HKD to GBP Live Rate

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France

22 15 N, 114 10 E

54 00 N, 2 00 W

Southeast Asia

Europe

total: 1,108 sq km

land: 1,073 sq km

water: 35 sq km

country comparison to the world: 184

total: 243,610 sq km

land: 241,930 sq km

water: 1,680 sq km

note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

country comparison to the world: 81

six times the size of Washington, DC

total: 33 km

regional border(s) (1): China 33 km

total: 443 km

border countries (1): Ireland 443 km

733 km

12,429 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

mean elevation: NA

elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

mean elevation: 162 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: The Fens -4 m

highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

agricultural land: 5%

arable land 3.2%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 0.9%

forest: 0%

other: 95% (2011 est.)

agricultural land: 71%

arable land 25.1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 45.7%

forest: 11.9%

other: 17.1% (2011 est.)

10 sq km (2012)

950 sq km (2012)

population fairly evenly distributed

the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scottish lowlands between Edinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast

occasional typhoons

winter windstorms; floods

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but air pollution remains a concern, particularly in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats brought on by pressures from housing, tourism, and industry

party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and more than 200 islands

lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel (the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel); because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters

7,191,503 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 100

United Kingdom 65,648,100

constituent countries:

England 55,268,100

Scotland 5,404,700

Wales 3,113,200

Northern Ireland 1,862,100 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

noun: Chinese/Hong Konger

adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong

noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)

adjective: British

Chinese 92%, Filipino 2.5%, Indonesian 2.1%, other 3.4% (2016 est.)

white 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)

Cantonese (official) 88.9%, English (official) 4.3%, Mandarin (official) 1.9%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 1.9% (2016 est.)

English

note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 people in Cornwall) (2012 est.)

Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3%

note: many people practice Confucianism, regardless of their religion or not having a religious affiliation (2016 est.)

Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)

total dependency ratio: 35.9

youth dependency ratio: 15.2

elderly dependency ratio: 20.7

potential support ratio: 4.8 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio: 55.5

youth dependency ratio: 27.4

elderly dependency ratio: 28.2

potential support ratio: 3.5 (2015 est.)

total: 44.4 years

male: 43.5 years

female: 45 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

total: 40.5 years

male: 39.3 years

female: 41.7 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 49

0.32% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 166

0.52% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 154

8.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 208

12.1 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 166

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 117

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 51

2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

population fairly evenly distributed

the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scotish lowlands between Endinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast

urban population: 100% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.64% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population: 83.1% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.82% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Hong Kong 7.26 million (2014)

LONDON (capital) 10.313 million; Manchester 2.646 million; Birmingham 2.515 million; Glasgow 1.223 million; Southampton/Portsmouth 882,000; Liverpool 870,000 (2015)

at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.74 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

29.8 years (2008 est.)

28.5 years

note: data represent England and Wales only (2014 est.)

total: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 216

total: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 185

total population: 83 years

male: 80.4 years

female: 85.9 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

total population: 80.8 years

male: 78.6 years

female: 83.1 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

1.19 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 221

1.88 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 142

74.8% (2012)

84%

note: percent of women aged 16-49 (2008/09)

1.91 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

2.83 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

5.33 beds/1,000 population (2016)

2.8 beds/1,000 population (2013)

NA

NA

NA

NA

3.3% of GDP (2017)

country comparison to the world: 124

5.6% of GDP (2015)

country comparison to the world: 36

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 16 years (2014)

total: 18 years

male: 17 years

female: 18 years (2014)

total: 9.9%

male: 10.9%

female: 8.5% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 129

total: 14.6%

male: 16.2%

female: 12.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 91

9 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 153

9.1% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 38

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 99.1% of population

rural: 99.6% of population

total: 99.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.9% of population

rural: 0.4% of population

total: 0.8% of population (2015 est.)

NA

27.8% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 36

conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

conventional short form: Hong Kong

local long form: Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu (Hanyu Pinyin)

local short form: Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang (Hanyu Pinyin)

abbreviation: HK

etymology: probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"

conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - the island of Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales

conventional short form: United Kingdom

abbreviation: UK

etymology: self-descriptive country name; the designation "Great Britain," in the sense of "Larger Britain," dates back to medieval times and was used to distinguish the island from "Little Britain," or Brittany in modern France; the name Ireland derives from the Gaelic "Eriu," the matron goddess of Ireland (goddess of the land)

special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)

England: 27 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 56 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*)

two-tier counties: Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire

London boroughs and City of London or Greater London: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster

metropolitan districts: Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Calderdale, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Kirklees, Knowlsey, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport, Sunderland, Tameside, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton

unitary authorities: Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, Bedford, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Darlington, Derby, Durham County*, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool, Herefordshire*, Isle of Wight*, Isles of Scilly, City of Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Northumberland*, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Shropshire, Slough, South Gloucestershire, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, West Berkshire, Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, York

Northern Ireland: 5 borough councils, 4 district councils, 2 city councils

borough councils: Antrim and Newtownabbey; Ards and North Down; Armagh, Banbridge, and Craigavon; Causeway Coast and Glens; Mid and East Antrim

district councils: Derry and Strabane; Fermanagh and Omagh; Mid Ulster; Newry, Murne, and Down

city councils: Belfast; Lisburn and Castlereagh

Scotland: 32 council areas

council areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian

Wales: 22 unitary authorities

unitary authorities: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, The Vale of Glamorgan, Torfaen, Wrexham

none (special administrative region of China)

12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); notable earlier dates: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties remain part of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland)

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

the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law

amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two-thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC

history: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

amendments: proposed as a “bill” for an “Act of Parliament” by the government, by the House of Commons, or by the House of Lords; passage requires agreement by both houses and by the monarch (Royal Assent); note - recent additions include the Human Rights Act of 1998, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, and the House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015 (2016)

mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure)

common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998

see China

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the United Kingdom

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

18 years of age in direct elections for half of the Legislative Council seats and all of the seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past 7 years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and a 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)

head of government: Chief Executive Carrie LAM (since 1 July 2017)

cabinet: Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 March 2017 (next to be held in 2022)

election results: Carrie LAM elected chief executive; Election Committee vote - Carrie LAM 777, John TSANG 365, WOO Kwok-hing 21, invalid 23

note: the Legislative Council voted in June 2010 to expand the Election Committee to 1,200 members

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES, son of the queen (born 14 November 1948)

head of government: Prime Minister Theresa MAY (Conservative) (since 13 July 2016)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; election last held on 8 June 2017 (next to be held by 5 May 2022)

note: in addition to serving as the UK head of state, the British sovereign is the constitutional monarch for 15 additional Commonwealth countries (these 16 states are each referred to as a Commonwealth realm)

description: unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (70 seats; 35 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; 30 members indirectly elected by the approximately 220,000 members of various functional constituencies based on a variety of methods; five at large “super-seat” members directly elected by all of Hong Kong’s eligible voters who do not participate in a functional constituency; members serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held on 4 September 2016; (next to be held in September 2020); note - by-election to be held on 11 March 2018 to fill 4 seats left vacant after 4 legislators were removed from office

election results: percent of vote by block - pro-democracy 36.0%; pro-Beijing 40.2%, localist 19.0%, other 4.8%; seats by block/party - pro-Beijing 40 (DAB 12, BPA 7, FTU 5, Liberal Party 4, NPP 3, other 9); pro-democracy 23 (Democratic Party 7, Civic Party 6, PP-LSD 2, Professional Commons 2, Labor 1, NWSC 1, PTU 1, other democrats 3), localists 6 (ALLin HK 2, CP-PPI-HKRO 1, Demosisto 1, Democracy Groundwork 1, other localist 1), non-aligned independent 1; note - 2 localists were barred from taking office in November 2016 and 4 pro-democracy legislators were removed in July 2017

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Lords (membership not fixed; as of May 2018, 780 lords were eligible to participate in the work of the House of Lords - 664 life peers, 90 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy; members are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister and non-party political members recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission), and the House of Commons (650 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve 5-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier); note - the House of Lords total does not include ineligible members or members on leave of absence

elections: House of Lords - no elections; note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain; elections held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons - last held on 8 June 2017 (next to be held by 5 May 2022)

election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative 42.3%, Labor 40.0%, SNP 43.0%, Lib Dems 7.4%, DUP 0.9%, Sinn Fein 0.7%, Plaid Cymru 0.5%,other 0.6%; seats by party - Conservative 317, Labor 262, SNP 35, Lib Dems 12, DUP 10, Sinn Fein 7, Plaid Cymru 4, other 3

highest court(s): Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges); note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice and 3 permanent judges and 1 non-permanent judge

judge selection and term of office: all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive upon the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice, other judges, and judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges appointed until normal retirement at age 65, but can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit

subordinate courts: High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices including the court president and deputy president); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in October 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom

judge selection and term of office: judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations to the prime minister, and appointed by the monarch; justices appointed for life

subordinate courts: England and Wales - Court of Appeal (civil and criminal divisions); High Court; Crown Court; County Courts; Magistrates' Courts; Scotland - Court of Sessions; Sheriff Courts; High Court of Justiciary; tribunals; Northern Ireland - Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland; High Court; county courts; magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

parties:

ALLinHK (alliance of 6 localist groups)

Business and Professional Alliance or BPA [LO Wai-kwok]

Civic Party [Alvin YEUNG]

Civic Passion or CP [CHENG Chung-tai] (part of Civic Passion-Proletariat Political Institute-Hong Kong Resurgence Order alliance or CP-PPI-HKRO that dissolved after the 2016 election)

Democracy Groundwork [LAU Siu-lai]

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [Starry LEE Wai-king]

Democratic Party [WU Chi-wai]

Demosisto [Nathan LAW]

Federation of Trade Unions or FTU [Stanley NG Chau-pei]

Labor Party [Steven Kwok Wing-kin]

League of Social Democrats or LSD [Avery NG Man-yuen]

Liberal Party [Felix CHUNG Kwok-pan]

Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC [LEUNG Yui-chung]

New People's Party or NPP [Regina IP Lau Su-yee]

People Power or PP [Raymond CHAN]

Youngspiration [Sixtus "Baggio" LEUNG Chung-hang]

others:

Professional Commons (think tank) [Charles Peter MOK]

Professional Teachers Union or PTU

note: political blocks include: pro-democracy - Civic Party, Democratic Party, Labor Party, LSD, NWSC, PP, Professional Commons, PTU; pro-Beijing - DAB, FTU, Liberal Party, NPP, BPA; localist - ALLinHK, CP, Democracy Groundwork, Demosisto; there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies

Alliance Party (Northern Ireland) [Naomi LONG]

Conservative and Unionist Party [Theresa MAY]

Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Arlene FOSTER]

Green Party of England and Wales or Greens [Caroline LUCAS and Jonathan BARTLEY]

Labor (Labour) Party [Jeremy CORBYN]

Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Sir Vince CABLE]

Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Leanne WOOD]

Scottish National Party or SNP [Nicola STURGEON]

Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]

Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Colum EASTWOOD]

Ulster Unionist Party or UUP (Northern Ireland) [Robin SWANN]

UK Independence Party or UKIP [Gerard BATTEN]

Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China)

Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong

Civic Act-up (pro-democracy)

Federation of Hong Kong Industries

Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Albert HO] (pro-China)

Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council or HKTUC (pro-democracy)

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce or HKGCC

Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union or HKPTU [FUNG Wai-wah]

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Confederation of British Industry

National Farmers' Union

Trades Union Congress

ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

none (Special Administrative Region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison activities and communication with the US Government and other US entities

commissioner: Clement C.M. LEUNG

office: 1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] 202 331-8947

FAX: [1] 202 331-8958

HKETO offices: New York, San Francisco

chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Nigel Kim DARROCH (since 28 January 2016)

chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500

FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

consulate(s): Orlando (FL), San Juan (Puerto Rico)

chief of mission: Consul General Kurt W. TONG (since 27 August 2016); note - also accredited to Macau

consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong

mailing address: Unit 8000, Box 1, DPO AP 96521-0006

telephone: [852] 2523-9011

FAX: [852] 2845-1598

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Wood (Woody) JOHNSON IV (since 29 August 2017)

embassy: 24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6AH; note - a new embassy is scheduled to open in early 2018 in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth

mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040

telephone: [44] (0) 20 7499-9000

FAX: [44] (0) 20 7629-9124

consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh

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

blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories

orchid tree flower; national colors: red, white

lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland); national colors: red, white, blue (Britain in general); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)

note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China)

name: "God Save the Queen"

lyrics/music: unknown

note: in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem of the UK; it is known as either "God Save the Queen" or "God Save the King," depending on the gender of the reigning monarch; it also serves as the royal anthem of many Commonwealth nations

name: London

geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 05 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its Crown dependencies or overseas territories

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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 reexports, is about four times GDP. Hong Kong has no tariffs on imported goods, and it levies excise duties on only four commodities, whether imported or produced locally: hard alcohol, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. There are no quotas or dumping laws. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.

Excess liquidity, low interest rates and a tight housing supply have caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly. The lower and middle-income segments of the population increasingly find housing unaffordable.

Hong Kong's open economy has left it exposed to the global economic situation. Its continued reliance on foreign trade and investment makes it vulnerable to renewed global financial market volatility or a slowdown in the global economy.

The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for about half of Hong Kong's total trade 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 surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 47.3 million in 2014, outnumbering visitors from all other countries combined. After peaking in 2014, overall tourist arrivals dropped 2.5% in 2015 and 4.5% in 2016. The tourism sector rebounded in 2017, with visitor arrivals rising 3.2% to 58.47 million. Travelers from Mainland China totaled 44.45 million, accounting for 76% of the total.

The Hong Kong Government is promoting the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the preferred business hub for 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, RMB trade settlement is allowed, and investment schemes such as the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) Program was first launched in Hong Kong. Offshore RMB activities experienced a setback, however, after the People’s Bank of China changed the way it set the central parity rate in August 2015. RMB deposits in Hong Kong fell from 1.0 trillion RMB at the end of 2014 to 559 billion RMB at the end of 2017, while RMB trade settlement handled by banks in Hong Kong also shrank from 6.8 trillion RMB in 2015 to 3.9 trillion RMB in 2017.

Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. In 2015, mainland Chinese companies constituted about 50% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for about 66% 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. In 2014, Hong Kong and China signed a new agreement on achieving basic liberalization of trade in services in Guangdong Province under the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), adopted in 2003 to forge closer ties between Hong Kong and the mainland. The new measures, which took effect in March 2015, cover a negative list and a most-favored treatment provision. On the basis of the Guangdong Agreement, the Agreement on Trade in Services signed in November 2015 further enhanced liberalization, including extending the implementation of the majority of Guangdong pilot liberalization measures to the whole Mainland, reducing the restrictive measures in the negative list, and adding measures in the positive lists for cross-border services as well as cultural and telecommunications services. In June 2017, the Investment Agreement and the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation (Ecotech Agreement) were signed under the framework of CEPA.

Hong Kong’s economic integration with the mainland continues to be most evident in the banking and finance sector. Initiatives like the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect, the Hong Kong- Shenzhen Stock Connect the Mutual Recognition of Funds, and the Bond Connect scheme are all important steps towards opening up the Mainland’s capital markets and have reinforced Hong Kong’s role as China’s leading offshore RMB market. Additional connect schemes such as ETF Connect (for exchange-traded fund products) are also under exploration by Hong Kong authorities. In 2017, Chief Executive Carrie LAM announced plans to increase government spending on research and development, education, and technological innovation with the aim of spurring continued economic growth through greater sector diversification.

The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil resources, but its oil and natural gas reserves are declining; the UK has been a net importer of energy since 2005. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, are key drivers of British GDP growth. Manufacturing, meanwhile, has declined in importance but still accounts for about 10% of economic output.

In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Falling home prices, high consumer debt, and the global economic slowdown compounded the UK’s economic problems, pushing the economy into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompting the then BROWN (Labour) government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, in 2010 the then CAMERON-led coalition government (between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) initiated an austerity program, which has continued under the Conservative government. However, the deficit still remains one of the highest in the G7, standing at 3.6% of GDP as of 2017, and the UK has pledged to lower its corporation tax from 20% to 17% by 2020. The UK had a debt burden of 90.4% GDP at the end of 2017.

The UK’s economy has begun to slow since the referendum vote to leave the EU in June 2016. A sustained depreciation of the British pound has increased consumer and producer prices, weighing on consumer spending without spurring a meaningful increase in exports. The UK has an extensive trade relationship with other EU members through its single market membership and economic observers have warned the exit will jeopardize its position as the central location for European financial services. Prime Minister MAY is seeking a new “deep and special” trade relationship with the EU following the UK’s exit. However, economists doubt that the UK will be able to preserve the benefits of EU membership without the obligations.

$453 billion (2017 est.)

$437.5 billion (2016 est.)

$428.8 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 44

$2.88 trillion (2017 est.)

$2.833 trillion (2016 est.)

$2.783 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 10

$334.1 billion (2017 est.)

$2.565 trillion (2017 est.)

3.5% (2017 est.)

2% (2016 est.)

2.4% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 89

1.7% (2017 est.)

1.8% (2016 est.)

2.2% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 165

$61,000 (2017 est.)

$59,400 (2016 est.)

$58,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 18

$43,600 (2017 est.)

$43,200 (2016 est.)

$42,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 40

24.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

26.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

24.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 52

13.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

12.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

13% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

household consumption: 66.6%

government consumption: 10%

investment in fixed capital: 22.3%

investment in inventories: 0.7%

exports of goods and services: 191.9%

imports of goods and services: -191.3% (2017 est.)

household consumption: 65.3%

government consumption: 19%

investment in fixed capital: 16.6%

investment in inventories: 0.7%

exports of goods and services: 30.1%

imports of goods and services: -31.7% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 0.1%

industry: 7.2%

services: 92.7% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 0.6%

industry: 19%

services: 80.4%

(2017 est.)

fresh vegetables and fruit; poultry, pork; fish

cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches

machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods

3% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

0.7% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 176

3.965 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 95

33.5 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

manufacturing: 3.8%

construction: 2.8%

wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels: 53.3%

financing, insurance, and real estate: 12.5%

transport and communications: 10.1%

community and social services: 17.1%

note: above data exclude public sector (2013 est.)

agriculture: 1.3%

industry: 15.2%

services: 83.5% (2014 est.)

2.6% (2017 est.)

2.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

4.4% (2017 est.)

4.9% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 61

19.6% (2012 est.)

15% (2013 est.)

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

lowest 10%: 1.7%

highest 10%: 31.1% (2012 est.)

53.7 (2011 est.)

53.3 (2007 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

32.4 (2012 est.)

33.4 (2010 est.)

country comparison to the world: 116

revenues: $66.19 billion

expenditures: $62.86 billion (2017 est.)

revenues: $984.4 billion

expenditures: $1.076 trillion (2017 est.)

19.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 155

38.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

1% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

-3.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 134

43.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

44.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

90.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

89.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

country comparison to the world: 26

1 April - 31 March

6 April - 5 April

2% (2017 est.)

2.6% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 93

2.6% (2017 est.)

0.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 120

0.5% (31 December 2013 est.)

0.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 133

0.25% (31 December 2016 est.)

0.5% (31 December 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 142

5.1% (31 December 2017 est.)

5% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 144

4.3% (31 December 2017 est.)

4.44% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 155

$310.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$285.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

$104.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$96.15 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

$1.736 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.613 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

$3.066 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.778 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

$719.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$676.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

$3.042 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.785 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

$3.185 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$3.233 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.101 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$3.019 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.903 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.107 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

$10.06 billion (2017 est.)

$14.88 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$-91.42 billion (2017 est.)

$-114.5 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 200

$540 billion (2017 est.)

$502.5 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

$436.5 billion (2017 est.)

$407.3 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, watches and clocks, toys, "jewelry, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares, and other articles of precious or semi-precious materials"; Hong Kong plays an important role as entrep?t to the Chinese mainland; in 2017, 58% of Hong Kong’s re-exports originated in mainland China, and 54% were destined for the Chinese mainland

manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

China 54.3%, US 8.5%, India 4.1% (2016)

US 14.8%, Germany 10.7%, France 6.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Ireland 5.6%, Switzerland 4.6%, China 4.4% (2016)

$561.4 billion (2017 est.)

$520.1 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

$602.5 billion (2017 est.)

$588.4 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is reexported)

manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs

China 45.5%, Taiwan 9.8%, South Korea 6.7%, Japan 6.3%, US 4.4% (2016)

Germany 13.6%, US 9.3%, China 9.2%, Netherlands 7.4%, France 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Switzerland 4.5% (2016)

$398.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$386.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

$135 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$129.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

$494.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$505.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$8.126 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)

$8.642 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

$1.901 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.786 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$2.027 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.858 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

$1.806 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.723 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$1.634 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.611 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -

7.8 (2017 est.)

7.76 (2016 est.)

7.76 (2015 est.)

7.75 (2014 est.)

7.75 (2013 est.)

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -

0.78 (2017 est.)

0.74 (2016 est.)

0.74 (2015 est.)

0.61 (2014 est.)

0.64 (2013 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

35.75 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 61

309.8 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 13

41.74 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

301.6 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

1.205 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

2.153 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

11.62 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

19.7 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

12.63 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

94.64 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

55.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 140

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 107

9.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 180

1.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 138

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 187

33.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

933,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

636,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 139

808,800 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

0 bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 147

2.564 billion bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 156

1.28 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

388,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

1.586 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

9,625 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 84

632,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

332,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

941,200 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

41.34 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

4.49 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

186.2 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 120

14.22 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 18

3.243 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

44.5 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 151

207.2 billion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

90 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

568.3 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

total subscriptions: 4,318,346

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 36

total subscriptions: 33,513,212

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 52 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

total: 17,584,969

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 245 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

total: 78,931,386

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

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 (2015)

general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system

domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems

international: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers (2016)

4 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 licensed broadcasters of terrestrial radio, one of which is government funded, operate about 12 radio stations; note - 4 digital radio broadcasters operated in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2017, but all digital radio services were terminated in September 2017 due to weak market demand (2018)

public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service; a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations throughout the world; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; a large number of commercial radio stations, as well as satellite radio services are available (2008)

.hk

.uk

total: 6.066 million

percent of population: 85% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

total: 61,064,454

percent of population: 94.8% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 11

number of registered air carriers: 7 (registered in China)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 253 (registered in China)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 41,867,157

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 11.294 billion mt-km (2015)

number of registered air carriers: 28

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1,242

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 131,449,680

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,466,504,676 mt-km (2015)

B-H (2016)

G (2016)

2 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 201

460 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 18

total: 2

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

total: 271

over 3,047 m: 7

2,438 to 3,047 m: 29

1,524 to 2,437 m: 89

914 to 1,523 m: 80

under 914 m: 66 (2013)

9 (2013)

9 (2013)

total: 2,100 km

paved: 2,100 km (2015)

country comparison to the world: 174

total: 394,428 km

paved: 394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009)

country comparison to the world: 18

total: 2,576

by type: bulk carrier 1,142, container ship 471, general cargo 226, oil tanker 346, other 391 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 9

total: 1,551

by type: bulk carrier 117, container ship 112, general cargo 175, oil tanker 173, other 974 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 17

major seaport(s): Hong Kong

major seaport(s): Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Teesport (England); Forth Ports (Scotland); Milford Haven (Wales)

oil terminal(s): Fawley Marine terminal, Liverpool Bay terminal (England); Braefoot Bay terminal, Finnart oil terminal, Hound Point terminal (Scotland)

container port(s) (TEUs): Felixstowe (3,676,000), London (1,185,000), Southampton (2,349,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Isle of Grain, Milford Haven, Teesside

total: 189

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 26

under 914 m: 160 (2013)

condensate 502 km; condensate/gas 9 km; gas 28,603 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,256 km; oil/gas/water 175 km; refined products 4,919 km; water 255 km (2013)

total: 16,837 km

broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)

standard gauge: 16,534 km 1.435-m gauge (5,357 km electrified) (2015)

country comparison to the world: 16

3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2009)

country comparison to the world: 31

no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Army, 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 Southern Command (2016)

Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2013)

defense is the responsibility of China

2.2% of GDP (2016)

2.05% of GDP (2015)

2.22% of GDP (2014)

2.25% of GDP (2013)

2.51% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 46

16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); no conscription; women serve in military services including ground combat roles; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2016)

Hong Kong plans to reduce its 2,800-hectare Frontier Closed Area (FCA) to 400 hectares by 2015; the FCA was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration from and the smuggling of goods

in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproved of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory); in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 - 1973, were granted UK citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied the right of return; in addition, the UK created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

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

producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center

refugees (country of origin): 14,363 (Iran); 13,720 (Eritrea); 9,752 (Afghanistan); 8,790 (Zimbabwe); 8,269 (Syria); 7,326 (Sudan); 6,814 (Pakistan); 5,954 (Somalia); 5,809 (Sri Lanka) (2016)

stateless persons: 64 (2016)