Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China (six times the size of Washington, DC)
Registration Embassy and Consulate:
U.S. citizens are encouraged to register at the U.S. Consulate General and obtain updated information on travel and security conditions within the Hong Kong SAR. The U.S. Consulate General is located at 26 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong. The mailing address is PSC 464, Box 30, FPO AP 96522-0002; tel. (852) 2523-9011, fax (852) 2845-4845; Internet: http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/.
Embassy & Consulates
Background:
Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.
Ethnic Groups:
Chinese 95%, other 5%
Language:
Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official
Currency:
HKD
Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.8106 (March 2007), 7.7990 (January 2001), 7.7912 (2000), 7.7575 (1999), 7.7453 (1998), 7.7421 (1997), 7.7343 (1996); note - Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China on 1 July 1997; before then, the Hong Kong dollar was linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per US dollar
Climate:
Tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Population:
7,210,505 (July 2001 est.)
Religion:
eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Medical:
Good medical facilities are available, and there are many Western-trained physicians. Doctors and hospitals generally do not accept credit cards and require immediate cash payment for health services. U.S. medical insurance is generally not valid outside the United States. The Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide payment for medical services outside the United States.
U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. The U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas may face extreme difficulties. Please check with your own insurance company to confirm whether your policy applies overseas, and whether it provides for medical evacuation. Please ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas hospital or doctor, or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric treatment and for disposition of remains in the event of death. Senior citizens may wish to contact the American Association of Retired Persons for information about foreign medical care coverage with Medicare supplement plans. A traveler going abroad with any preexisting medical problems should carry a letter from the attending physician, describing the medical condition and any prescription medications. Useful information on medical emergencies abroad, including overseas insurance programs, is provided in the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs brochure, Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, available on the Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov/medical.html and via our autofax service at (202) 647-3000.
Traffic Safety:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Hong Kong is provided for general reference only and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Traffic moves on the left in Hong Kong, where it is congested in urban areas during the daytime. Each year, some 14,000 drivers, passengers, and pedestrians are injured or killed in traffic accidents in Hong Kong. Speed limits are 50 kilometers per hour in urban areas and 80 kilometers per hour on highways unless otherwise marked. The use of seat belts in vehicles, if fitted, is mandatory both in the front and back seats. The maximum penalty for dangerous driving causing death can be a fine of 50,000 Hong Kong dollars (USD 6,500) and imprisonment for five years and disqualification from driving for not less than two years on first conviction. At the scene of a traffic accident, drivers are required to go through a simple test for possible influence of alcohol. The use of hand-held cellular phones while driving in Hong Kong is strictly prohibited. A breach of this law can lead to a maximum fine of 2,000 Hong Kong dollars (U.S. dollars 260). However, motorists can still use "hand-free devices" such as headphones and speakerphones. Hong Kong law requires that all registered vehicles carry valid third-party liability insurance. The emergency number for local emergency assistance is 999 (equivalent to 911).
About 90 percent of the population in Hong Kong depends on public transport. Taxis, busses, and the mass transit railway (MTR) are readily available, inexpensive, and safe. The MRT is an underground railway network and is the most popular mode of public transport, carrying over an average of 2.2 million passengers a week.
A Hong Kong driver’s license may be issued without a test to individuals who hold a valid U.S. driver’s license, provided they have resided in the U.S. for not less than six months. American visitors who do not plan to stay in Hong Kong for more than twelve months can drive in Hong Kong on the strength of their valid U.S. driver’s license. They need not obtain an international driving permit (IDP). IDPs are a legal identification document that translate driving license information into eleven languages including English, and should only be used as a supplement to a valid driving license.
Safety of Public Transportation:
Good
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Good
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance:
Good
Availability of Roadside/Ambulance Assistance:
Good
For additional general information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, please see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov/road_safety.html. For specific information concerning Hong Kong driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, please visit the Hong Kong Transport Department web site at http://www.info.gov.hk/td/, or contact the Transport Department at tel. (852) 2829-5248, fax (852) 2824-0433, e-mail: tdenq@td.gcn.gov.hk, or the Hong Kong Tourist Association Office in New York by e-mail at hktanyc@hkta.org, or via the Internet at http://www.hkta.org/usa/.
