Hong Kong - Government
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesHong Kong is located Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China. The climate is subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall. The terrain is hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north.
Country name
This entry includes all forms of the country's name approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example)Country name - conventional long form : Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Country name - conventional short form : Hong Kong
Country name - local long form : Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
Country name - local short form : Xianggang
Country name - abbreviation : HK
Dependency status
This entry describes the formal relationship between a particular nonindependent entity and an independent state.Dependency status : special administrative region of China
Government type
This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the major governmental terms are as follows. (Note that for some countries more than one definition applies.)Government type : limited democracy
Administrative divisions
This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by the BGN are noted.Administrative divisions : none (special administrative region of China)
Independence
For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. Also see the Terminology note.Independence : none (special administrative region of China)
National holiday
This entry gives the primary national day of celebration - usually independence day.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
This entry includes the dates of adoption, revisions, and major amendments.Constitution : Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Legal system
This entry contains a brief description of the legal system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.Legal system : based on English common law
Suffrage
This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted.Suffrage : direct election - 18 years of age for a number of non-executive positions; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election - limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, central government bodies, and municipal organizations
Executive branch
This entry includes several subfields. Chief of state includes the name and title of the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government. Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government. Cabinet includes the official name for this body of high-ranking advisers and the method for selection of members. Elections include the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election.Executive branch - chief of state : President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
Executive branch - head of government : Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005)
Executive branch - cabinet : Executive Council consists of 15 official members and 16 non-official members
Executive branch - elections : chief executive elected for five-year term by 800-member electoral committee; last held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Executive branch - election results : Donald TSANG elected chief executive receiving 84.1% of the vote of the election committee; Alan LEONG received 15.9%
Legislative branch
This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.Legislative branch - elections : last held 7 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2012)
Legislative branch - election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by parties - pro-Beijing 37; pro-democracy 23
Judicial branch
This entry contains the name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members.Judicial branch : Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders
This entry includes a listing of significant political organizations and their leaders.Political parties and leaders - note : political blocs include
Political pressure groups and leaders
This entry includes a listing of a country's political, social, labor, or religious organizations that are involved in politics, or that exert political pressure, but whose leaders do not stand for legislative election. International movements or organizations are generally not listed.Political pressure groups and leaders : Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor]; 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]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHARNWUT, executive committee member]
International organization participation
This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way.International organization participation : ADB, APEC, BIS, ICC, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.Diplomatic representation in the US : none (special administrative region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington and two other cities carries out normal liaison and communication with the US Government and other US entities
Diplomatic representation from the US
This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission : Consul General Joseph A. DONOVAN, Jr.
Diplomatic representation from the US - consulate(s) general : 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong
Diplomatic representation from the US - mailing address : PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006
Diplomatic representation from the US - telephone : [852] 2523-9011
Diplomatic representation from the US - FAX : [852] 2845-1598
Flag description
This entry provides a written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the time the entry was written. The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.Flag description : red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
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