At The Time I Visited Hong Kong, It Felt A Little Westernised.

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HONG KONG.

April 2026
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Hong Kong S. A. R. Chinese Special Administrative Region and former British dependency in eastern Asia, on the South China Sea, bordered by China on the north.
It is made up of many islands and a portion of the mainland, and has considerable territorial waters.
It has a land area of 1,076 sq km (415 sqmi).
Despite its small size, Hong Kong S. A. R. plays an important role in the world economy.

Hong Kong S. A. R. can be divided into three main regions.
Hong Kong Island, about 18 km (11 mi) long and up to 8 km (5 mi) wide with an area of about 80 sq km (29 sq mi), and nearby islets; the mainland Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island, with an area of about 10 sq km (6 mi); and the New Territories, made up principally of a large area on the mainland and Lantau Island, making up the rest of the land area.
The dependency is partly situated in the Zhu Jiang, or Pearl River, delta, and the Sham Chun River forms the border with China.
Much of Hong Kong is hilly, the highest elevation being Tai Mo Shan in the New Territories at 957 m (3,140 ft) and the highest island peak Lantau Peak on Lantau Island at 934 m (3,064).
Substantial areas of the low-lying terrain are made up of land reclaimed from the sea.
Shortage of fresh water is a serious problem, with most of the supply being piped from mainland China.

Although within the Tropics, Hong Kong has a subtropical climate because of the south-western monsoon, a moist, warm, equatorial wind that brings a rainy season between May and August.
The mean annual temperature is 22.2° C (72° F), with a range from 15° C (59° F) in February to 27.8° C (82° F) in July.
Average annual precipitation is about 2,224 mm (88 in).
Typhoons are frequent in summer and occasionally cause great destruction.

Only about 12 per cent of Hong Kong is forested, mostly with conifers, but small tropical and subtropical plants are abundant and diverse throughout the Special Administrative Region.
Mangroves and swamp vegetation are also found.
Hong Kong's small amount of fertile soil is concentrated in the mainland portion of the New Territories, near Deep Bay.
Few large wild animals inhabit the Region: monkeys are common, and there are small populations of foxes and civets.
Birds, lizards, frogs, and small mammals are abundant.

The population of Hong Kong S. A. R. is about 97 per cent Chinese, with some Filipinos, British, Indians, Portuguese, and Americans; the future status of the non-Chinese minorities under the new government is uncertain.
Around 90 per cent of the Chinese population is either native to Hong Kong or from the adjoining Guangdong Province of China; the remainder are predominantly from Shanghai, Taiwan, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu.

Hong Kong S. A. R. has a population (1995 official estimate) of 6,189,800.
The overall population density is 5,753 people per sq km (14,915 per sq mi), making Hong Kong one of the most densely populated regions in the world.
Around 95 per cent of the population is urban.
Average life expectancy at birth (1994) is 76 years for men and 81 years for women, among the highest levels in the world.

The capital and cultural centre of Hong Kong S. A. R. is Victoria, which is on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island.
Also of major importance are Kowloon and New Kowloon, extending from the Kowloon Peninsula into the New Territories.
Neither of these are officially designated as autonomous cities.
Kowloon and Victoria are separated from each other by Victoria Bay.

The majority of the Chinese population practises the eclectic combination of Buddhism, Daoism, and the philosophy of Confucianism usual in Chinese religion.
There are also some 500,000 Christians, mostly Roman Catholics, and some 50,000 Muslims, plus small populations of Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, and other doctrines.

The official languages of Hong Kong prior to the handover to China were English and the two primary dialects of the Chinese language, Mandarin and Cantonese.
English was used for all legal and governmental work, while Cantonese was, and continues to be, the common spoken language.
Mandarin Chinese became the official language of government in July 1997 and is increasingly spoken in the Region.

Primary and secondary education is free and compulsory in Hong Kong to age 15.
In 1995-1996 about 467,718 pupils attended primary schools, and some 459,845 students were enrolled in secondary and vocational schools.
There were also over 20 institutes of higher education with some 137,740 students.
The main institutions of higher education are the University of Hong Kong (1911), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1963), and Hong Kong Polytechnic (1972).

Chinese culture dominates in Hong Kong, manifest in such traditional events as the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Chinese New Year.
Yet, as a port inhabited and visited by people of many nationalities, the Region is subject to diverse influences, especially that of the British, and is noted for its urban cosmopolitanism.
Hong Kong has become an important source for modern Chinese popular culture worldwide, through its film and popular music industries as well as book and magazine publishing.
Hong Kong is also an important centre of the traditional arts, through its Cantonese opera companies, its art dealerships, and its annual arts fair.

There are 25 public libraries in Hong Kong, as well as the libraries of the educational institutions.
There are also several museums of the arts and sciences.

In the post-war period Hong Kong has grown to be one of the world's major manufacturing, trade, and financial centres, expanding its traditional entrepot role through considerable investment in industry.
It also serves as a major channel for trade and investment in mainland China, and has been increasing its economic interests in the mainland as the economy there expands and with the reversion to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
The gross domestic product in 1994 was US$126.3 billion, or US$21,650 per capita (World Bank figures, 1992-1994 prices).
The estimated budget for the fiscal year 1994-1995 included income of US$19 billion and expenditure of US$14.1 billion, yielding a budget surplus of US$4.9 billion.

Only 7 per cent of Hong Kong is arable land, and most of the food supply is imported.
Vegetables are the primary crop, with several crops a year possible owing to the warm climate.
Farming is largely confined to the New Territories.
Fishing is an important occupation; in 1995 some 203,300 tonnes of fish were caught.
A large portion of the fish catch, is exported.

Partly because of the large influx of skilled immigrants from China after the Communist takeover in 1949, Hong Kong has developed important manufacturing industries.
In the mid-1990s these contributed around 8.7 per cent of the gross domestic product, and exported around 80 per cent of their output.
The principal products include textiles, clothing, footwear, electronic and electrical equipment, ships, fabricated metal, chemicals, rubber goods, precision instruments, timepieces, printed materials, toys, and processed food.

Hong Kong's annual production of electricity in 1993 was 36.4 billion kilowatt-hours.
The monetary unit of Hong Kong S. A. R. is the Hong Kong dollar (HK$7.7993 equal US$1; 2001), issued by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, the Standard and Chartered Bank, and since 1994 the Bank of China.
The dependency is an important international financial centre, with many offices of foreign banks.
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is one of the world's most important, and there are additional exchanges.

Hong Kong is important as a port primarily because its excellent natural harbour is the only satisfactory seaport between Shanghai and the Indochinese peninsula (see Indochina).
Hong Kong, which levies few customs duties, handles a great volume of cargo and serves as an important link in China's foreign trade.
In 1995 Hong Kong's imports (c.i.f. value) were valued at US$177 billion and its exports and re-exports at US$195 billion.
The principal imports include foodstuffs, industrial raw materials, machinery and transport equipment, telecommunications equipment, and chemicals.
Major exports are clothing, textiles, timepieces, toys, electrical machinery, and computer and other electronic components.
Hong Kong's principal trade partners are the rest of China, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, the United States, Singapore, South Korea, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Hong Kong is also an important source of investment for the developing Chinese economy.

Hong Kong had about 1,717 km (1,067 mi) of roads in 1995.
With more than 450,000 motor vehicles, Hong Kong has one of the highest vehicle densities in the world.
The Region is connected by railway with China and has a subway system of about 43 km (27mi).
Ferries and hydrofoils link various parts of Hong Kong, which is also served by a major international airport near Kowloon.
A second airport, Chep Lak Kok international, situated on reclaimed land off Lantau Island, opened in 1998, despite arguments between Britain and China over its financing.

Hong Kong in the mid-1990s had around 3.8 million radios and 1.75 million televisions.
In addition to government broadcasting, there are also several commercial stations, including the pan-Asian satellite broadcasting company Star TV.
In 1995 Hong Kong had around 4.1 million telephones.
The world's first full interactive multimedia network, including shopping and information services, was launched by Hongkong Telecom, the dependency's telecommunications utility, in 1996.
Hong Kong has almost 60 registered newspapers in English and Chinese; leading dailies include the South China Morning Post (English) and the Oriental Daily News (Chinese).

The total workforce in Hong Kong in 1995 numbered 3.1 million; about 28 per cent of whom were employed in industry, and most of the rest in services.
There are over 500 trade unions in Hong Kong, with over 500,000 members, most grouped in the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions.

There are 25 public libraries in Hong Kong, as well as the libraries of the educational institutions. There are also several museums of the arts and sciences.

Tourism is important to Hong Kong's economy. In 1995 tourism yielded almost US$9.7 billion in revenue, with around 10 million visitors arriving.

There are 25 public libraries in Hong Kong, as well as the libraries of the educational institutions.
There are also several museums of the arts and sciences.

Tourism is important to Hong Kong's economy.
In 1995 tourism yielded almost US$9.7 billion in revenue, with around 10 million visitors arriving.