Names: conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conventional short form: Hong Kong local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu local short form: Xianggang abbreviation: HK

Capital City:

Population: 6,940,432 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $36,500 (2006 est.)

Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HKD)

Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official

Total Area: total: 1,092 sq km land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km six times the size of Washington, DC

Region: Asia

Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks

Agriculture: fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish

Resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Labor Force: 3.63 million (2006 est.)
manufacturing 7.5%, construction 7.5%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.9%, financing, insurance, and real estate 2.9%, transport and communications 7.1%, community and social services 43.9% note: above data exclude public sector (2005 est.)

Exports: $611.6 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2006 est.)
electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material

Imports: $329.8 billion (2006 est.)
raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)

Overview: Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade. The territory has become more closely linked to mainland China over the past few years. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997, it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Hong Kong's service industry over the past decade has grown rapidly as its manufacturing industry has moved to the mainland. Hong Kong also has stepped up its efforts to gain approval to offer more mainland financial services in a bid to remain competitive with China's growing financial centers. Hong Kong's 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. Per capita GDP exceeds that of the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2006, 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 2006. Moreover, several large initial public offerings of Chinese companies on the Hong Kong stock exchange since late 2005 have helped to boost Hong Kong's status as a financial hub and have contributed to the improved performance of the market in late 2006.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $120,243,896 in goods to Hong Kong. This ranks Hong Kong 19^th among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Hong Kong decreased from the previous year by $38,523,921 a change of -24.26%. State exports to Hong Kong have decreased over the last 5 years by $11,577,503 a change of -8.78%. Missouri exports account for .90%. of all 2007 US exports to Hong Kong.