Hong Kong Stock Market

Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.
Capital City: Beijing (+8 GMT)
Chief of State: President of China HU Jintao
Head of Govt.: Chief Executive Donald TSANG
Currency: Hong Kong dollar
Major Languages: Chinese, English
Calling Code: 852
Voltage: 220V
Stock Exchanges: Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Primary Religions: local religions, Christian
Main Airports

U.S. Embassy
The U.S. Consulate General can be found at 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2523-9011
Statistics
GDP: purchasing power parity:
$227.3 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity :
32,900 (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
3.61 million (October 2005)
Exports:
$286.3 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2005 est.)
Exports - partners:
China 45%, US 16.1%, Japan 5.3% (2005)
Imports:
$291.6 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - partners:
China 45%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 7.2%, Singapore 5.8%, US 5.1%, South Korea 4.4% (2005)
Population:
6,940,432 (July 2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.59% (2006 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line:
NA%
Major Industries:
textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Employing Workers: 16*
Registering Property: 60*
Enforcing Contracts: 10*
Closing a Business: 14*
*2006 World Bank rank out of 175 countries