ZAR to HKD Live Rate

Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

29 00 S, 24 00 E

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Africa

Southeast Asia

total: 1,219,090 sq km

land: 1,214,470 sq km

water: 4,620 sq km

note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

country comparison to the world: 26

total: 1,108 sq km

land: 1,073 sq km

water: 35 sq km

country comparison to the world: 184

total: 5,244 km

border countries (6): Botswana 1,969 km, Lesotho 1,106 km, Mozambique 496 km, Namibia 1,005 km, Eswatini 438 km, Zimbabwe 230 km

total: 33 km

regional border(s) (1): China 33 km

2,798 km

733 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

territorial sea: 12 nm

mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

mean elevation: 1,034 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

mean elevation: NA

elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

agricultural land: 79.4%

arable land 9.9%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 69.2%

forest: 7.6%

other: 13% (2011 est.)

agricultural land: 5%

arable land 3.2%; permanent crops 0.9%; permanent pasture 0.9%

forest: 0%

other: 95% (2011 est.)

16,700 sq km (2012)

10 sq km (2012)

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Petoria; the eastern half of the country is more densly populated than the west

population fairly evenly distributed

prolonged droughts

volcanism: the volcano forming Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands, which last erupted in 2004, is South Africa's only active volcano

occasional typhoons

lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini

consists of a mainland area (the New Territories) and more than 200 islands

six times the size of Washington, DC

54,841,552

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

7,191,503 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 100

noun: South African(s)

adjective: South African

noun: Chinese/Hong Konger

adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong

black African 80.2%, white 8.4%, colored 8.8%, Indian/Asian 2.5%

note: colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry (2014 est.)

Chinese 92%, Filipino 2.5%, Indonesian 2.1%, other 3.4% (2016 est.)

isiZulu (official) 22.7%, isiXhosa (official) 16%, Afrikaans (official) 13.5%, English (official) 9.6%, Sepedi (official) 9.1%, Setswana (official) 8%, Sesotho (official) 7.6%, Xitsonga (official) 4.5%, siSwati (official) 2.5%, Tshivenda (official) 2.4%, isiNdebele (official) 2.1%, sign language 0.5%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)

Cantonese (official) 88.9%, English (official) 4.3%, Mandarin (official) 1.9%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 1.9% (2016 est.)

Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%), Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 est.)

Buddhist or Taoist 27.9%, Protestant 6.7%, Roman Catholic 5.3%, Muslim 4.2%, Hindu 1.4%, Sikh 0.2%, other or none 54.3%

note: many people practice Confucianism, regardless of their religion or not having a religious affiliation (2016 est.)

South Africa’s youthful population is gradually aging, as the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) has declined dramatically from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to roughly 2.2 in 2014. This pattern is similar to fertility trends in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and sets South Africa apart from the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, where the average TFR remains higher than other regions of the world. Today, South Africa’s decreasing number of reproductive age women is having fewer children, as women increase their educational attainment, workforce participation, and use of family planning methods; delay marriage; and opt for smaller families.

As the proportion of working-age South Africans has grown relative to children and the elderly, South Africa has been unable to achieve a demographic dividend because persistent high unemployment and the prevalence of HIV/AIDs have created a larger-than-normal dependent population. HIV/AIDS was also responsible for South Africa’s average life expectancy plunging to less than 43 years in 2008; it has rebounded to 63 years as of 2017. HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious public health threat, although awareness-raising campaigns and the wider availability of anti-retroviral drugs is stabilizing the number of new cases, enabling infected individuals to live longer, healthier lives, and reducing mother-child transmissions.

Migration to South Africa began in the second half of the 17th century when traders from the Dutch East India Company settled in the Cape and started using slaves from South and southeast Asia (mainly from India but also from present-day Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia) and southeast Africa (Madagascar and Mozambique) as farm laborers and, to a lesser extent, as domestic servants. The Indian subcontinent remained the Cape Colony’s main source of slaves in the early 18th century, while slaves were increasingly obtained from southeast Africa in the latter part of the 18th century and into the 19th century under British rule.

After slavery was completely abolished in the British Empire in 1838, South Africa’s colonists turned to temporary African migrants and indentured labor through agreements with India and later China, countries that were anxious to export workers to alleviate domestic poverty and overpopulation. Of the more than 150,000 indentured Indian laborers hired to work in Natal’s sugar plantations between 1860 and 1911, most exercised the right as British subjects to remain permanently (a small number of Indian immigrants came freely as merchants). Because of growing resentment toward Indian workers, the 63,000 indentured Chinese workers who mined gold in Transvaal between 1904 and 1911 were under more restrictive contracts and generally were forced to return to their homeland.

In the late 19th century and nearly the entire 20th century, South Africa’s then British colonies’ and Dutch states’ enforced selective immigration policies that welcomed “assimilable” white Europeans as permanent residents but excluded or restricted other immigrants. Following the Union of South Africa’s passage of a law in 1913 prohibiting Asian and other non-white immigrants and its elimination of the indenture system in 1917, temporary African contract laborers from neighboring countries became the dominant source of labor in the burgeoning mining industries. Others worked in agriculture and smaller numbers in manufacturing, domestic service, transportation, and construction. Throughout the 20th century, at least 40% of South Africa’s miners were foreigners; the numbers peaked at over 80% in the late 1960s. Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini were the primary sources of miners, and Malawi and Zimbabwe were periodic suppliers.

Under apartheid, a “two gates” migration policy focused on policing and deporting illegal migrants rather than on managing migration to meet South Africa’s development needs. The exclusionary 1991 Aliens Control Act limited labor recruitment to the highly skilled as defined by the ruling white minority, while bilateral labor agreements provided exemptions that enabled the influential mining industry and, to a lesser extent, commercial farms, to hire temporary, low-paid workers from neighboring states. Illegal African migrants were often tacitly allowed to work for low pay in other sectors but were always under threat of deportation.

The abolishment of apartheid in 1994 led to the development of a new inclusive national identity and the strengthening of the country’s restrictive immigration policy. Despite South Africa’s protectionist approach to immigration, the downsizing and closing of mines, and rising unemployment, migrants from across the continent believed that the country held work opportunities. Fewer African labor migrants were issued temporary work permits and, instead, increasingly entered South Africa with visitors’ permits or came illegally, which drove growth in cross-border trade and the informal job market. A new wave of Asian immigrants has also arrived over the last two decades, many operating small retail businesses.

In the post-apartheid period, increasing numbers of highly skilled white workers emigrated, citing dissatisfaction with the political situation, crime, poor services, and a reduced quality of life. The 2002 Immigration Act and later amendments were intended to facilitate the temporary migration of skilled foreign labor to fill labor shortages, but instead the legislation continues to create regulatory obstacles. Although the education system has improved and brain drain has slowed in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, South Africa continues to face skills shortages in several key sectors, such as health care and technology.

South Africa’s stability and economic growth has acted as a magnet for refugees and asylum seekers from nearby countries, despite the prevalence of discrimination and xenophobic violence. Refugees have included an estimated 350,000 Mozambicans during its 1980s civil war and, more recently, several thousand Somalis, Congolese, and Ethiopians. Nearly all of the tens of thousands of Zimbabweans who have applied for asylum in South Africa have been categorized as economic migrants and denied refuge.

total dependency ratio: 52.5

youth dependency ratio: 44.8

elderly dependency ratio: 7.7

potential support ratio: 12.9 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio: 35.9

youth dependency ratio: 15.2

elderly dependency ratio: 20.7

potential support ratio: 4.8 (2015 est.)

total: 27.1 years

male: 26.9 years

female: 27.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 145

total: 44.4 years

male: 43.5 years

female: 45 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

0.99% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 114

0.32% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 166

20.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

8.9 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 208

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 58

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 117

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 51

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Petoria; the eastern half of the country is more densly populated than the west

population fairly evenly distributed

urban population: 65.8% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population: 100% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 0.64% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni) 9.399 million; Cape Town (legislative capital) 3.66 million; Durban 2.901 million; PRETORIA (capital) 2.059 million; Port Elizabeth 1.179 million; Vereeniging 1.155 million (2015)

Hong Kong 7.26 million (2014)

at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.74 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female

total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

138 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 63

total: 31 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 34.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

total: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 216

total population: 63.8 years

male: 62.4 years

female: 65.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 190

total population: 83 years

male: 80.4 years

female: 85.9 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

2.29 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 91

1.19 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 221

8.8% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 44

0.82 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

1.91 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

improved:

urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 81.4% of population

total: 93.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 18.6% of population

total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 69.6% of population

rural: 60.5% of population

total: 66.4% of population

unimproved:

urban: 30.4% of population

rural: 39.5% of population

total: 33.6% of population (2015 est.)

18.9% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

7.1 million (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

NA

110,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

NA

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2016)

28.3% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 30

8.7% (2008)

country comparison to the world: 72

5.9% of GDP (2016)

country comparison to the world: 42

3.3% of GDP (2017)

country comparison to the world: 124

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 94.4%

male: 95.4%

female: 93.4% (2015 est.)

total: 13 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2012)

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 16 years (2014)

total: 50.1%

male: 46.3%

female: 54.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

total: 9.9%

male: 10.9%

female: 8.5% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 129

29.8 years (2008 est.)

74.8% (2012)

5.33 beds/1,000 population (2016)

conventional long form: Republic of South Africa

conventional short form: South Africa

former: Union of South Africa

abbreviation: RSA

etymology: self-descriptive name from the country's location on the continent; "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

conventional short form: Hong Kong

local long form: Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu (Hanyu Pinyin)

local short form: Heung Kong (Eitel/Dyer-Ball); Xianggang (Hanyu Pinyin)

abbreviation: HK

etymology: probably an imprecise phonetic rendering of the Cantonese name meaning "fragrant harbor"

parliamentary republic

presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

name: Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

none (special administrative region of China)

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

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

history: several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved by Constitutional Court 4 December 1996, effective 4 February 1997

amendments: proposed by the National Assembly of Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional sections on human rights and freedoms, non-racism and non-sexism, supremacy of the constitution, suffrage, the multi-party system of democratic government, and amendment procedures requires at least 75% majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council of Provinces, and assent by the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting the Bill of Rights, and those related to provincial boundaries, powers, and authorities requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council, and assent by the president; amended many times, last in 2013 (2017)

history: several previous (governance documents while under British authority); latest drafted April 1988 to February 1989, approved March 1990, effective 1 July 1997 (Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as the constitution); note - since 1990, China's National People's Congress has interpreted specific articles of the Basic Law

amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the People’s Republic of China State Council, and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; submittal of proposals to the NPC requires two-thirds majority vote by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, approval by two-thirds of Hong Kong’s deputies to the NPC, and approval by the Hong Kong chief executive; final passage requires approval by the NPC

mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law

mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa

dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission of the government

residency requirement for naturalization: 1 year

see China

18 years of age; universal

18 years of age in direct elections for half of the Legislative Council seats and all of the seats in 18 district councils; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past 7 years; note - in indirect elections, suffrage is limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies for the other half of the legislature and a 1,200-member election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad sectoral groupings, central government bodies, municipal organizations, and elected Hong Kong officials

chief of state: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); Deputy President David MABUZA (26 February 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Jacob ZUMA resigned the presidency on 14 February 2018

head of government: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); deputy president David MABUZA (26 February 2018); note - Jacob ZUMA resigned the presidency on 14 February 2018

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 February 2018 to elect Cyril RAMAPHOSA as acting president to replace ZUMA for the remainder of his term (next to be held in May 2019)

election results: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed

chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)

head of government: Chief Executive Carrie LAM (since 1 July 2017)

cabinet: Executive Council or ExCo appointed by the chief executive

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); chief executive indirectly elected by the Election Committee and appointed by the PRC Government for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 March 2017 (next to be held in 2022)

election results: Carrie LAM elected chief executive; Election Committee vote - Carrie LAM 777, John TSANG 365, WOO Kwok-hing 21, invalid 23

note: the Legislative Council voted in June 2010 to expand the Election Committee to 1,200 members

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10-member delegations appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms; note - this council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections: National Council of Provinces and National Assembly - last held on 7 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

election results: National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 60, DA 20, EFF 7, IFP 1, NFP 1, UDM 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 62.2%, DA 22.2%, EFF 6.4%, IFP 2.4%, NFP 1.6%, UDM 1.0%, other 4.2%; seats by party - ANC 249, DA 89, EFF 25, IFP 10, NFP 6, UDM 4, other 17

description: unicameral Legislative Council or LegCo (70 seats; 35 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; 30 members indirectly elected by the approximately 220,000 members of various functional constituencies based on a variety of methods; five at large “super-seat” members directly elected by all of Hong Kong’s eligible voters who do not participate in a functional constituency; members serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held on 4 September 2016; (next to be held in September 2020); note - by-election to be held on 11 March 2018 to fill 4 seats left vacant after 4 legislators were removed from office

election results: percent of vote by block - pro-democracy 36.0%; pro-Beijing 40.2%, localist 19.0%, other 4.8%; seats by block/party - pro-Beijing 40 (DAB 12, BPA 7, FTU 5, Liberal Party 4, NPP 3, other 9); pro-democracy 23 (Democratic Party 7, Civic Party 6, PP-LSD 2, Professional Commons 2, Labor 1, NWSC 1, PTU 1, other democrats 3), localists 6 (ALLin HK 2, CP-PPI-HKRO 1, Demosisto 1, Democracy Groundwork 1, other localist 1), non-aligned independent 1; note - 2 localists were barred from taking office in November 2016 and 4 pro-democracy legislators were removed in July 2017

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), a 23-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes other judges and judicial executives, members of parliament, practicing lawyers and advocates, a teacher of law, and several members designated by the national president; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service by an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 12-year non-renewable terms or until age 70

subordinate courts: High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts

highest court(s): Court of Final Appeal (consists of the chief justice, 3 permanent judges, and 20 non-permanent judges); note - a sitting bench consists of the chief justice and 3 permanent judges and 1 non-permanent judge

judge selection and term of office: all judges appointed by the Hong Kong Chief Executive upon the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission, an independent body consisting of the Secretary for Justice, other judges, and judicial and legal professionals; permanent judges appointed until normal retirement at age 65, but can be extended; non-permanent judges appointed for renewable 3-year terms without age limit

subordinate courts: High Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance); District Courts (includes Family and Land Courts); magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]

African Independent Congress or AIC [Mandla GALO]

African National Congress or ANC [Cyril RAMAPHOSA]

African People's Convention or APC [Themba GODI]

Agang SA [Mike TSHISHONGA]

Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]

Democratic Alliance or DA [Mmusi MAIMANE]

Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF [Julius Sello MALEMA]

Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter GROENEWALD]

Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]

National Freedom Party or NFP [Zanele kaMAGWAZA-MSIBI]

Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC [Luthanado MBINDA]

United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Isaac Sipho MFUNDISI]

United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

parties:

ALLinHK (alliance of 6 localist groups)

Business and Professional Alliance or BPA [LO Wai-kwok]

Civic Party [Alvin YEUNG]

Civic Passion or CP [CHENG Chung-tai] (part of Civic Passion-Proletariat Political Institute-Hong Kong Resurgence Order alliance or CP-PPI-HKRO that dissolved after the 2016 election)

Democracy Groundwork [LAU Siu-lai]

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [Starry LEE Wai-king]

Democratic Party [WU Chi-wai]

Demosisto [Nathan LAW]

Federation of Trade Unions or FTU [Stanley NG Chau-pei]

Labor Party [Steven Kwok Wing-kin]

League of Social Democrats or LSD [Avery NG Man-yuen]

Liberal Party [Felix CHUNG Kwok-pan]

Neighborhood and Workers Service Center or NWSC [LEUNG Yui-chung]

New People's Party or NPP [Regina IP Lau Su-yee]

People Power or PP [Raymond CHAN]

Youngspiration [Sixtus "Baggio" LEUNG Chung-hang]

others:

Professional Commons (think tank) [Charles Peter MOK]

Professional Teachers Union or PTU

note: political blocks include: pro-democracy - Civic Party, Democratic Party, Labor Party, LSD, NWSC, PP, Professional Commons, PTU; pro-Beijing - DAB, FTU, Liberal Party, NPP, BPA; localist - ALLinHK, CP, Democracy Groundwork, Demosisto; there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies

Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Sdumo DLAMINI]

South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE]

South African National Civic Organization or SANCO [Richard MDAKANE]

note: COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the African National Congress

Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China)

Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong

Civic Act-up (pro-democracy)

Federation of Hong Kong Industries

Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Albert HO] (pro-China)

Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council or HKTUC (pro-democracy)

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce or HKGCC

Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union or HKPTU [FUNG Wai-wah]

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

ADB, APEC, BIS, FATF, ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC (NGOs), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission: Ambassador Mninwa Johannes MAHLANGU (since 23 February 2015)

chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 [1] (202) 232-4400

FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

none (Special Administrative Region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) carries out normal liaison activities and communication with the US Government and other US entities

commissioner: Clement C.M. LEUNG

office: 1520 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: [1] 202 331-8947

FAX: [1] 202 331-8958

HKETO offices: New York, San Francisco

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jessica "Jessye" LAPENN (since 16 December 2016)

embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria

mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone: [27] (12) 431-4000

FAX: [27] (12) 342-2299

consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

chief of mission: Consul General Kurt W. TONG (since 27 August 2016); note - also accredited to Macau

consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong

mailing address: Unit 8000, Box 1, DPO AP 96521-0006

telephone: [852] 2523-9011

FAX: [852] 2845-1598

two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era

note: the South African flag is one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Sudan's

red with a stylized, white, five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center; each petal contains a small, red, five-pointed star in its middle; the red color is the same as that on the Chinese flag and represents the motherland; the fragrant Bauhinia - developed in Hong Kong the late 19th century - has come to symbolize the region; the five stars echo those on the flag of China

springbok (antelope), king protea flower; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

orchid tree flower; national colors: red, white

name: "National Anthem of South Africa"

lyrics/music: Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers

note: adopted 1994; a combination of "N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English (i.e., the five most widely spoken of South Africa's 11 official languages); music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems

note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China)

special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

South Africa is a middle-income emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; and a stock exchange that is Africa’s largest and among the top 20 in the world.

Economic growth has decelerated in recent years, slowing to an estimated 0.7% in 2017. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality - among the highest in the world - remain a challenge. Official unemployment is roughly 27% of the workforce, and runs significantly higher among black youth. Even though the country's modern infrastructure supports a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, unstable electricity supplies retard growth. Eskom, the state-run power company, is building three new power stations and is installing new power demand management programs to improve power grid reliability but has been plagued with accusations of mismanagement and corruption and faces an increasingly high debt burden.

South Africa's economic policy has focused on controlling inflation while empowering a broader economic base; however, the country faces structural constraints that also limit economic growth, such as skills shortages, declining global competitiveness, and frequent work stoppages due to strike action. The government faces growing pressure from urban constituencies to improve the delivery of basic services to low-income areas, to increase job growth, and to provide university level-education at affordable prices. Political infighting among South Africa’s ruling party and the volatility of the rand risks economic growth. International investors are concerned about the country’s long-term economic stability; in late 2016, most major international credit ratings agencies downgraded South Africa’s international debt to junk bond status.

Hong Kong has a free market economy, highly dependent on international trade and finance - the value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of reexports, is about four times GDP. Hong Kong has no tariffs on imported goods, and it levies excise duties on only four commodities, whether imported or produced locally: hard alcohol, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. There are no quotas or dumping laws. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.

Excess liquidity, low interest rates and a tight housing supply have caused Hong Kong property prices to rise rapidly. The lower and middle-income segments of the population increasingly find housing unaffordable.

Hong Kong's open economy has left it exposed to the global economic situation. Its continued reliance on foreign trade and investment makes it vulnerable to renewed global financial market volatility or a slowdown in the global economy.

The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for about half of Hong Kong's total trade by value. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 47.3 million in 2014, outnumbering visitors from all other countries combined. After peaking in 2014, overall tourist arrivals dropped 2.5% in 2015 and 4.5% in 2016. The tourism sector rebounded in 2017, with visitor arrivals rising 3.2% to 58.47 million. Travelers from Mainland China totaled 44.45 million, accounting for 76% of the total.

The Hong Kong Government is promoting the Special Administrative Region (SAR) as the preferred business hub for renminbi (RMB) internationalization. Hong Kong residents are allowed to establish RMB-denominated savings accounts, RMB-denominated corporate and Chinese government bonds have been issued in Hong Kong, RMB trade settlement is allowed, and investment schemes such as the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) Program was first launched in Hong Kong. Offshore RMB activities experienced a setback, however, after the People’s Bank of China changed the way it set the central parity rate in August 2015. RMB deposits in Hong Kong fell from 1.0 trillion RMB at the end of 2014 to 559 billion RMB at the end of 2017, while RMB trade settlement handled by banks in Hong Kong also shrank from 6.8 trillion RMB in 2015 to 3.9 trillion RMB in 2017.

Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. In 2015, mainland Chinese companies constituted about 50% of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and accounted for about 66% of the exchange's market capitalization.

During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly. In 2014, Hong Kong and China signed a new agreement on achieving basic liberalization of trade in services in Guangdong Province under the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), adopted in 2003 to forge closer ties between Hong Kong and the mainland. The new measures, which took effect in March 2015, cover a negative list and a most-favored treatment provision. On the basis of the Guangdong Agreement, the Agreement on Trade in Services signed in November 2015 further enhanced liberalization, including extending the implementation of the majority of Guangdong pilot liberalization measures to the whole Mainland, reducing the restrictive measures in the negative list, and adding measures in the positive lists for cross-border services as well as cultural and telecommunications services. In June 2017, the Investment Agreement and the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation (Ecotech Agreement) were signed under the framework of CEPA.

Hong Kong’s economic integration with the mainland continues to be most evident in the banking and finance sector. Initiatives like the Hong Kong-Shanghai Stock Connect, the Hong Kong- Shenzhen Stock Connect the Mutual Recognition of Funds, and the Bond Connect scheme are all important steps towards opening up the Mainland’s capital markets and have reinforced Hong Kong’s role as China’s leading offshore RMB market. Additional connect schemes such as ETF Connect (for exchange-traded fund products) are also under exploration by Hong Kong authorities. In 2017, Chief Executive Carrie LAM announced plans to increase government spending on research and development, education, and technological innovation with the aim of spurring continued economic growth through greater sector diversification.

$757.3 billion (2017 est.)

$752.1 billion (2016 est.)

$750 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 31

$453 billion (2017 est.)

$437.5 billion (2016 est.)

$428.8 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 44

$344.1 billion (2017 est.)

$334.1 billion (2017 est.)

0.7% (2017 est.)

0.3% (2016 est.)

1.3% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 193

3.5% (2017 est.)

2% (2016 est.)

2.4% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 89

$13,400 (2017 est.)

$13,500 (2016 est.)

$13,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 115

$61,000 (2017 est.)

$59,400 (2016 est.)

$58,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 18

16.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

16.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

16.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 116

24.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

26.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

24.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 52

household consumption: 59.8%

government consumption: 20.7%

investment in fixed capital: 20%

investment in inventories: -0.4%

exports of goods and services: 26.9%

imports of goods and services: -27% (2017 est.)

household consumption: 66.6%

government consumption: 10%

investment in fixed capital: 22.3%

investment in inventories: 0.7%

exports of goods and services: 191.9%

imports of goods and services: -191.3% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 2.8%

industry: 29.7%

services: 67.5% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 0.1%

industry: 7.2%

services: 92.7% (2017 est.)

corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

fresh vegetables and fruit; poultry, pork; fish

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

trading and logistics, financial services, professional services, tourism, cultural and creative, clothing and textiles, shipping, electronics, toys, clocks and watches

0.5% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

3% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

22.19 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

3.965 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 95

agriculture: 4.6%

industry: 23.5%

services: 71.9% (2014 est.)

manufacturing: 3.8%

construction: 2.8%

wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels: 53.3%

financing, insurance, and real estate: 12.5%

transport and communications: 10.1%

community and social services: 17.1%

note: above data exclude public sector (2013 est.)

27.6% (2017 est.)

26.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 199

2.6% (2017 est.)

2.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

16.6% (2016 est.)

19.6% (2012 est.)

lowest 10%: 1.2%

highest 10%: 51.3% (2011 est.)

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

62.5 (2013 est.)

63.4 (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

53.7 (2011 est.)

53.3 (2007 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

revenues: $92.38 billion

expenditures: $103.3 billion (2017 est.)

revenues: $66.19 billion

expenditures: $62.86 billion (2017 est.)

26.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 104

19.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 155

-3.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

1% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 15

50.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

50.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

43.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

44.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

1 April - 31 March

1 April - 31 March

5.4% (2017 est.)

6.3% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 175

2% (2017 est.)

2.6% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 93

5.75% (31 December 2014 est.)

7% (31 December 2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 73

0.5% (31 December 2013 est.)

0.5% (31 December 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 133

10.4% (31 December 2017 est.)

10.46% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

5.1% (31 December 2017 est.)

5% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 144

$116.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$117.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

$310.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$285.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

$183.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$189.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

$1.736 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.613 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 10

$237.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$244.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

$719.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$676.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

$735.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$933.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$942.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

$3.185 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$3.233 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.101 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$-9.81 billion (2017 est.)

$-9.624 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

$10.06 billion (2017 est.)

$14.88 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

$78.25 billion (2017 est.)

$75.16 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$540 billion (2017 est.)

$502.5 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment

electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, watches and clocks, toys, "jewelry, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares, and other articles of precious or semi-precious materials"; Hong Kong plays an important role as entrep?t to the Chinese mainland; in 2017, 58% of Hong Kong’s re-exports originated in mainland China, and 54% were destined for the Chinese mainland

China 9.2%, Germany 7.5%, US 7.4%, Botswana 5%, Namibia 4.8%, Japan 4.6%, India 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2016)

China 54.3%, US 8.5%, India 4.1% (2016)

$80.22 billion (2017 est.)

$74.17 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

$561.4 billion (2017 est.)

$520.1 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs

raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is reexported)

China 18.1%, Germany 11.8%, US 6.7%, India 4.2% (2016)

China 45.5%, Taiwan 9.8%, South Korea 6.7%, Japan 6.3%, US 4.4% (2016)

$48.18 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$47.23 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$398.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$386.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

$144.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$144.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

$494.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$505.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$139.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$136.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$1.901 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.786 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

$176.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$172.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

$1.806 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.723 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

rand (ZAR) per US dollar -

13.67 (2017 est.)

14.69 (2016 est.)

14.69 (2015 est.)

12.76 (2014 est.)

10.85 (2013 est.)

Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar -

7.8 (2017 est.)

7.76 (2016 est.)

7.76 (2015 est.)

7.75 (2014 est.)

7.75 (2013 est.)

population without electricity: 7,700,000

electrification - total population: 85%

electrification - urban areas: 90%

electrification - rural areas: 77% (2013)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

229.2 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

35.75 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 61

207.7 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

41.74 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

16.55 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

1.205 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

10.56 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

11.62 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

47.28 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

12.63 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 55

86.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 72

100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

3.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 107

1.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 144

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 180

7.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 82

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 187

2,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 89

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 186

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

434,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 139

15 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 88

0 bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 147

431,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 156

660,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

388,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 39

78,110 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

9,625 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 84

164,700 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 41

332,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

1.1 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 66

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

8.66 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 57

4.49 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 178

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 120

3.8 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

3.243 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

15.01 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 79

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 151

482 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

90 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

total subscriptions: 4,522,850

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

total subscriptions: 4,318,346

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 36

total: 82,412,880

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

total: 17,584,969

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 245 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

general assessment: the system is the best-developed and most modern in Africa

domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 145 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

international: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber-optic submarine cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; the EASSy fiber-optic cable system connects with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services

domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network

international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China (2015)

the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well-developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)

4 commercial terrestrial TV networks each with multiple stations; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; 3 licensed broadcasters of terrestrial radio, one of which is government funded, operate about 12 radio stations; note - 4 digital radio broadcasters operated in Hong Kong from 2010 to 2017, but all digital radio services were terminated in September 2017 due to weak market demand (2018)

.za

.hk

total: 29,322,380

percent of population: 54.0% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

total: 6.066 million

percent of population: 85% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 69

number of registered air carriers: 23

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 216

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 17,188,887

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 885,277,991 mt-km (2015)

number of registered air carriers: 7 (registered in China)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 253 (registered in China)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 41,867,157

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 11.294 billion mt-km (2015)

ZS (2016)

B-H (2016)

566 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 11

2 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 201

total: 144

over 3,047 m: 11

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7

1,524 to 2,437 m: 52

914 to 1,523 m: 65

under 914 m: 9 (2013)

total: 2

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

total: 422

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 31

914 to 1,523 m: 258

under 914 m: 132 (2013)

1 (2013)

9 (2013)

condensate 94 km; gas 1,293 km; oil 992 km; refined products 1,460 km (2013)

total: 20,986 km

standard gauge: 80 km 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

other: 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified) (2014)

country comparison to the world: 13

total: 747,014 km

paved: 158,952 km

unpaved: 588,062 km (2014)

country comparison to the world: 10

total: 2,100 km

paved: 2,100 km (2015)

country comparison to the world: 174

total: 82

by type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 1, oil tanker 5, other 74 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 96

total: 2,576

by type: bulk carrier 1,142, container ship 471, general cargo 226, oil tanker 346, other 391 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 9

major seaport(s): Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

container port(s) (TEUs): Durban (2,770,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Mossel Bay

major seaport(s): Hong Kong

1.07% of GDP (2016)

1.09% of GDP (2015)

1.11% of GDP (2014)

1.12% of GDP (2013)

1.13% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 109

South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services (2013)

no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Army, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Southern Command (2016)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2012)

defense is the responsibility of China

South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration; the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River

Hong Kong plans to reduce its 2,800-hectare Frontier Closed Area (FCA) to 400 hectares by 2015; the FCA was established in 1951 as a buffer zone between Hong Kong and mainland China to prevent illegal migration from and the smuggling of goods

refugees (country of origin): 28,695 (Somalia); 17,776 (Ethiopia); 5,394 (Republic of the Congo) (2016); 66,528 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018)

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy

despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people