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HONG KONG
*** Shopping-Tip: HONG KONG
{{featured article}}
{{Infobox_Country
|native_name = ä¸è?¯äººæ°‘共和國香港特別行政å?€
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
|common_name = Hong Kong
|image_flag =Flag of Hong Kong.svg
|image_coat =Hong Kong coa.png
|image_map =LocationHongKong.png
|national_motto =''none''
|national_anthem =
March of the Volunteers (Hong Kong uses the national anthem of the People's Republic of China PRC)
|official_languages =
Chinese language Chinese (Standard Cantonese Cantonese and Standard Mandarin Mandarin are spoken Chinese spoken) and
English language English
|capital =
Central, Hong Kong Central (''de facto'', location of Hong Kong Government Government headquarters)
|latd=22 |latm=17 |latNS=N |longd=114 |longm=08 |longEW=E
|largest_city =
Mongkok {{dubious}}
|government_type =
Special Administrative Region
|leader_titles =
Chief Executive of Hong Kong Chief Executive
|leader_names =
Donald Tsang
|area_rank =169th
|area_magnitude = 1 E10
|area=1,103
|areami²= 425.8
|percent_water =4.6
|population_estimate = 7,012,738
|population_estimate_rank =97th
|population_estimate_year =2005
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density =6,294.65
|population_densitymi² =16,469.6
|population_density_rank =4th
|GDP_PPP =$254.2 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank =38th
|GDP_PPP_year=2005
|GDP_PPP_per_capita =$36,800
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =8th
|sovereignty_type =Establishment
- Occupied by United Kingdom UK
- crown colony crown colony of United Kingdom UK
- special administrative region SAR of People's Republic of China PRC
|established_events =
|established_dates =
January 25 1841August 29 1842July 1 1997
|HDI =0.916
|HDI_rank =22nd
|HDI_year = 2003
|HDI_category =
high
|currency =
Hong Kong Dollar
|currency_code =HKD
|country_code =
|time_zone =
Hong Kong Time HKT
|utc_offset = +8
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld =
.hk
|calling_code =852
1
|footnotes =
1 01 from Macau
}}
The '''Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China''' (
Chinese language Chinese: ä¸è?¯äººæ°‘共和國香港特別行政å?€
[Pronunciation of Hong Kong pronunciation]) is one of the two
special administrative regions (SAR) of the
People's Republic of China (PRC), together with
Macau. It is commonly known as '''Hong Kong''' (Chinese: 香港), which is often spelled as '''Hongkong''' in some older English-language texts.
Geographically, Hong Kong is located at the eastern side of the
Pearl River Delta on the southeastern coast of
China, facing the
South China Sea in the south, and bordering the
Guangdong Guangdong Province in the north. It has one of the world's most
laissez-faire liberal economies and is a major international centre of
finance and
trade.
Hong Kong was formerly a
British overseas territory British colony, and was
transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong handed over to the PRC in 1997. As a special administrative region, Hong Kong is guaranteed by the
Hong Kong Basic Law Basic Law to have a relatively high degree of
autonomy under the policy of "''
one country, two systems One Country, Two Systems''". For instance, Hong Kong retains its own
legal system,
currency,
Customs (tax) customs policy, and
immigration laws. Furthermore, Hong Kong also maintains its own delegation in most international organizations, such as the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and international sport events, such as the
Olympic Games, under the designation "'''
Hong Kong, China'''". Also, while the
traffic in
mainland China drive on the right drives on the right, Hong Kong still maintains its own
rule of the road road rules, with traffic continuing to
drive on the left. Only the
national defense defence and the
diplomatic relations of Hong Kong are the responsibilities of the
Central People's Government in
Beijing.
It should be noted that, while the names of most cities of the PRC are
transliteration transliterated into English by the
Pinyin romanization scheme, the official English name of Hong Kong remains ''Hong Kong'', rather than'' XiÄ?nggÇŽng''. See
Pronunciation of Hong Kong Pronunciation of "Hong Kong" for details.
History
{{main|History of Hong Kong}}
Though Hong Kong has been inhabited since the
Palaeolithic Age, the area now known as Hong Kong was an important trading region, and also a significant strategic location for the Chinese mainland during the
Tang Dynasty Tang and
Song Dynasty Song Chinese dynasties dynasties and the subsequent
Mongol invasion. After that, the prominence of Hong Kong fell, and only began to attract the attention of China again and the rest of the world in the 19th century when it was ceded to
United Kingdom Britain after the
Opium Wars. Hong Kong was first visited by a European in 1513, the
Portugal Portuguese sailor mariner Jorge Ã?lvares. Ã?lvares began trading with the Chinese, and the Portuguese continued to make periodic trade stops at various locations up and down the coast.
Tea,
silk, and other Asian
luxury goods were introduced in Europe by the Portuguese, and by the mid-18th century, these items were in high demand, particularly tea. The British, challenging China's near monopoly on the tea industry, invaded China, winning the
First Opium War in 1841. During the war,
Hong Kong Island was first occupied by the British, and was formally ceded by the
Qing Dynasty of China in 1842 under the
Treaty of Nanking.
Hong Kong became a
crown colony in 1843.
Kowloon Peninsula south of
Boundary Street and
Stonecutter's Island were ceded to the British in 1860 under the
Convention of Peking after the
Second Opium War. Various adjacent lands, known as the
New Territories (including
New Kowloon and
Lantau Island), were then
leasing leased by Britain for 99 years, beginning on
1 July 1898 and ending on
30 June 1997. For the first twenty years there was little contact between the European and Chinese communities. The first specially recruited Hong Kong civil servants to be taught
Cantonese language Cantonese were recruited in 1862, markedly improving relations.
Image:1945 liberation of Hong Kong at Cenotaph.jpg Cenotaph.html" title="Meaning of left left|thumb|250px|The liberation of Hong Kong in 1945 was celebrated at the [[Cenotaph in
Victoria City Victoria with the raising of the
Union Jack Union Flag and the
Flag of the Republic of China..html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|The liberation of Hong Kong in 1945 was celebrated at the [[Cenotaph">left|thumb|250px|The liberation of Hong Kong in 1945 was celebrated at the [[Cenotaph in
Victoria City Victoria with the raising of the
Union Jack Union Flag and the
Flag of the Republic of China.">thumb|250px|The liberation of Hong Kong in 1945 was celebrated at the [[Cenotaph">left|thumb|250px|The liberation of Hong Kong in 1945 was celebrated at the [[Cenotaph in
Victoria City Victoria with the raising of the
Union Jack Union Flag and the
Flag of the Republic of China.
Hong Kong entered a dark age during the
Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong Japanese Occupation of
World War II, which lasted for three years and eight months. Many Hong Kong people were executed by the Japanese army during the war. The Japanese subsequently surrendered on
15 August 1945. The port was quickly re-opened and welcomed a mass migration of Chinese
refugees in 1949 from the
Chinese Civil War civil war and the new
Communism Communist government in China.
Hong Kong had been a trade port ever since the British occupation, but its position as an
entrepot declined greatly after the
United Nations ordered a trade embargo against the People's Republic of China as a result of the
Korean War. In response, a
textile industry was established, taking advantage of the new pool of workers from China who were willing to work for almost any wage. During this period, the economy grew extremely rapidly. Towards the 1970s, Hong Kong began to move away from the textile industry and develop its financial and banking economy. This led to even greater growth, and Hong Kong quickly became one of the wealthiest territories in the world. Its position as an entrepot was restrengthened since the
Open Door Policy was adopted in the PRC in the late 1970s under
Deng Xiaoping.
In the 1980s, with the lease on the New Territories running out, the British government of
Margaret Thatcher decided to negotiate the
Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong question of the sovereignty of Hong Kong. Although the British would have been legally required to transfer only the New Territories to the PRC, Whitehall decided that maintaining a rump colony would not be worthwhile - the majority of Hong Kong's land was in the New Territories, and failure to return the entire colony would doubtless have generated political friction between the UK and PRC.
Image:Flag of Hong Kong 1959.svg Blue Ensign.html" title="Meaning of thumb thumb|200px|Flag of colonial Hong Kong, a [[Blue Ensign with the colony's coat of arms..html" title="Meaning of 200px|Flag of colonial Hong Kong, a [[Blue Ensign">thumb|200px|Flag of colonial Hong Kong, a [[Blue Ensign with the colony's coat of arms.">200px|Flag of colonial Hong Kong, a [[Blue Ensign">thumb|200px|Flag of colonial Hong Kong, a [[Blue Ensign with the colony's coat of arms.
Pursuant to an agreement known as the
Sino-British Joint Declaration, signed by the
People's Republic of China and the
United Kingdom on
19 December 1984, the whole territory of Hong Kong under British
colonial rule became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC on
1 July 1997. In the Joint Declaration, the PRC promised that under the "
One Country, Two Systems" policy proposed by
Deng Xiaoping, the
socialism socialist economy of the People's Republic of China economic system in mainland China would not be practised in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's previous
capitalism capitalist system and life-style would remain unchanged for 50 years, or until 2047. Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except diplomatic affairs and national defence. Hong Kong was transferred to the PRC at the stroke of midnight on
1 July 1997, with the last governor,
Chris Patten leaving on the
HMY Britannia royal yacht. Soon after the handover in July, land values in Hong Kong collapsed substantially and expedited the burst of the
bubble economy, as part of the
Asian financial crisis. This was exacerbated by
Tung Chee Hwa's unsubstantiated pledge to supply 85,000 new flats annually[http://www.tdctrade.com/econforum/sc/sc000701.htm]; which essentially manipulated the region's real estate prices. In some areas, land values fell by over half; and the
Hang Seng Index fell by over 1,500 points on
28 October, losing 22.8% of its value in a week. Exacerbating the region's economic problems, Hong Kong was hit badly by the
SARS virus beginning in mid-March through the summer of 2003, especially in the effect that it had on travel to and from Hong Kong.
On
1 July the same year, half a million people marched in the largest protest rally ever aimed at the government of Hong Kong, voicing concerns about a proposed anti-subversion bill that would have eroded freedom of the press, of religion and of association arising from
Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, as well as dissatisfaction with the poor state of the economy.
Regina Ip, then
Secretary for Security, and
Antony Leung, then
Financial Secretary (Hong Kong) Financial Secretary, were forced to leave office in 2003 under public pressure (though Antony Leung left office for reason unrelated to the SARS and Article 23 crisis, he gave in to public pressure after his involvement in the '
Lexusgate#The Lexusgate scandal Lexusgate' scandal).
On
10 March 2005, Tung Chee Hwa submitted his
Tung Chee Hwa's resignation resignation as chief executive of Hong Kong.
Donald Tsang, the
Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong, served as Acting Chief Executive until
25 May, when he, too, resigned from his post to take part in the campaign for the new Chief Executive election. Following an interim government headed by
Henry Tang, Tsang was eventually elected as Chief Executive.
Politics and government
Image:hkgh.jpg Government House of Hong Kong thumb|250px|The [[Government House of Hong Kong|Government House on the
Government Hill..html" title="Meaning of Government House.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|The [[Government House of Hong Kong|Government House">thumb|250px|The [[Government House of Hong Kong|Government House on the
Government Hill.">Government House.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|The [[Government House of Hong Kong|Government House">thumb|250px|The [[Government House of Hong Kong|Government House on the
Government Hill.
Image:hklc.jpg Legislative Council of Hong Kong thumb|250px|The [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council Building in
Central, Hong Kong Central..html" title="Meaning of Legislative Council Building.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|The [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council Building">thumb|250px|The [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council Building in
Central, Hong Kong Central.">Legislative Council Building.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|The [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council Building">thumb|250px|The [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council Building in
Central, Hong Kong Central.
Image:hk23.jpg thumb|right|250px|Half a million Hong Kong citizens marched in a demonstration against article 23 of the Basic Law.
{{main articles|
Politics of Hong Kong and
Hong Kong Government}}
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is headed by its
Chief Executive of Hong Kong Chief Executive, the
head of government. This office is currently held by
Donald Tsang, who was elected {{ref.html">16 June
2005. Tsang had held the post of
Chief Secretary for Administration.html" title="Meaning of elected}} on Chief Secretary for Administration">Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong|Chief Secretary for Administration prior. Donald Tsang assumed his post on
24 June 2005 in
Beijing, China; he will finish the remaining portion of
Tung Chee Hwa's last term which ends on
30 June 2007, according to the interpretation of
Hong Kong Basic Law Annex One Annex I and
Hong Kong Basic Law Article 46 Article 46 by the
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
The election of a new Chief Executive by the 800-member
Election Committee was expected to be held on
10 July 2005. On
16 June 2005,
Donald Tsang was acclaimed the winner, as the only candidate securing the required 100 nominations from members of the election committee. Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive, assumed office on
1 July 1997, following his election by a 400-member
Election Committee electoral college. For the second five-year term of the Chief Executive which began in July 2002, Tung was the only nominated candidate and therefore acclaimed.
The PRC set up a Provisional Legislative Council (PLC) just before the handover, and moved to Hong Kong to have its meetings after the handover. It reverted some laws passed by the original Legislative Council, which was formed by means of universal suffrage. The PLC passed some of its own laws, such as the Public Order Ordinance {{ref|POO}}, which required permission from police to hold a demonstration where the number of people who participates exceeds 30.
Legislative Council of Hong Kong Legislative Council Hong Kong legislative election elections were held on
24 May 1998,
10 September 2000, and again on
12 September 2004, with the next election scheduled for 2008. According to the
Hong Kong Basic Law 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 constituency functional constituencies. The 1998, 2000 and
Hong Kong legislative election, 2004 2004 Legislative Council elections were seen as free, open, and widely contested, despite discontent among mainly 'pro-democratic' politicians, who contended that the functional constituency elections and the Election Committee elections (for 1998 and 2000) were undemocratic, as they consider that the electorate for these seats is too narrow.
The civil service of Hong Kong maintains its quality and neutrality, operating without discernible direction from
Beijing. Many government and administrative operations are located in Central on Hong Kong Island near the historical location of
Victoria City, the site of the original British settlements.
The
Right of abode issue, Hong Kong 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 (over 500,000 demonstrators) on
1 July 2003, after which the government still tried to pass the law to the Legislative Council. But one of the major pro-government parties refused to vote for passing the bill. Thus the government found that the bill could not be passed. So it shelved {{ref|shelved}} the drafted law {{ref|draftedlaw}} brought forth by Article 23. The focus of controversies {{ref|controversies}} shifted {{ref|shifted}} to the issue {{ref|issue}} of
universal suffrage towards the end of 2003 and in 2004, which was the slogan of another peaceful mass demonstration on 1 July 2004. {{seealso|July 1 marches}}
On
24 September 2005, twenty-five Hong Kong pro-democracy Legco members, some of whom were previously labelled as traitors by Beijing after the 1989
Tiananmen Square crackdown and barred from entering the mainland, crossed the border into the southern province of
Guangdong, following an unprecedented invitation by the PRC {{ref|visit}}. The invitation was generally regarded as one of the greatest goodwill gestures from the PRC to the Hong Kong democrats since the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.
On
4 December 2005, a
124 March demonstration was organised by the
Civil Human Rights Front and
pro-democracy lawmakers to express concerns about the lack of a working timetable that will allow for universal suffrage in the 2007 and 2008 elections for the Chief Executive and the Legistlative Council respectively. The turnout was reported to be 63,000 by the police, and at least 250,000 by the organisers.
On
22 December 2005, the
Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Donald Tsang, faced a political challenge. The electoral reform of members of the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive in the future were voted down by the
pro-democracy camp.
Legal system and judiciary
Image:hkcfa.jpg Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal thumb|250px|right|The [[Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal|Court of Final Appeal building located in
Central, Hong Kong Central..html" title="Meaning of Court of Final Appeal.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|right|The [[Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal|Court of Final Appeal">thumb|250px|right|The [[Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal|Court of Final Appeal building located in
Central, Hong Kong Central.">Court of Final Appeal.html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|right|The [[Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal|Court of Final Appeal">thumb|250px|right|The [[Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal|Court of Final Appeal building located in
Central, Hong Kong Central.
{{main articles|
Legal system of Hong Kong and
Judiciary of Hong Kong}}
In contrast to mainland China's
Civil law (legal system) civil law system, Hong Kong continues to follow the
common law tradition established by British colonial rule. Article 84 of the
Basic Law of Hong Kong allows Hong Kong's courts to refer to decisions (
precedents) rendered by courts of foreign jurisdictions and to invite foreign judges to participate in proceedings of Hong Kong's
Court of Final Appeal.
Structurally, Hong Kong's court system consists of the
Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Court of Final Appeal which replaced the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the
High Court of Hong Kong High Court, which is made up of the
Court of Appeal of Hong Kong Court of Appeal and the
Court of First Instance of Hong Kong Court of First Instance, and the
District Court of Hong Kong District Court, which includes the
Family Court of Hong Kong Family Court. Other adjudicative bodies include the Lands Tribunal, the Magistrates' Courts, the Juvenile Court, the Coroner's Court, the Labour Tribunal, the Small Claims Tribunal, and the Obscene Articles Tribunal, which is responsible for classifying non-video pornography to be circulated in Hong Kong. Justices of the
Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Court of Final Appeal are appointed by Hong Kong's Chief Executive. The
Basic Law of Hong Kong is subject to interpretation by the
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and this power has been invoked three times: the
Right of abode issue, Hong Kong right of abode issue, an interpretation regarding post-2008 election procedures, and an interpretation regarding the length of the term of the Chief Executive.
As in
England,
lawyer lawyers in Hong Kong are classified as
barrister barristers and
solicitor solicitors, where one can choose to practice as either one but not both (but it is possible to switch from one to the other). The vast majority of
lawyer lawyers are
solicitor solicitors who are licensed and regulated by
the Law Society of Hong Kong.
Barristers, on the other hand, are licensed and regulated by the
Hong Kong Bar Association. Only
barristers are allowed to appear in the
Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Court of Final Appeal and the
High Court of Hong Kong High Court. Just as the
common law system is maintained, so are British courtroom customs such as the wearing of robes and wigs by both
judges and
lawyers.
Geography
Image:Hong Kong relief map with geographic labels.jpg Shenzhen.html" title="Meaning of right right|thumb|250px|A relief map of Hong Kong and the southern part of [[Shenzhen (circa 2000). ([http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Hong+Kong&ll=22.285284,114.147949&spn=0.592723,0.951073&t=k&hl=en]).html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|A relief map of Hong Kong and the southern part of [[Shenzhen">right|thumb|250px|A relief map of Hong Kong and the southern part of [[Shenzhen (circa 2000). ([http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Hong+Kong&ll=22.285284,114.147949&spn=0.592723,0.951073&t=k&hl=en])">thumb|250px|A relief map of Hong Kong and the southern part of [[Shenzhen">right|thumb|250px|A relief map of Hong Kong and the southern part of [[Shenzhen (circa 2000). ([http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Hong+Kong&ll=22.285284,114.147949&spn=0.592723,0.951073&t=k&hl=en])
Image:hk001.jpg thumb|250px|View from Victoria Peak.{{main articles|
Geography of Hong Kong and
Ecology of Hong Kong}}
Hong Kong consists of
Hong Kong Island,
Kowloon, and the
New Territories. The
Kowloon Peninsula is attached to the New Territories in the north, and the New Territories are in turn connected to
mainland China across the
Sham Chun River (Shenzhen River). In total, Hong Kong has
Islands of Hong Kong 236 islands in the
South China Sea, of which
Lantau Island Lantau is the largest. Hong Kong Island itself is the second largest and also the most populated.
Ap Lei Chau is the most densely populated island in the world.
The name "Hong Kong", literally meaning "fragrant harbour", is derived from the area around present-day
Aberdeen, Hong Kong Aberdeen and
Wong Chuk Hang on Hong Kong Island, where fragrant trees were once abundant and exported from. The body of water between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula is
Victoria Harbour, one of the deepest natural maritime
ports in the world. The landscape of Hong Kong is fairly hilly to mountainous with steep slopes. The highest point in the territory is
Tai Mo Shan, at a height of 958
metres (3,142
foot (unit of length) ft). Lowlands exist in the northwestern part of the New Territories.
Hong Kong is 60
kilometres (37
mile mi) east of
Macau, on the opposite side of the
Pearl River Delta and borders the
subprovincial city city of
Shenzhen in
Guangdong Province. Of the territory's 1,102
square kilometres (425
square mile mi²) and nearly 7 million residents, less than 25% is developed; the remaining land is remarkably green and significant portions are reserved as
Hong Kong Country Parks & Special Areas country parks and
nature reserves. This is because most live and work in high-rise buildings in the city and surrounding new towns.
Climate
Climate of Hong Kong Hong Kong's climate is
subtropical and prone to
monsoons. It is cool and dry in the
wintertime which lasts from around January to March, and is hot, humid and
rainy from
Spring (season) spring through
summer. It is warm,
sunny, and dry in
autumn. Hong Kong occasionally has
typhoons. The ecology of Hong Kong is mostly affected by the results of climatic changes. Hong Kong's climate is seasonal due to alternating wind direction between winter and summer. Hong Kong has been geologically stable for millions of years. However, flora and fauna in Hong Kong are altered by climatic change, sea level alternation and human impact. The highest recorded temperature{{ref.html">Celsius (104°
F.html"_title="Meaning of Celsius.html" title="Meaning of fahrenheit F">fahrenheit|F) while the lowest recorded temperature is 0°C (32°F). The average temperature in the coldest month, February, is 16°C (61°F) while the average temperature in the hottest month, July, is 28°C (82°F).
Hong Kong's climate is
subtropical but half of the year is temperate. The territory is situated south of the
Tropic of Cancer which is equatable to
Hawaii in
latitude. In winter, strong and cold winds generate from the north and cool the city; in the summer, the wind's direction reverses and brings the warm and humid air in from the south. This climate can support a
tropical rainforest.
Administrative divisions
Image:Hk map 18.png thumb|right|250px|18 districts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
{{main|Districts of Hong Kong}}
Hong Kong consists of 18 administrative districts:
#
Islands District, Hong Kong Islands
#
Kwai Tsing District Kwai Tsing (
Kwai Chung and
Tsing Yi)
#
North District, Hong Kong North
#
Sai Kung District Sai Kung
#
Sha Tin District Sha Tin
#
Tai Po District Tai Po
#
Tsuen Wan District Tsuen Wan
#
Tuen Mun District Tuen Mun
#
Yuen Long District Yuen Long
#
Kowloon City District Kowloon City
#
Kwun Tong District Kwun Tong
#
Sham Shui Po District Sham Shui Po
#
Wong Tai Sin District Wong Tai Sin
#
Yau Tsim Mong District Yau Tsim Mong (
Yau Ma Tei,
Tsim Sha Tsui and
Mong Kok)
#
Central and Western District Central and Western
#
Eastern District Eastern
#
Southern District, Hong Kong Southern
#
Wan Chai District Wan Chai
There are several
List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Hong_Kong cities and towns within Hong Kong, the largest of which include
Kowloon, Victoria (
Hong Kong Island),
Tsuen Wan New Town Tseun Wan New Town, and
Sha Tin Sha Tin New Town. These entities, however, are not granted any formal administrative status and are either administered as parts of districts (e.g. Sha Tin New Town) or divided up amongst districts (e.g. Tsuen Wan New Town and Kowloon).
Economy
Image:hk002.jpg thumb|right|250px|Central, the main business district of Hong Kong.
Image:hkse.jpg thumb|right|250px|The Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Image:hkt.jpg thumb|right|150px|The Kwai Chung Container Terminals. Hong Kong is one of the busiest ports in the world.
{{main articles|
Economy of Hong Kong and
Employment in Hong Kong}}
Hong Kong has one of the least restricted economies in world and is basically
Duty (economics) duty-free. It is the world's 10th largest {{ref|10th}} trading entity and 11th largest {{ref|11th}}
bank banking centre. The dominant presence of international trade is reflected in the number of
consulates located in the territory:
As of 2005 As of June 2005, Hong Kong had 107 consulates and consulates-general, more than any other city in the world. Even
New York City, host of the
United Nations, only has 93 consulates.
The objective of Hong Kong's monetary policy is to maintain currency stability. Given the highly externally oriented nature of the economy, this objective was further defined as a stable external value for the
Hong Kong dollar in terms of a linked
exchange rate against the US dollar at the rate of HK$7.80 to one
United States dollar until 2005, when it was allowed to trade within a band of HK$7.75-$7.85.
Hong Kong has limited
natural resources, and most
food and raw materials must be imported. In fact,
imports and
exports (including re-exports) exceed the
gross domestic product GDP of Hong Kong. Hong Kong has extensive trade and investment ties with the
People's Republic of China which existed even before the
handover on
1 July 1997. These ties and its autonomous status enable it to be the middleman between the
Republic of China on
Taiwan and the mainland. Flights, investment, and trade from Taiwan go through Hong Kong to get to the mainland. The
tertiary sector of industry service sector represented 86.5 % {{ref|86.5}} of the GDP in 2001. The territory, with a highly sophisticated banking sector and good communication links, hosts the
Asian headquarters of many
multinational corporations.
At
United States dollar USD 24,080 {{ref|24,626}} in 2004, the nominal
per capita GDP of Hong Kong is somewhat lower than that of the four big economies of
western Europe. However, it would be
List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita ranked 11th in terms of per capita GDP (
purchasing power parity PPP) in the world (USD 32,292), which is even higher than
Japan (USD 31,384), making Hong Kong one of the richest territorial regions in Asia.
Growth averaged a strong 8.9% per annum in real terms in the 1970s and 7.2% p.a. in the 1980s. As the economy shifted to services (manufacturing currently accounts for just 4% of GDP), growth slowed to 2.7% p.a. in the 1990s, including a 5.3% decline in 1998, due to the
Asian financial crisis Asian financial crisis' impact on demand in the region. Growth since 2000 has averaged 5.2% p.a. amid strong deflation.
The economy rebounded rapidly, growing by 10 % in 2000. A world-wide global downturn and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak reduced economic growth to 2.3 % in 2002. Thereafter, a boom in tourism from the mainland because of China's easing of travel restrictions, a return of consumer confidence, and a solid rise in exports resulted in the resumption of strong growth in late 2003 and 2004, with growth averaging 6.5% in the first half of 2005.
To further increase economic co-operation between Hong Kong and the mainland, the
Individual Visit Scheme was started on
28 July 2003, which allows travellers from some cities in mainland China to visit Hong Kong without an accompanying tour group. As a result, the
Tourism in Hong Kong tourism industry in Hong Kong is booming due to an exponential increase in the number of visitors from mainland China. The upsurge is also boosted by the recent opening of
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
A revival in both external and domestic demand led to a strong upswing in growth in 2004, surging to 8.2 % for the year. The domestic sector completely shrugged off its earlier sluggishness, and the general weakness of the Hong Kong dollar, when included with the still modest cost and price pressures in Hong Kong, has resulted in a strengthening in Hong Kong's external price competitiveness. In addition, Hong Kong's 68-month-long
deflation (economics) deflationary spiral, the longest and highest deflation {{ref|deflation}} according to
Guinness World Records, ended in mid-2004, with consumer price
inflation hovering at near zero levels.
Along with
Singapore,
South Korea and
Taiwan Taiwan, ROC, Hong Kong's fast-paced industrialisation earned it a place as one of the four original
East Asian Tigers.
Demographics
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parasols intersperse throughout the pavement.
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{{main|Demographics of Hong Kong}}
The population of Hong Kong increased markedly during the 1990s, reaching 6.86 million in 2005. About 96 % of Hong Kong's population is Chinese, the majority of which are
Cantonese people Cantonese. Groups such as the
Hakka and
Teochew are also substantial. Used in government matters,
Standard Cantonese Cantonese is spoken by most of the local Chinese population at home and in the office, although
English language English is also widely understood and spoken by more than one-third of the population. Since the Handover, a new group of immigrants from
mainland China have increased the ethnic diversity of the Chinese population and enhanced the development of Mandarin in the territory.
The remaining 4 % of the population is composed of non-Chinese, who form a highly visible group, despite their small numbers.
Among these is a significant
South Asian population, which includes some of Hong Kong's wealthiest families. Some
Nepalis residing in Hong Kong are
Gurkhas, who chose to stay after their service to Britain, and their descendants. More than 15,000
Vietnamese, who came to Hong Kong as
refugees, have become permanent residents, the majority of whom survive on casual work. Around 140,000
Filipinos in Hong Kong Filipinos work in Hong Kong as domestic helpers and housekeepers, often known locally as ''
amahs'', or ''feiyungs'', with other such workers coming from Thailand and Indonesia. On Sundays and public holidays, thousands of these workers, the majority of whom are women, gather in
Central, Hong Kong Central to socialise. There are also a number of
Europeans,
North Americans,
Japanese, and
Koreans, largely working in Hong Kong's financial sector.
The top three sources of migration to Hong Kong are the
Philippines (132,770),
Indonesia (95,460), and the
United States (31,330).
Hong Kong is the fifth largest
metropolitan area of the
List of cities in China PRC by population. Considered as a dependency, Hong Kong is one of the
List of countries by population density most densely populated countries/dependencies in the world, with an overall density of more than 6,200 people per km². Hong Kong has a
fertility rate of .94 children per woman {{ref|.94}}, one of the lowest in the world, and far below the 2.1 children per woman required to maintain an even population level. However, population is continuously growing due to immigration of about 45,000 people per year from mainland China.
Despite the population density, Hong Kong was reported {{ref|reported}} to be one of the
environmentalism greenest cities in Asia. The majority of people live in
Apartment flats in
Skyscraper high-rise buildings. The rest of the open spaces are often covered with parks, woods and shrubs. About 60 % of the land {{ref|60percent}} is designated as
country park Country Parks and
nature reserve 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 of Hong Kong beaches for its inhabitants. Environmental concern and awareness is growing, however, as Hong Kong also ranks as one of the most (air-)polluted cities in the world. Estimates are that 70-80% of the city's air pollution comes from other parts of the
Pearl River Delta.
Education
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Pokfulam.">right|250px|The [[University of Hong Kong">thumb|right|250px|The [[University of Hong Kong building located in
Pokfulam.
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Causeway Bay.">right|250px|The [[Hong Kong Central Library">thumb|right|250px|The [[Hong Kong Central Library building located in
Causeway Bay.
{{main|Education in Hong Kong}}
A former
United Kingdom British colony, Hong Kong's
education system is roughly based upon
Education in the United Kingdom that of the United Kingdom, and in particular, the
Education in England system used in England.
At the higher education levels, both British and American systems exist. In particular, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was established on the American model of higher education. This ""Chinese University of Hong Kong"" follows more the American model with a characteristic British College system. There are eight public universities in Hong Kong, and a number of private higher institutions.
Hong Kong's public schools are operated by the
Education and Manpower Bureau Education and Manpower Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. [http://www.emb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=4369&langno=1]
The system features a non-compulsory three-year
kindergarten, followed by a compulsory six-year primary education, three-year junior
secondary education; a non-compulsory two-year senior secondary education leading to the
Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations and a two-year
matriculation course leading to the
Hong Kong Advanced Level Examinations. A new “3+3+4� senior secondary curriculum, consisting of a three-year junior secondary, three-year senior secondary and four-year undergraduate academic system, will be implemented from 2009 onwards. There are also
Tertiary education tertiary institutions offering various Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees, other
Higher Diploma higher diplomas, and
associate degree courses.
In general, three types of comprehensive schools exist in Hong Kong. There are government schools, which are relatively rare; and subsidised schools (government-aided schools, grant schools), run by charitable (often
Christianity Christian, but
Buddhist,
Taoist,
Islamic and
Confucian as well) organisations with government funding, to which most students go. Most
private schools are run by Christian organisations as well; where admissions are based more on academic merit than on financial resources. Outside this system are the schools under the
Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) and private
international schools, which provide an alternative to the high-pressured mainstream education in exchange for much higher tuition fees.
Culture
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Golden Bauhinia Square Golden Bauhinia Statue in the heart of highly-
urbanisation urbanised Wan Chai District, with the skyscrapers in the background.
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sampan to the floating restaurant..html" title="Meaning of thumb|250px|[[Aberdeen Harbour">right|thumb|250px|[[Aberdeen Harbour and jetty where one can catch a
sampan to the floating restaurant.">thumb|250px|[[Aberdeen Harbour">right|thumb|250px|[[Aberdeen Harbour and jetty where one can catch a
sampan to the floating restaurant.
Image:hksol.jpg thumb|A Symphony of Lights fireworks and lasers show, from the Hong Kong Tourism Board Promotional Material.
{{main|Culture of Hong Kong}}
Hong Kong is often described as a city where East meets West. This is reflected in all aspects of the culture, but especially in its
shopping,
nightlife, and
Eating dining.
A popular destination for shoppers from around the world, Hong Kong has everything to offer from the latest European fashion to traditional Chinese wares. Malls, department stores, and designer boutiques offer an amazing contrast to the bustling open-air
Stanley Market and
Jade Market shopping areas. Every district in Hong Kong has old-fashioned stores that sell
Chinese herbal medicine. The largest concentration of these shops is along
Bonham Strand and
Bonham Strand West in
Sheung Wan, where all types of pills, plants, and dried animals are for sale.
Hong Kong has an active nightlife centred around two major entertainment districts,
Lan Kwai Fong (Central) and
Wanchai. Both areas are frequented by expats and locals alike. For a more quiet evening, a trip to
Victoria Peak offers a spectacular view of the city. There is also a promenade along the
Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, which is popular among young Chinese couples. Shopping, a form of entertainment for the people of Hong Kong, is even done at nightime as evident in the
Temple Street Night Market.
The city's cosmopolitan flavour can also be seen in the wide variety of cuisines available. While different varieties of Chinese selections, especially seafood, are most popular, there also many European, American, Japanese, Korean, and other restaurants. Ethnic dishes served in ''
cha chaan teng'' and ''
dai pai dong'' are also popular. The people of Hong Kong take their food seriously and many top chefs make their way to the city to show off their talents to these discriminating diners.
Entertainment and the performing arts also reflect Hong Kong's blend of the Chinese and the Western. The
Cinema of Hong Kong film industry and the "
Cantopop" music industry scramble together both influences and have long been enormously successful locally and internationally, with star performers as ubiquitous icons. Many of these come out of the dramatic and
Variety show variety programs on local
Media in Hong Kong television, which has been a major presence since 1967. All three of these industries export entertainment to Chinese-speaking communities around the world. Western-style
theatre and various forms of traditional
Chinese opera co-exist on local stages.
The world famous
Hong Kong International Dragonboat Festival, now known as the Circus Capital Stanley Dragon Boat Championships, is a
Dragon Boat Festival celebration of community that is televised globally.
Religion
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Wan Chai">right|250px|[[Hung Shing Temple">thumb|right|250px|[[Hung Shing Temple in
Wan Chai
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Central
{{main|Religion in Hong Kong}}
Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, a right enshrined and protected through its constitutional document, the Basic Law. The majority of Hong Kong's population practices
ancestor worship due to the strong
Confucianism Confucian influence. A sizable
Christianity Christian community of around 500,000 exists, forming about 10% of the total population; roughly equally divided between
Roman Catholic Church Catholics and
Protestants. There are also followers of
Buddhism or
Taoism. There are also estimated 70,000
Islam Muslims, between 2,000 and 3,000
Jews, and a few
Hinduism Hindus;
Sikhism Sikhs and
Bahá'à Faith Bahá'Ãs are also represented. Apart from offering religious instructions, many major religious bodies have established schools and provided
social welfare facilities.
Hong Kong's religious beliefs are tied to the region's early role as a
fishing community.
Tin Hau, the protector of seafarers, has been honoured with several
Places of worship in Hong Kong temples throughout Hong Kong for at least 300 years.
Hung Shing, another protector of seafarers, has also been honoured for centuries. Hong Kongers, especially elder generations, go to Taoist or Buddhist temples to appease the deities and, usually, to ask for compassion or good fortune. Gifts of
food, and in particular
fruit, are presented, and
incense and
paper offerings are burnt in respect.
With the transfer of Hong Kong to the PRC, there was significant concerns over
freedom of religion religious freedom in Hong Kong. So far, this has proved mostly unfounded - despite the banning of the
Falun Gong movement by
Beijing in 1999, adherents are still free to practice in Hong Kong. Similarly, the
Roman Catholic Church Catholic Church is free to appoint its own bishops in Hong Kong, unlike on mainland China, where the only approved 'Catholic' institution is the
Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which bishops and priests are appointed by Beijing (though there is also an unofficial and illegal part of the Catholic church that maintains contact with the Vatican). A significant issue in the normalisation of ties between the PRC and the
Vatican City Vatican is Beijing's insistence that the Vatican drops its diplomatic ties with the
Political status of Taiwan ROC.
Although freedom of religion remains true in Hong Kong, it remains a volatile issue for many, as any threat will have lasting implications for the perceived freedoms in Hong Kong.
Architecture
Due to the
creative destruction so endemic to Hong Kong over the past 50 years, few historical buildings remain in Hong Kong. Instead the city has become a centre for
modern architecture, especially in and around
Central and Western district Central. The tall business buildings of Central comprise the skyline along the coast of the
Victoria Harbour, which is one of Hong Kong's famous tourist attractions. In
Kowloon, which once included the anarchistic settlement called the
Kowloon Walled City, strict height restrictions were in force until
Kai Tak Airport closed in 1998, but these restrictions have now been lifted, and several new skyscrapers in Kowloon are being planned.
Hong Kong's best-known building is arguably
I. M. Pei Ieoh Ming Pei's
Bank of China Tower, completed in 1990 and now Hong Kong's third tallest skyscraper. The building attracted heated controversy from the start, as its sharp angles were said to cast negative
feng shui energy into the heart of Hong Kong. Predating the Bank of China Tower, another well-known structure is the
HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building HSBC Headquarters Building, finished in 1985. This building is featured on many of
Hong Kong banknotes Hong Kong's banknotes. It was built on the site of Hong Kong's first skyscraper, which was finished in 1935 and was the subject of a bitter heritage
Architectural conservation conservation struggle in the late 1970s. The tallest building in Hong Kong is
International Finance Centre Two International Finance Centre.
One of the largest construction projects in Hong Kong and the world was the new
Hong Kong International Airport on
Chek Lap Kok near
Lantau, a huge land reclamation project linked to the centre of Hong Kong by the
Lantau Link, which features three new major
bridges: the world's
List of largest suspension bridges sixth largest suspension bridge,
Tsing Ma Bridge Tsing Ma, the world's longest
cable-stayed bridge carrying both road and railway traffic,
Kap Shui Mun Bridge Kap Shui Mun, and the world's first major 4-span cable-stayed bridge,
Ting Kau Bridge Ting Kau.
Transport
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Image:Hktp.jpg thumb|right|250px|Double-decker buses make up a large proportion of buses in Hong Kong.{{unverifiedimage}}
{{main|Transport in Hong Kong}}
Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated
transport network, encompassing both
public transport public and private transport. The
Octopus card stored value
smart card payment system can be used to pay for fares on almost all railways, buses and ferries in Hong Kong. All
parking meters in Hong Kong only accept payment by Octopus card, and Octopus card payment can be made at various carparks.
Hong Kong Island is dominated by steep, hilly terrain, which required the development of unusual methods of transport up and down the slopes. In
Central and Western district there is an extensive system of
escalator escalators and
moving sidewalk moving sidewalks, including the longest outdoor covered elevator system in the world, the
Central-Mid-Levels escalator Mid-levels Escalator.
Hong Kong has several different modes of public rail transport. The two
metro systems for the city are the
MTR and
KCR (KCR also operates a
light rail system in northwest New Territories), which are operated by the
MTR Corporation Limited and the
Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation respectively. The
Hong Kong Tramways tramway system covers the northern parts of Hong Kong Island and is the only
tram system in the world run exclusively with
double deckers.
Five separate companies operate franchised public
bus services in Hong Kong. Double-decker buses were introduced to Hong Kong in 1949. They are now used almost exclusively in Hong Kong just as in
Dublin and
London. However, single-decker buses remain in use for routes with lower demand or roads with lower carrying capacity and are used exclusively in South Lantau. Most normal franchised bus routes in Hong Kong operate until 1am in the morning.
Public light bus Public light buses run the length and breadth of Hong Kong, through areas where standard bus lines cannot reach or do not reach as frequently, quickly, or directly.
Taxicab Taxis are also widely used throughout Hong Kong. 99% of taxis in Hong Kong run on liquefied petroleum gas, the rest are still diesel operated.
Most ferry services are provided by licensed ferry operators, which serve
Islands of Hong Kong outlying islands, new towns, and inner-
Victoria Harbour. The two routes operated by the
Star Ferry, operating for over 100 years, are franchised. Additionally, 78 "
kai-to" ferries are licensed to serve remote coastal settlements.
Hong Kong has one active
international airport, known as
Hong Kong International Airport located at
Chek Lap Kok. This replaced the famous airport of the same name at
Kai Tak International Airport Kai Tak in 1998. After dreadful delays in the cargo systems in the first few months, the airport now serves as a transport hub for
Southeast Asia, and as the hub for
Cathay Pacific Airways,
Dragonair (airline) Dragonair,
Air Hong Kong and
Hong Kong Express. Additionally, both Hong Kong International Airport and
Cathay Pacific Airways have been voted best in the world, in the airport and airline criteria respectively, by
Skytrax from 2001 to 2005.
Hong Kong International Airport serves more than 36 million passengers in the year
2004, and increased to over 40 million passengers in
2005.
Access to the airport includes 'Airport Express', 'CityFlyers' and 'Airbuses', These services connect the airport to the rest of Hong Kong. The Airport Express zooms passengers to
Central, Hong Kong Central on Hong Kong Island in just 23 minutes. Recent opening of
Sunny Bay (MTR) Sunny Bay Station of the
MTR allows easy access to the Disneyland Resort.
Military
Image:Hkgarrison.jpg PLA Hong Kong Garrison thumb|right|200px|The [[PLA Hong Kong Garrison|Hong Kong Garrison of the
People's Liberation Army entering Hong Kong for the first time in 1997..html" title="Meaning of Hong Kong Garrison.html" title="Meaning of thumb|right|200px|The [[PLA Hong Kong Garrison|Hong Kong Garrison">thumb|right|200px|The [[PLA Hong Kong Garrison|Hong Kong Garrison of the
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People's Liberation Army entering Hong Kong for the first time in 1997.
{{main|Military of Hong Kong}}
The PRC
Central People's Government (CPG) assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong on
1 July 1997 and stationed a
garrison of the
PLA Hong Kong Garrison People's Liberation Army (PLA) to manage its defence affairs. Although the garrison has no military significance, the stationing of the PLA troops in the region is a significant symbol of the PRC government's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong.
According to the
Basic Law, military forces stationed in Hong Kong shall not interfere with local affairs; Hong Kong government shall remain responsible for the maintenance of public order. The Hong Kong Garrison, composed of
army ground,
navy naval, and
air forces, is under the command of the Chinese
Central Military Commission. The garrison subsequently opened the barracks on
Stonecutters Island and
Stanley, Hong Kong Chek Chu to the public to promote understanding and trust between the troops and residents.
Under British rule, ethnic Chinese Hongkongers were allowed to join the
British Forces Overseas Hong Kong British defence forces. However, since the handover in 1997, they were no longer allowed to join the PLA.
International rankings
*
A.T. Kearney/
Foreign Policy Foreign Policy Magazine: [http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=5,4,1,116 Globalization Index 2005], not ranked out of 62 countries
*
Heritage Foundation/
The Wall Street Journal: [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/ 2005]
Index of Economic Freedom, ranked 1st out of 155 countries, for 11 years in a row.
*
IMD International: [http://www01.imd.ch/wcy/ World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005], ranked 2nd out of 60 economies (countries and regions)
*
Reporters without borders: [http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=11715 Third annual worldwide press freedom index (2004)], ranked 34th out of 167 countries
*
Save the Children: [http://www.savethechildren.org/mothers/report_2005/ State of the World's Mothers 2005], not ranked out of 110 countries
*
Skyline: [http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/sk/st/sr/], ranked 1st out of all cities of the world
*
The Economist: [http://www.economist.com/theworldin/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3372495&d=2005 The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005], ranked 18th out of 111 countries
*
Transparency International: [http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2004/2004.10.20.cpi.en.html Corruption Perceptions Index 2004], ranked 16th out of 146 countries
*
World Economic Forum: [http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Global+Competitiveness+Programme%5CGlobal+Competitiveness+Report Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking], ranked 21st out of 104 countries
References
* ''A Borrowed Place: The History of Hong Kong''. Frank Welsh. Kodansha America.
1 October 1993. 624 pages. ISBN 1568360029.
* ''Hong Kong's History: State and Society Under Colonial Rule (Asia's Transformations)''. Tak-Wing Ngo. Routledge.
1 August 1999. 205 pages. ISBN 0415208688.
* ''The Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity''. Poshek Fu, David Deser.
Cambridge University Press.
25 March 2002. 346 pages. ISBN 0521776023.
* ''A Modern History of Hong Kong''. Steve Tsang.
I.B. Tauris.
