Hong
Kong, described as a 'barren rock' over 150 years
ago, has become a world-class financial, trading and
business centre and, indeed, a great world city.
Hong
Kong has no natural resources, except one of the finest
deep-water ports in the world. A hardworking, adaptable
and well-educated workforce of about 3.56 million,
coupled with entrepreneurial flair, is the bedrock
of Hong Kong's productivity and creativity.
Hong
Kong's population was about 6.88 million in mid-2004.
The population density was 6 380 people per square
kilometre. Hong Kong had a large foreign population
of about 524 200. The top three nationalities came
from the Philippines (129 760), Indonesia (105 710)
and the USA (29 900).
Hong
Kong is the world's 11th largest trading economy,
the world's sixth largest foreign exchange market,
the world's 13th largest banking centre, and Asia's
second biggest stock market. Hong Kong is one of the
world's top exporters of garments, watches and clocks,
toys, games, electronic products and certain light
industrial products.
A
Free Economy
Hong Kong has for the 11th consecutive year retained
its rating as the freest economy in the world in the
2005 Index of Economic Freedom released by The Heritage
Foundation. The Cato Institute in the United States,
in conjunction with more than 50 economic institutes
worldwide, also ranks Hong Kong as the world’s freest
economy. The International Monetary Fund classifies
Hong Kong as an advanced economy. Other highly regarded
institutions — like the World Economic Forum, the
International Institute of Management Development
and the Economist Intelligence Unit — also identify
Hong Kong as one of the world’s most competitive business
environments. And Hong Kong was the second best-performing
host economy for foreign direct investment (FDI) in
Asia, according to the World Investment Report 2004
published by the United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD).
Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) Growth
Over the past two decades, the Hong Kong economy has
more than doubled in size, with GDP growing at an
average annual rate of 4.8 per cent in real terms.
This means Hong Kong has outperformed the growth of
the world economy as well as that of the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development economies.
Per capita GDP in Hong Kong has also more than doubled
over the same period, with an average annual growth
rate of about 3.6 per cent in real terms. In 2004,
it reached US$23,684, second only to that of Japan
in Asia and higher than that of many Western countries.
Source:
Info.gov.hk
The
Economist Hong
Kong Country Briefing and City
Guide
Centamap
(Searchable Map of Building and Roads in Hong Kong)
Hong
Kong SAR Government Information Centre
Hong
Kong in Figures (2007 Government Report; PDF file)
Hong
Kong Tourist Association
Hong
Kong SAR Immigration Department
Hong
Kong SAR Education & Manpower Bureau
Lonely
Planet World Guide, Destination Hong Kong
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