Part 379

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues: air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography - note: more than 200 islands

@Hong Kong:People

Population: 6,547,189 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 629,981; female 584,807) 15-64 years: 71% (male 2,319,009; female 2,348,794) 65 years and over: 10% (male 299,503; female 365,095) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.59% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 12.72 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.79 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 18.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.71 years male: 75.98 years female: 81.62 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (1997 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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population : 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.2% (1996 est.)

@Hong Kong:Government

Country name: conventional long form : none conventional short form: Hong Kong abbreviation : HK

Data code: HK

Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK; note - scheduled to revert to China on 1 July 1997

Government type: NA

National capital: Victoria

Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK; the UK signed an agreement with China on 19 December 1984 to return Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Hong Kong's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle)