Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Hazardous
Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic
(western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
People Haiti
Population: 7,063,722 note: estimates for this country explicitly take
into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result
in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population
by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.5% (male 1,414,052; female 1,377,693)
15-64 years: 56.3% (male 1,924,867; female 2,049,952) 65 years and over:
4.2% (male 142,657; female 154,501) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.42% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 31.42 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 14.88 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.92 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 93.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 51.29 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 4.3 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 5.17% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 210,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 23,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Haitian(s) adjective: Haitian
Ethnic groups: black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal
4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) note: roughly half
of the population also practices Voodoo
Languages: French (official), Creole (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 45% male: 48% female: 42.2% (1995 est.)
Government Haiti
Country name: Republic of Haiti conventional short form: Government
type: elected government
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departements, singular -
departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest,
Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Constitution: approved March 1987; suspended June 1988, with most
articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to
be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October 1994
Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE
(since 7 February 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Yvon NEPTUNE
(since 4 March 2002); note - former Prime Minister CHERESTAL resigned
in January 2002 cabinet: elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election last held 26 November 2000 (next to be
held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by
the National Assembly election results: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE elected
president; percent of vote - Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 92%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
consists of the Senate (27 seats; members elected by popular vote
to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the
Chamber of Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) elections: 9 July boycotted by the opposition;
seven seats still disputed; election for remaining one-third held on 26
November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held
21 May 2000, with runoffs on 30 July boycotted by the opposition; one
vacant seat rerun 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election
results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
FL 26, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - FL 73, MOCHRENA 3, PLB 2, OPL 1, vacant 1, other
minor parties and independents 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for the Liberation and
Advancement of Haiti or ALAH [Reynold GEORGES]; Assembly of Progressive
National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convergence (opposition
coalition composed of ESPACE, OPL, and MOCHRENA) [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES,
Evans PAUL, Luc MESADIEU, Victor BENOIT]; Democratic Consultation Group
coalition or ESPACE [Evans PAUL, Victor Benoit] composed of the following
parties: National Congress of Democratic Movements or KONAKOM, National
Progressive Revolutionary Party or PANPRA, Generation 2004, and Haiti
Can; Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Marie-France CLAUDE];
Haitian Democratic Party or PADEM [Clark PARENT]; Lavalas Family or FL
[Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN
[Hubert DE RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Rene
THEODORE]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH
[Marc BAZIN]; Movement for the Organization of the Country or MOP [Gesner
COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE]; National Cooperative Action Movement or MKN
[Volrick Remy JOSEPH]; National Front for Change and Democracy or FNCD
[Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti
or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate or PLB [Renaud BERNARDIN];
Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Autonomous Haitian Workers or
CATH; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers
Trade Unions or FOS; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants
Movement or MPP; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman
Catholic Church
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, Caricom, CCC, ECLAC,
FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory),
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Louis Harold JOSEPH consulate(s) general:
Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) FAX: [1]
(202) 745-7215 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090 chancery: 2311 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Brian Dean CURRAN embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: [509] 222-0354,
222-0269, 222-0200, 223-0327 FAX: [509] 23-1641
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with
a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a
palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the
motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
Economy Haiti
Economy - overview: About 80% of the population lives in abject
poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector,
which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs
about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country
has experienced little job creation since the former President
PREVAL took office in February 1996, although the informal economy
is growing. Following legislative elections in May 2000, fraught with
irregularities, international donors - including the US and EU - suspended
almost all aid to Haiti. The economy shrank an estimated 1.2% in 2001,
and the contraction will likely intensify in 2002 unless a political
agreement with donors is reached and aid restored.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $12 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -1.2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30% industry: 20% services:
50% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 80% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 3.6 million (1995) note: shortage of skilled labor,
unskilled labor abundant (2001)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9%
Unemployment rate: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more
than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2001)
Budget: revenues: $273 million expenditures: $361 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)
Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light
assembly industries based on imported parts
Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 522 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 68.97% hydro: 31.03%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 485.46 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn,
sorghum; wood
Exports: $326.6 million (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa
Exports - partners: US 90%, EU 6% (2000)
Imports: $977.5 million (c.i.f., 2001)
Imports - commodities: food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport
equipment, fuels, raw materials
Imports - partners: US 60%, EU 10.5%, Dominican Republic 3.7% (2000)
Debt - external: $1.2 billion (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: $730.6 million (1995)
Currency: gourde (HTG)
Currency code: HTG
Exchange rates: gourdes per US dollar - 26.674 (January 2002), 26.339
(2001), 22.524 (2000), 17.965 (1999), 16.505 (1998), 17.311 (1997)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications Haiti
Telephones - main lines in use: 60,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
Telephone system: general assessment: domestic facilities barely
adequate; international facilities slightly better domestic: coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay trunk service international: satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)
Radios: 415,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)
Televisions: 38,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ht
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)
Internet users: 6,000 (2000)
Transportation Haiti
Railways: 40 km 0.760-m gauge; single-track note: Highways: total:
4,160 km paved: 1,011 km unpaved: 3,149 km (1996)
Waterways: NEGL; less than 100 km navigable
Ports and harbors: Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes,
Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 12 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to
1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m:
6 (2001)
Military Haiti
Military branches: Haitian National Police (HNP) note: the regular
Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been demobilized but still exist
on paper until or unless they are constitutionally abolished
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,691,585 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 919,275
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 87,049
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $50 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (FY00)
Transnational Issues Haiti
Disputes - international: claims US-administered Navassa Island
Illicit drugs: major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en
route to the US and Europe; vulnerable to money laundering and pervasive
corruption
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Hong Kong
Introduction Hong Kong
Background: 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.
Geography Hong Kong
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates: 22 15 N, 114 10 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 1,092 sq km water: 50 sq km land: 1,042 sq km
Area - comparative: six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 30 km border countries: China 30 km
Coastline: 733 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from
spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point:
Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use: arable land: 5% other: 94% (1998 est.) permanent crops: 1%
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues: air and water pollution from rapid
urbanization
Environment - international agreements: party to: Marine Dumping
(associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
Geography - note: more than 200 islands
People Hong Kong
Population: 7,303,334 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.5% (male 679,311; female 599,811) 15-64
years: 71.6% (male 2,587,509; female 2,641,418) 65 years and over: 10.9%
(male 364,864; female 430,421) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.26% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 10.92 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 6.11 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 7.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.13
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 82.69 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.3 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.06% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,500 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%, other 5%
Religions: eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official
Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population:
Government Hong Kong
Country name: conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region conventional short form: Hong Kong local short form: Xianggang
local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu abbreviation: HK
Dependency status: special administrative region of China
Government type: NA
Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region of China)
Independence: none (special administrative region of China)
National holiday: 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
Constitution: Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National
People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent
residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven
years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional
constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad
regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Executive branch: chief of state: President of China JIANG Zemin (since
27 March 1993) head
Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997) cabinet: members;
ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Donald TSANG Yam-kuen
(since 1 May 2001), Financial Secretary Antony LEUNG (since 1 May 2001),
and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997) elections: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60
seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 24 elected
by popular vote, and 6 elected by an 800-member election committee;
members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 10 September 2000
(next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 12, Democratic Alliance for the
Betterment of Hong Kong 10, Liberal Party 7, Frontier Party 5, Hong Kong
Progressive Alliance 4, New Century Forum 2, Hong Kong Association for
Democracy and People's Livelihood 1, independents 19
Judicial branch: The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders: Association for Democracy and People's
Livelihood [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [Alex
CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong
[Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin LEE Chu-ming,
chairman]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [leader NA]; Hong Kong
Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party [James TIEN
Pei-chun, chairman]; New Century Forum [NQ Ching-fai, chairman] note:
political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for Democracy and
People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party, Frontier Party;
pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New Century Forum
Political pressure groups and leaders: Chinese General Chamber of
Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong;
Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president;
LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries;
Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China) [LEE Chark-tim, president];
Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement
in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union
Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong
Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Liberal
Democratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman]
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP
(associate), ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau),
IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region
of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US: Consul General Michael KLOSSON
consulate(s) general: 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX:
[852] 2845-1598
Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower
in the center
Economy Hong Kong
Economy - overview: Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy highly
dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and
food and raw materials must be imported. Indeed, imports and exports,
including reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong
Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive
trade and investment ties with China. Per capita GDP compares with the
level in the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged
a strong 5% in 1989-97. The widespread Asian economic difficulties
in 1998 hit this trade-dependent economy quite hard, with GDP down 5%.
The economy, with growth of 10% in 2000, recovered rapidly from the Asian
financial crisis. The recent global downturn has badly hurt Hong Kong's
exports and GDP growth is estimated to be 0% in 2001. Private sector
analysts project 2002 GDP growth to be 1.8%.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $180 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1% industry: 14.3% services:
85.6% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -1.6% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 3.44 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: wholesale and retail trade, restaurants,
and hotels 31%, financing, insurance, and real estate 13%, community and
social services 11%, manufacturing 7%, transport and communications 6%,
construction 2%, other 30% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.2% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $22.9 billion expenditures: $24.6 billion, including
capital expenditures of $465 million (FY00/01)
Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics,
plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Industrial production growth rate: -9% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 29.449 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 35,401.57 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 1.181 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 9.195 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: fresh vegetables; poultry, fish, pork
Exports: $191 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: clothing, textiles, footwear, electrical
appliances, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones
Exports - partners: China 34%, US 23%, Japan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 4%,
Taiwan 3%, Singapore 2% (2000)
Imports: $203 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials,
semimanufactures, petroleum, plastics, machinery, electrical equipment;
a large share is reexported
Imports - partners: China 43%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 8%, US 7%, South Korea
5%, Singapore 3% (2000)
Debt - external: $58.8 billion (2001 est.)
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Currency code: HKD
Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.798 (January 2002),
7.7994 (2001), 7.7918 (2000), 7.7589 (1999), 7.7462 (1998), 7.7425
(1997); note - the Hong Kong dollar is linked to the US dollar at a rate
of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per US dollar
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Hong Kong
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.839 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 3.7 million (December 1999)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent
domestic and international services domestic: microwave radio relay
links and extensive fiber-optic network international: satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial
cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables
providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia,
Middle East, and Western Europe
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 4.45 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 1.84 million (1997)
Internet country code: .hk
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 17 (2000)
Internet users: 3.93 million (2001)
Transportation Hong Kong
Railways: total: 34 km standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified
and double-tracked) note: connects to China railway system at Hong
Kong-China border (2001)