Hong Kong History Politics Districts Geography Economy

Under the policy of the ' One Country, Two Systems', Hong Kong enjoys a considerable degree of autonomyAutonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. In politics, a self-governing city or region, e. Kurdistan, Kosovo or Hong Kong SAR (not necessarily as a result of formal secession), is autonomous . True autonomy is usually a from the MainlandAll islands except Hainan and Taiwan are invisible on the map. Mainland China ( or , pinyin: Zhongguo Dalu, lit. The Chinese Massive Landmass" or "Continental China"), is an informal geographical term which is usually synonymous with the area currently ad, as well as continuing to have its own legal systemA legal system is the mechanism for creating, interpreting and enforcing the laws in a given jurisdiction. The civilian legal system or civil law system is the general typology of legal systems found in most countries. It is an alternative to common law s, currencyFor exchange rates, see here. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of goods and services. It is a form of money, where money is defined as a medium of exchange rather than e. a store of value. A currency zone is a country or region, customsCustoms is the plural of custom, a common practice among a group of people. Customs duty is a tariff or tax on the import or export of goods. Traditionally in England, it was part of the customary revenue of the king, and therefore did not need parliament immigrationImmigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. An immigrant is usually someone who intends to reside permanently, and not a casual visitor or traveler. Immigration means "in-migration" into a coun authorities, and even its own rule of the roadThis article concerns rules of the road regarding land vehicles; for sea-going vehicles, see International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. Rules of the road are the general practices and procedures followed by people on roads, especially tho, with trafficThis article is about Vehicular traffic . For other meanings of "Traffic" see Traffic (disambiguation . Organized traffic Western vehicular traffic is generally organized, flowing in lanes of travel for a particular direction, with interchanges, traffic s continuing to drive on the left, for example.

1 History

Main article: History of Hong Kong

Although it was occupied since at least as long ago as the Neolithic Age, the territory of today's Hong Kong remained distant from the major events unfolding in imperial China for most of its history. It did not begin attracting worldwide attention until the 19th century.

Occupied by United Kingdom during the First Opium War in 1841, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded by China the following year under the Treaty of Nanking. Parts of the adjacent Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street, and the Stonecutters Island) were ceded to Britain in 1860 by the Convention of Peking after the Second Opium War. Various adjacent lands, known as the New Territories (including New Kowloon) were then leased to Britain for 99 years (from July 1, 1898 to June 30, 1997).

Pursuant to an agreement signed by the PRC and the UK on December 19, 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the whole territory of Hong Kong under British colonial rule became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC on July 1, 1997.

In the Joint Declaration, the PRC promised that, under the " One Country, Two Systems" policy proposed by Deng Xiaoping, China's socialist economic system would not be practised in Hong Kong, and that Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters, except foreign affairs and defence, for 50 years, until 2047.

2 Politics

Main article: Politics of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is headed by Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa as head of government. Mr. Tung assumed office on July 1, 1997, following his election by a 400-member Selection Committee appointed by the People's Republic of China, whose president serves as head of state for the Hong Kong SAR. Tung was nominated and elected unopposed for a second five-year term, which began in July 2002, and approved by the Election Committee in February 2002.

Legislative Council elections were held in May 1998, September 2000, and again in September 2004. According to the Basic Law, Hong Kong's "Mini- constitution", the present third term of the Legislative Council has 30 seats directly elected from geographical constituencies, and 30 seats elected from functional constituencies. The 1998, 2000 and 2004 Legislative Council elections were seen as free, open, and widely contested, despite discontent among mainly 'pro-democracy' politicians, who contended that the Functional Constituencies and Election Committee elections were undemocratic because so few people were eligible to vote (despite the 2004 elections).

The Hong Kong Civil Service maintains its quality and neutrality, operating without discernible direction from Beijing.

A simulated-color satellite image of the Victoria Harbour and the former Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport, both in Hong Kong, taken on NASA's Landsat 7.

The Right of abode issue sparked debates in 1999, while the controversy over Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 was the focus of politics in Hong Kong between 2002 and 2003 culminating in a peaceful mass demonstration in 2003 after which the government was forced to indefinitely shelve further consideration of amendments to Article 23. Afterwards, the focus of controversies shifted to the issue of universal suffrage towards the end of 2003 and in 2004, which was the slogan of another peaceful mass demonstration in 2004.

3 Districts

Main article: Districts of Hong Kong

Hong Kong consists of 18 administrative districts:

4 Geography

Main article: Geography of Hong Kong

The name "Hong Kong" is derived from Hong Kong Island in the South China Sea, at the mouth of the Xi Jiang (or Pearl River) of southern China. Other territories that were later added include the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, which include over 200 surrounding islands. The landscape is fairly hilly to mountainous with steep slopes, the highest point being the Tai Mo Shan at 958 m, though lowlands exist in the north.

Of the total of 1102 km² of Hong Kong, only 25% are developed. The remaining 75% are set aside as country parks and nature reserves.

The local climate is that of a tropical monsoon clime. It is cool and humid in winter ( Jan- Mar), hot and rainy from spring through summer ( Apr- Sep), and warm, sunny and dry in the autumn ( Oct- Dec). Hong Kong is visited by occasional typhoons. On September 18, 1906, a typhoon and tsunami killed an estimated 10,000 persons.

5 Economy

Main article: Economy of Hong Kong

Hong Kong has a bustling economy highly dependent on international trade. It is one of the world’s freest economies (freer than New York and London), as well as the world's 10th largest trading entity and 11th largest banking center. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Indeed, imports and exports, including re-exports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Hong Kong has extensive trade and investment ties with the People's Republic of China, even before its reunification with China on July 1 1997. The service industry represented 86.5% of the GDP in 2001, and the territory, with a highly sophisticated banking sector, has housed the Asian headquarters of many multinational corporations in recent decades.

At a level of US$ 28,800 (2003 estimate) Hong Kong's per capita GDP compares with the level in the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989- 1997. The widespread Asian economic difficulties in 1998 hit this trade-dependent economy quite hard, with GDP down 5%. The economy, with growth of 10% in 2000, recovered rapidly from the Asian financial crisis. The recent global downturn has badly hurt Hong Kong's exports and GDP growth was 2.3% in 2002.

In early 2003, the local economy was hit hard by the outbreak of Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). On June 29, 2003, the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) was signed. CEPA allows Hong Kong service providers in 18 areas to enter the mainland market at least one year ahead of their foreign competitors. The arrangement provides a platform for Hong Kong professionals to practice on the mainland and also allows Hong Kong permanent residents to set up individually owned retail stores in Guangdong Province.

On July 28, 2003, the Individual Visit Scheme was started to allow travellers from some cities in mainland China to visit Hong Kong on an individual basis. As a result, the tourism industry in Hong Kong is booming once again.

6 Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Hong Kong

Hong Kong is by population the fourth largest metropolitan area of the PRC (see List of cities in China). Considered as a "dependency", Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated countries/dependencies in the world, with an overall density of nearly 6,700 people per km².

Despite the population density, Hong Kong was reported to be one of the greenest cities in Asia. The majority of people live in flats in high-rise buildings. The rest of the open spaces are often covered with parks, woods and shrubs. About 60% of the land is designated as Country Parks and Nature Reserves. Hiking and camping are popular outdoor activities in Hong Kong's hilly country parks. The irregular and long coastline of Hong Kong also provides many bays and fine beaches for its inhabitants. Environmental concern and awareness is growing, however, as Hong Kong ranks as one of the most (air-)polluted cities in the world.

Cantonese, the Chinese dialect used in Hong Kong government matters, is spoken by most of the population at home and in the office. English, also an official language, is quite widely understood; it is spoken, mostly at work, by more than one-third of the population. Every major religion is freely practised in Hong Kong. Ancestor worship is predominant due to the strong Confucian influence, whereas Christianity is practised by a mere 10% of the population.

7 Culture

Main article: Culture of Hong Kong

8 Miscellaneous topics

300px Aberdeen, Hong Kong and floating restaurant

Museums in Hong Kong
List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
Beaches of Hong Kong
Hong Kong in films
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Public holidays in Hong Kong
List of China-related topics
Hong Kong honours system
Cantopop
Reporters without borders Worldwide press freedom index 2004: Ranks 34 out of 167 countries and regions

Major landmarks include:

9 Universities and other Tertiary Institutions

There are EIGHT universities and various other tertiary institutions in Hong Kong alone.

10 External links

Online Information Centre - Official site of the Government of Hong Kong
CountryGuide:: Hong Kong --editor-maintained directory focused on travel and vacation planning and research.
Hong Kong travel guide at Wikitravel

Province-level divisions administered by the People's Republic of China

Provinces¹:	Anhui \| Fujian \| Gansu \| Guangdong \| Guizhou \| Hainan \| Hebei \| Heilongjiang \| Henan \| Hubei \| Hunan \| Jiangsu \| Jiangxi \| Jilin \| Liaoning \| Qinghai \| Shaanxi \| Shandong \| Shanxi \| Sichuan \| Yunnan \| Zhejiang
Autonomous Regions:	Guangxi \| Inner Mongolia \| Ningxia \| Tibet \| Xinjiang
Municipalities:	Beijing \| Chongqing \| Shanghai \| Tianjin
Special Administrative Regions:	Hong Kong \| Macau
	¹ See also: Political status of Taiwan

zh-min-nan:Hiong-káng

Cities in China Coastal cities Hong Kong Special territories

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