Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Situated on China's 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 (430 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is the fourth-most densely populated region in the world. Hong Kong was established as a colony of the British Empire after the Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong Island in 1841–1842 as a consequence of losing the First Opium War. The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and was further extended when the United Kingdom obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Hong Kong was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 during World War II. The territory was handed over from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from those of mainland China under the principle of one country, two systems. Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong is now one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. Hong Kong is the world's third-ranked global financial centre behind New York City and London, ninth-largest exporter, and eighth-largest importer. Its currency, the Hong Kong dollar, is the ninth-most traded currency in the world. Home to the second-highest number of billionaires of any city in the world, Hong Kong has the second largest number of ultra high-net-worth individuals. The city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, although severe income inequality still exists among the population. Hong Kong is the city with the most skyscrapers in the world, even though its housing is consistently in high demand. Hong Kong is a highly developed territory and has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.955, ranking eighth in the world, and is currently the only place in Asia to be in the top ten. The city has the highest life expectancy in the world, and a public transport usage exceeding 90 per cent.

Infobox

Chinese:

中華人民共和國香港特別行政區

Cantonese Yale romanisation:

Jūng'wàh Yàhnmàhn Guhng'wòhgwok Hēunggóng Dahkbiht Hàhngjingkēui

Cantonese Jyutping romanisation:

zung1 waa4 jan4 man4 gung6 wo4 gwok3 hoeng1 gong2 dak6 bit6 hang4 zing3 keoi1

Sovereign state

China

British possession

26 January 1841

Treaty of Nanking

29 August 1842

Convention of Peking

24 October 1860

New Territories lease

9 June 1898

Imperial Japanese occupation

25 December 1941 to 30 August 1945

Re-designated as a British Dependent Territory

1 January 1981

Sino-British Joint Declaration

19 December 1984

Handover to China

1 July 1997

Administrative centre

Tamar

Largest district by population

Sha Tin

Official languages

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Regional and indigenous languages

Cantonese[a]Weitou dialectHakkaTanka

Official scripts

Traditional Chinese[b] English alphabet

Ethnic groups (2021)

91.6% Chinese 2.7% Filipino 1.9% Indonesian 0.8% White 0.6% Indian 0.4% Nepalese 2% other

Demonym(s)

HongkongerHongkongese

Government

Devolved executive-led government within a unitary communist state

• Chief Executive

John Lee

• Chief Secretary

Eric Chan

• Council President

Andrew Leung

• Chief Justice

Andrew Cheung

Legislature

Legislative Council

• National People's Congress

36 deputies

• Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

203 delegates

• Total

$428.233 billion (39th)

• Water (%)

59.70% (1,640.62 km2; 633.45 sq mi)

• Land

1,114.35 km2 (430.25 sq mi)

Highest elevation (Tai Mo Shan)

957 m (3,140 ft)

Lowest elevation (South China Sea)

0 m (0 ft)

• 2023 estimate

7,498,100

• 2021 census

7,413,070

• Density

6,801/km2 (17,614.5/sq mi) (4th)

GDP (PPP)

2025 estimate

• Per capita

$56,844 (20th)

GDP (nominal)

2025 estimate

Gini (2021)

39.7[c] } }medium

HDI (2023)

0.955very high · 8th

Currency

Hong Kong dollar (HK$) (HKD)

Time zone

UTC 08:00 (HKT)

Date format

dd/mm/yyyy yyyy年mm月dd日

Mains electricity

220 V–50 Hz

Driving side

Left[d]

Calling code

852

ISO 3166 code

HKCN-HK

Internet TLD

hk.香港

Number plate prefixes

None for local vehicles, 粤Z for cross-boundary vehicles