Hong Kong
Home to the region with the most skyscrapers in the world and the highest life expectancy globally.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China situated on the southern coast just south of Shenzhen. It consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. With 7.5 million residents in a 1,114-square-kilometre territory, it is the fourth-most densely populated region in the world. Originally an area of farming and fishing villages, it is now one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It ranks as the third global financial centre behind New York City and London, the ninth-largest exporter, and the eighth-largest importer globally. Its currency is the ninth-most traded currency worldwide. The city has the highest life expectancy in the world, a public transport usage exceeding 90 percent, and an HDI of 0.955, ranking eighth worldwide. It maintains separate governing and economic systems from mainland China under the principle of one country, two systems.
- Character: Role
- Global Financial Hub
- Affiliation
- Special Administrative Region of China
- Geography
- Coastal Island and Peninsula Complex
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Hong Kong was established as a British colony after the Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong Island in 1842 following the First Opium War. The territory expanded to include Kowloon in 1860 and the New Territories via a 99-year lease in 1898. It was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 before being handed back to China in 1997. Early human traces date to 35,000–39,000 years ago during the Paleolithic period, with rice cultivation introduced by the Late Neolithic. The name 'Hong Kong' originally referred to a small inlet between Aberdeen Island and Hong Kong Island, likely deriving from the Cantonese phrase hēung góng ('fragrant harbour').
In Their Own Story
British forces began controlling Hong Kong on 26 January 1841 after the Convention of Chuenpi, though formal cession occurred in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. The colony grew as refugees fled mainland turbulence during the Taiping Rebellion and later after the Chinese Communist Party took control in 1949. It became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies to industrialise in the 1950s, establishing key institutions like the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Mass Transit Railway. Today, it is the region with the most skyscrapers in the world, housing a population where severe income inequality exists despite high per capita income.
Reader's Guide
Visit the site of the Sung Wong Toi where the southern Song court briefly located before 1279, or explore the archaeological finds at Wong Tei Tung dating to 35,000–39,000 years ago. Use the Mass Transit Railway for over 90 percent of transport needs, or take the historic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour. Explore Sai Kung to see where rice cultivation began in the Late Neolithic, or visit Aberdeen, the initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.
Did You Know?
- Hong Kong has the highest life expectancy in the world.
- The territory is home to the third-highest number of billionaires of any city globally.
- Public transport usage in Hong Kong exceeds 90 percent.
- Hong Kong was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 during World War II.
- The name 'Hong Kong' originally referred to a small inlet between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island.
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