About Hong Kong
Hong Kong covers an area of 1,095 sq. km (423 sq. miles) and has a population of around 6.8 million. The population density is therefore 6,210 people per sq. km (16,075 per sq. mile), making it one of the most crowded places in the world.
Since 1 July 1997, Hong Kong has been a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China., after being a British Colony since 1841. The Hong Kong government, however, enjoys a certain degree of autonomy freedom the rest of China. The Hong Kong Basic Law guarantees (on paper) that the territory's capitalist system and ways of life will remain unchanged until at least 2047. Under the principle of “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” the territory's chief executive must be a Hong Kong citizen. The legislature consists of a mixture of appointed and elected Hong Kong residents. Hong Kong also maintains separate customs regulations, laws and tax systems from the rest of China.
The term Hong Kong is both an administrative and geographical one. For convenience, Hong Kong is divided into three sections:
- Hong Kong Island
- Kowloon
- The New Territories
Kowloon refers to the mainland area on the other side of the harbour from Hong Kong Island. The New Territories is the area between Kowloon and Mainland China that was leased by Britain in 1898 for 99 years. The area includes Hong Kong's 200-odd outlying islands. The original term Hong Kong referred to Hong Kong Island only, but has since come to refer to the combined Hong Kong island, Kowloon and the New Territories.
A greater proportion of the population has gradually spread to the New Territories, reflecting the government's policy to develop new towns where there is much more space. Nearly 50 percent of the population is in the New Territories, 30 percent in Kowloon, and 20 percent on Hong Kong Island.