Hong Kong

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Hong Kong's Information


Capital	Hong Kong
Languages	Cantonese (official) 89.5%, English (official) 3.5%, Mandarin (official) 1.4%, other Chinese dialects 4%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Chinese 93.1%, Indonesian 1.9%, Filipino 1.9%, other 3% (2011 est.)
Religion	eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Government	Presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the PRC
Independance	None (special administrative region of China)
Area	1,108.00 km²
Water Area	35.00 km²
Land Area	1,073.00 km²
Population	7,167,403.00 Population fairly evenly distributed
Location	Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
No. Bordering Countries	1
Bordering Countries	China 33 km
GDP(PPP)	$427,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$58,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partner is China.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are electrical machinery and appliances, as well as textiles.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Japan, and Singapore.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, and capital goods.
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

Where is Hong Kong?

Located in Eastern Asia, Hong Kong has a 33.00 km border with China. It has a 733.00 km coastline. Hong Kong plans to reduce its 2,800-hectare Frontier Closed Area to 400 hectares by 2015.

Archaeological findings provide evidence that Hong Kong has been inhabited by humans for at least 35,000 years. During the rule of the Nanyue Kingdom in imperial China (204BC) the area now known as Hong Kong was colonised. After the First Opium War of 1840, the British took control of the island as part of a ceasefire agreement with the Daoguang Empire. In 1997, the British handed sovereignty of the area back to China. Hong Kong is now one of the centers of global financial activity as well as consistently ranking as one of the freest and competitive economic zones on earth.

Geography

Hong Kong has a mean elevation of 0 m above sea level.

It has a subtropical monsoon climate that is cool and humid in the winter and hot and rainy from spring through summer; it is warm and sunny in the fall. Its terrain is hilly and mountainous with steep slopes and lowlands.

Population

Hong Kong has a population of 7,167,403 making it the 100th largest in the world. The population is fairly evenly distributed.

Cantonese, English, and Mandarin are all official languages. The major ethnic group reported is Chinese. The most common religious beliefs are a mixture of local religions.

The Basic Law of Hong Kong, the constitutional document of the country, states that Chinese and English are the official languages of the nation. English was the sole official language from 1883-1974 and after petitions and demonstrations from citizens of Hong Kong, Chinese was added from 1974 onward. In 1987, the Official Language Ordinance was amended to require all new governmental legislation to be communicated in both Chinese and English.

Government

It is a special administrative region of China. Its constitution was last ratified in 1997.

The political system of Hong Kong is defined by the Hong Kong Basic Law document which was adopted in April of 1990. In 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of China after the United Kingdom handed sovereignty to China. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong is the head of government and of the Special Administrative Region. The Chief Executive is elected by a 1,200 member Election Committee and approved and appointed by the government of China; the elections for Chief Executive are held every five years. Executive power is held by the government and Hong Kong is considered a multi-party system.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Hong Kong's GDP is $427,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $58,100.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 45th largest economy and its citizens the 18th richest in the world. The currency of Hong Kong is the Dollar (HKD).

Its major export partner is China. Its main exports are electrical machinery and appliances, as well as textiles. Its major import partners are China, Japan, and Singapore. Its major imports include raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, and capital goods.

Flag

The flag of Hong Kong consists of a red field with a white, five-petal Hong Kong orchid tree flower in the centre. The flag was officially adopted on 1 July 1997 during a ceremony which handed sovereignty of the island from the United Kingdom to China after 150 plus years of British administration. The use of the flag is regulated by laws that were passed during the 58th executive meeting of the State Council which was held in Beijing. This design was officially adopted on 4 April 1990 during a session of the National People's Congress but was not flown until July of 1997.