*Hong Kong, Economy
Exchange rates:
Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$ - 7.800 (1992), 7.771 (1991), 7.790 (1990),
7.800 (1989), 7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987); note - linked to the US dollar at
the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
*Hong Kong, Communications
Railroads:
35 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, government owned
Highways:
1,100 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone, or earth
Ports:
Hong Kong
Merchant marine:
176 ships (1,000 GRT or over), totaling 5,870,007 GRT/10,006,390 DWT;
includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo,
29 container, 15 oil tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 6 combination ore/oil, 5
liquefied gas, 88 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note - a flag of convenience
registry; ships registered in Hong Kong fly the UK flag, and an estimated
500 Hong Kong-owned ships are registered elsewhere
Airports:
total:
2
useable:
2
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
0
Telecommunications:
modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services;
3,000,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and extensive optical
fiber transmission network; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) repeater station and 1 British Forces
Broadcasting Service repeater station; 2,500,000 radio receivers; 1,312,000
TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets); satellite earth stations - 1 Pacific
Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; coaxial cable to Guangzhou,
China; links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN
member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
*Hong Kong, Defense Forces
Branches:
Headquarters of British Forces, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Hong Kong
Auxiliary Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,635,516; fit for military service 1,256,057; reach
military age (18) annually 43,128 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $300 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989 est.); this
represents one-fourth of the total cost of defending itself, the remainder
being paid by the UK
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
*Howland Island, Header
Affiliation: (territory of the US)
*Howland Island, Geography
Location:
in the North Pacific Ocean, 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu, just north of
the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total area:
1.6 km2
land area:
1.6 km2
comparative area:
about 2.7 times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
6.4 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 m or the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain:
low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing
reef; depressed central area
Natural resources:
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
Land use:
arable land:
0%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
5%
other:
95%
Irrigated land:
0 km2
Environment:
almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing
shrubs; small area of trees in the center; lacks fresh water; primarily a
nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine
wildlife; feral cats