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 |
