State system.
Until 1 July 1997, Hong Kong was a British colony, comprising the island of Hong Kong (ceded to Britain by China under the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842), in the South China Sea opposite the south-east coast of China, the Kowloon Peninsula (ceded in 1863) and the territory behind it which, together with 236 largely uninhabited islands, form the so-called New Territories (rented to Britain in 1898 for 99 years). The border with the Chinese province of Guangdong is the River Sham Chun. According to the agreement signed in Beijing on 19 December 1984, on 1 July 1997, Hong Kong was given back to the People’s Republic of China. It was attributed special administrative status, known as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), and there was a commitment on the part of the PRC to keep the social and economic system as it was under British administration for another 50 years. According to Hong Kong Basic Law, the region is governed by a Chief Executive, who is elected for five years by a committee of 1200 members (mostly supporters of the government in Beijing). He appoints the Executive Council (consisting of 30 members, 15 of whom are chosen from among the officials of the institutions with executive functions). There is also a Legislative Council of 70 members, half of them elected for four years by means of proportional representation (the other 35 members are appointed by professional and trade associations). On 26 February 1999, the Court of Final Appeal, Hong Kong’s highest court of jurisdiction, established that it was not competent to judge the decisions of the Beijing government and that the Chinese parliament has exclusive competence when it comes to interpreting Hong Kong Basic Law.

Population by age and gender (% - 2017)
	75+ 60-74 45-59 30-44 15-29 0-14
MALE	AGE	FEMALE

Population.
The enclaves of non-Chinese ethnic minorities include groups of Asians (Indonesians and Filipinos) as well as British, US and Australian citizens.

The fundamental sector of the economy is the services sector, which provides employment for over two-thirds of the active population. Hong Kong is one of the largest hubs of international trade and also one of Asia’s most important financial centres, with a highly efficient banking system and an important stock exchange. Commercial banks in Hong Kong have been investing heavily in mainland China, especially in the industrial cities of Guangdong (Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhuhai). The per-capita income of Hong Kong is one of the highest in the world. Fishing is an important industry (especially in Shaukiwan and Aberdeen), and fish farms are also widespread. Much of industry is geared to exports, particularly high-quality products with high technological content. After Hong Kong was reunited with China, some of its industrial production facilities were moved to China. Tourism is an important source of income, with most visitors coming from China, Japan and Taiwan.

Main exports (M US$ - 2017) electronic integrated circuits and microassemblies 113 098, electrical and electronic equipment 92 527, telecommunications equipment 76 045, gold 52 202, computers and accessories 44 914, machinery 22 539, jewels and precious stones 17 840, diamonds 17 147, optical and electro-medical appliances 17 015, apparel and accessories 13 733, plastics and articles thereof 10 638, watches 8 370, toys and sports equipment 7 316, leather goods 4 771, meat 3 163, footwear 2 901, glass 2 691, cosmetics 2 566, iron and steel 2 309