, Singapore 5% (1996)

Debt-external: none (1996)

Economic aid: $NA

Currency: 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$-7.74 (1997), 7.730
(1996), 7.800 (1995), 7.800 (1994), 7.800 (1993), 7.741 (1992);
note-linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

Communications

Telephones: 4.37 million (1997 est.)

Telephone system: 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 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios: 3 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (British Broadcasting Corporation
repeater 1; British Forces Broadcasting Service repeater 1)

Televisions: 1.75 million (1992 est.)

@Hong Kong:Transportation

Railways:
total: 34 km
standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (1996 est.)
note: also has 43 km of metro with 38 stations

Highways:
total: 1,760 km
paved: 1,760 km
unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors: Hong Kong

Merchant marine:
total: 182 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,644,279 GRT/9,287,704
DWT
ships by type: bulk 104, cargo 23, combination bulk 2, container 42,
liquefied gas tanker 1, multifunction large load carrier 2, oil tanker
2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger
1, vehicle carrier 3
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 13 countries
among which are UK 26, South Africa 9, China 9, Japan 8, Bermuda 3,
Germany 3, Israel 2, Canada 2, Belgium 1, and Norway 1; Hong Kong owns
an additional 459 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,179,262 DWT
that operate under the registries of The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,
Bermuda, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Liberia, Malta, Panama, Philippines, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, and Vanuatu (1997 est.)

Airports: 3 (1998)

Airports-with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998)

Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)

@Hong Kong:Military

Military branches: the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has a
low-profile presence in Hong Kong

Military manpower-military age: 18 years