Hong Kong Facts

Originally Hong Kong was a small fishing village. Today, it is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities where the East truly meets the West.
 

On 1 July 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of China in an arrangement that would last for 50 years. Operating under the 'one country, two systems policy', Hong Kong maintains its own political, social and economic systems. English remains an official language and Hong Kong's border with China still exists.
 

Now reunited with the mainland, visually stunning Hong Kong offers a warp-speed 'shop till you drop' lifestyle combined with enclaves of tradition.
 

Hong Kong was part of the Chinese empire before coming under British administration as a direct result of the 19th-century Opium Wars. When peace terms were drawn up in 1841, the Emperor of China agreed that Hong Kong Island should be ceded to Britain and five other ports licensed for foreign trade. The British controlled Hong Kong from then on, apart from a four-year period during World War II when the territory was occupied by the Japanese until 1997, when it was returned to China. The terms were settled and signed in 1984 and contained guarantees that the territory would enjoy a high degree of autonomy, especially in the economic field.
 

Hong Kong is a popular tourist destination as well as being one of the world's major business centres. It has over 260 outlying islands but only a few are inhabited. This means that Hong Kong offers a great range of contrasts, with numerous islands that provide a tranquil alternative to its frenetic energy elsewhere. Hong Kong Island is an eclectic mix of modern skyscrapers, colonial buildings and traditional temples.

 
Air travelers will be treated to Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong's giant greenhouse of an airport. By land, the only way to Hong Kong is from China mainland: you can choose either bus or train. Water is perhaps the most picturesque way to arrive in Hong Kong; there are boats that take you between Hong Kong and destinations in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces, as well as Macau
 

Area Code: 00852
 

Zip Code: 999077
 

Area: Hong Kong has an area of 1,098 square kilometers.

 

Geography: Hong Kong and its 260 territorial islands and peninsulas are located in the South China Sea, at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta. It is 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of Macau, a Chinese-Portuguese enclave famous for its colorful casinos and ostentatious hotels. And across the northern border of Hong Kong's New Territories lies the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province.
 

Hong Kong can be divided into three distinct areas: Hong Kong Island (Victoria), Kowloon and the New Territories. Lantau is Hong Kong's largest island, while Hong Kong Island is the second largest. The Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories are on the mainland side of Hong Kong, north of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbor.

 

Population: 6.8 million. 95% are Chinese, the rest are foreigners.
 

Administrative division: The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – a territory belonging to the Peoples' Republic of China (PRC) – consists of: some 236 islands in the South China Sea, (of which Hong Kong Island is the most populated); Kowloon Peninsula; and the New Territories.

 

Climate:Hong Kong experiences a subtropical climate. So four distinct seasons make itbecome a city that dry and cool from October to December. And this period is also the best time for people to visit this place.

Hong Kong’s summer gets an extremely hot and humid weather with average temperatures of 82 ℉ (28 ℃). Due to its special geography, Hong Kong is often attacked by typhoons during the summer time. There is a short spring and fall period and the winter temperatures average about 59 ℉ (15 ℃).