Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China on the southern coast, just south of Shenzhen. It covers 1,114 km² (430 sq mi) on Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, Lantau and more than 200 other islands, and as a city territory it has no separate capital. Chinese and English are the official languages, Cantonese is spoken by most people, and traditional characters are used in writing.

The Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain in 1841–1842 after losing the First Opium War. The colony added the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and leased the New Territories for 99 years in 1898. Japan occupied it from 1941 to 1945. Britain handed the territory to China in 1997, and it keeps its own legal and economic system under the one country, two systems formula. in 2020 Beijing imposed a national security law, and electoral changes followed in 2021.

A Chief Executive leads the executive-led government under the Basic Law, together with a Legislative Council. Low taxes, little state intervention and an open financial market made the city a global financial center, and its stock exchange ranks among the largest. The port is one of the busiest for containers, and the airport is a leading hub for international cargo. The Hong Kong dollar is the currency, and mainland China and the United States are the main export markets.

The Peak Tram has climbed to Victoria Peak since 1888, and the Star Ferry crosses Victoria Harbour. About 40% of the land is country parks and nature reserves. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh rose to fame in Hong Kong films, and Cantopop grew from the 1970s. Cha siu bao, egg tarts and congee are typical dishes, and cha chaan teng cafes serve milk tea and local takes on Western food.