
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 seats indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 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:
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Civic Party [KUAN Hsin-chi]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [TAM Yiu Cheng]; Democratic Party [Albert HO Chun-yan]; League of Social Democrats [Raymond WONG Yuk-man]; Liberal Party [Miriam LAU Kin-yee]
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); 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 [LEUNG Yiu-chung, LegCo member] (pro-democracy); Civic Act-up [Cyd HO Sau-lan, LegCo member] (pro-democracy)
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, BIS, ICC, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, New York, and San Francisco carries out normal liaison and communication with the US Government and other US entities
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Acting Consul General Christopher J. MARUT
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
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 economy highly dependent on international trade and finance, which has left it heavily exposed to the global economic slowdown that began in 2008. The total value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of reexports, was equivalent to 404% of GDP in 2007. The territory has become increasingly integrated with mainland China over the past few years through trade, tourism, and financial links. The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 49% of Hong Kong's exports trade by value in 2008. 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 16.9 million in 2008, when they outnumbered visitors from all other countries combined. Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. More than one-third of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are now mainland Chinese companies. They account 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 now accounts for more than 90% of the territory's GDP. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2007, but the global financial crisis caused a sharp slowdown in the second half of 2008, pushing the territory into recession. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$307.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $300.1 billion (2007 est.)
$282.1 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$215.4 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 6.4% (2007 est.)
7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$43,800 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $43,000 (2007 est.)
$40,600 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0%
industry: 7.4%
services: 92.7% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
3.66 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Labor force - by occupation:
manufacturing 6.1%, construction 1.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 42.9%, financing, insurance, and real estate 21.4%, transport and communications 7.9%, community and social services 19.7%
note: above data exclude public sector (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 4% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
53.3 (2007) country comparison to the world: 17
Investment (gross fixed):
19.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Budget:
revenues: $39.04 billion
expenditures: $39.76 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
13.9% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 2.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 2% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 77 5.75% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$63.03 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 18 $51.25 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$352.4 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 $578.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$259.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.32 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 15 $1.163 trillion (31 December 2007)
$895.2 billion (31 December 2006 est.)
Agriculture - products:
fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish
Industries:
textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Electricity - production:
38.4 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
Electricity - consumption:
44.6 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 48
Electricity - exports:
3.553 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
11 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Oil - consumption:
366,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Oil - exports:
19,480 bbl/day (2008) country comparison to the world: 91
Oil - imports:
334,900 bbl/day (2008) country comparison to the world: 33
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 178
Natural gas - consumption:
3.36 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 68
Natural gas - imports:
3.36 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 39
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Current account balance:
$30.52 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16 $25.53 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$365.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 $345.9 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
Exports - partners:
China 48.5%, US 12.8%, Japan 4.3% (2008)
Imports:
$388.4 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 $365.6 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)
Imports - partners:
China 46.6%, Japan 9.8%, Singapore 6.4%, US 5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$182.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $152.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$659.9 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 16 $711.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$1.241 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $1.178 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$776 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6 $1.011 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar - 7.751 (2008), 7.802 (2007), 7.7678 (2006), 7.7773 (2005), 7.788 (2004)
Communications ::Hong Kong
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.108 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 38
Telephones - mobile cellular:
11.374 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 54
Telephone system:
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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 10, shortwave 0 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2 TV networks, each broadcasting on 2 channels) (2008)
Internet country code:
.hk
Internet hosts:
813,980 (2009) country comparison to the world: 44
Internet users:
4.124 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 50
Transportation ::Hong Kong
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 199
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
9 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 2,040 km country comparison to the world: 172 paved: 2,040 km (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,114 country comparison to the world: 8 by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 525, cargo 142, carrier 3, chemical tanker 68, combination ore/oil 2, container 205, liquefied gas 22, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 114, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 7
foreign-owned: 703 (Belgium 3, Canada 44, China 324, Denmark 24, France 1, Germany 6, Greece 22, Indonesia 7, Iran 15, Japan 111, South Korea 3, Norway 40, Philippines 1, Portugal 1, Russia 2, Singapore 18, Syria 1, Taiwan 11, UAE 1, UK 39, US 29)
registered in other countries: 357 (Bahamas 30, Bermuda 4, Cambodia 8, China 12, Cyprus 2, Georgia 2, Honduras 1, India 1, Jamaica 1, Kiribati 4, Liberia 44, Malaysia 14, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Mexico 1, Netherlands Antilles 2, Norway 20, Panama 130, Philippines 1, Portugal 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 47, Tuvalu 7, UK 2, Vietnam 1, unknown 8) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Hong Kong
Military ::Hong Kong
Military branches:
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)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,772,820
females age 16-49: 1,941,448 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,421,406
females age 16-49: 1,543,443 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 42,330
female: 38,797 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of China
Transnational Issues ::Hong Kong
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
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
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Hungary (Europe)
Introduction ::Hungary
Background:
Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.
Geography ::Hungary
Location:
Central Europe, northwest of Romania
Geographic coordinates:
47 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 93,028 sq km country comparison to the world: 109 land: 89,608 sq km
water: 3,420 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 2,185 km
border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia 166 km, Slovakia 676 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Tisza River 78 m
highest point: Kekes 1,014 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 49.58%
permanent crops: 2.06%
other: 48.36% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
120 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 21.03 cu km/yr (9%/59%/32%)
per capita: 2,082 cu m/yr (2001)
Environment - current issues:
the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: