Cruising in 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

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
Land: 1,042 sq km
water: 50 sq km
Land boundaries: total: 30 km
Regional border: China 30 km

Coastline

733 km

Maritime claims

Territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate

Subtropical 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

Economy

Hong Kong has a free market, entrepot economy, highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Gross imports and exports (i.e., including reexports to and from third countries) 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. Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has made manufacturing in China much more cost effective.

Hong Kong's reexport business to and from China is a major driver of growth. Per capita GDP is comparable to that of the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2005, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past eight years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998 and the global downturn in 2001-2002.

Although the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 also battered Hong Kong's economy, a solid rise in exports, a boom in tourism from the mainland because of China's easing of travel restrictions, and a return of consumer confidence resulted in the resumption of strong growth from late 2003 through 2005.

Transportation

Airports: 3 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3
Heliports: 3 (2005)
Roadways: total: 1,831 km

Merchant marine

Total: 895 ships (1000 GRT or over) 29,662,934 GRT/50,199,048 DWT
By type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 485, cargo 122, chemical tanker 39, combination ore/oil 6, container 122, liquefied gas 21, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 72, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 8
Foreign-owned: 534 (Belgium 3, Canada 23, China 259, Denmark 6, France 3, Germany 7, Greece 28, Indonesia 3, Japan 64, South Korea 12, Monaco 1, Norway 22, Philippines 15, Singapore 25, Taiwan 8, UAE 1, UK 35, US 19)
Registered in other countries: 407 (The Bahamas 7, Belgium 1, Belize 8, Bermuda 6, Cambodia 10, China 7, Cyprus 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 3, Honduras 2, India 1, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 40, Malaysia 14, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 8, Norway 50, Panama 168, Philippines 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 53, Taiwan 3, Tuvalu 7, Venezuela 1, unknown 6) (2005)

Sailing Specifics: Ports and terminals

Hong Kong   

Other Sailing Destinations in the Region

Brunei - Burma - Cambodia - China - East Timor - Hong Kong - Indonesia - Japan - Macau - Malaysia - North Korea -Philippines - Russia - Singapore - South Korea - Taiwan - Thailand - Vietnam

Further Reading

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