Hong Kong

Hong Kong (US: /ˈhɒŋkɒŋ/ or UK: /hɒŋˈkɒŋ/; Chinese: 香港; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2, Cantonese: [hœ́ːŋ.kɔ̌ːŋ] ^ⓘ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR),[lower-alpha 4] is a city and a special administrative region in China. With 7.4 million residents of various nationalities[lower-alpha 5] in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated territories in the world.

Quick facts: Hong Kong香港, Chinese , Cantonese Yale romanis... ▼

Hong Kong 香港
Special administrative region
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China 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
Flag Emblem
Location of Hong Kong within China
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
Redesignated 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	Chinese[lower-alpha 1] English[lower-alpha 2]
Regional language	Cantonese[lower-alpha 1]
Official scripts	Traditional Chinese[lower-alpha 2] 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[6]
Demonym(s)	Hongkonger Hongkongese
Government	Devolved executive-led government within a unitary one-party state[7]
• Chief Executive	John Lee
• Chief Secretary	Eric Chan
• Council President	Andrew Leung
• Chief Justice	Andrew Cheung
Legislature	Legislative Council
National representation
• National People's Congress	36 deputies
• Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference	203 delegates[8]
Area
• Total	2,754.97[9] km2 (1,063.70 sq mi) (168th)
• Water (%)	59.70% (1,640.62 km2; 633.45 sq mi)[9]
• Land	1,114.35 km2 (430.25 sq mi)[9]
Highest elevation (Tai Mo Shan)	957 m (3,140 ft)
Lowest elevation (South China Sea)	0 m (0 ft)
Population
• 2023 estimate	7,498,100[10]
• 2021 census	7,413,070[11]
• Density	6,801[12]/km2 (17,614.5/sq mi) (4th)
GDP (PPP)	2023 estimate
• Total	$548.999 billion[13] (45th)
• Per capita	$72,861[13] (13th)
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$385.546 billion[13] (40th)
• Per capita	$51,168[13] (21st)
Gini (2016)	53.9[14] high
HDI (2021)	0.952[15] very high · 4th
Currency	Hong Kong dollar (HK$) (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[lower-alpha 3]
Calling code	+852
ISO 3166 code	HK CN-HK
Internet TLD	.hk .香港
Number plate prefixes	None for local vehicles, 粤Z for cross-boundary vehicles

Hong Kong was established as a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island in 1841–1842. 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 whole territory was transferred from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of "one country, two systems".[lower-alpha 6]

Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages,[18][19] the territory is now one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. Hong Kong is the world's fourth-ranked global financial centre, 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 largest number of ultra high-net-worth individuals.[20] Although the city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, severe income inequality exists among the population. Despite having the largest number of skyscrapers of any city in the world, housing in Hong Kong has been well-documented to experience a chronic persistent shortage.

Hong Kong is a highly developed territory and has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.952, ranking fourth in the world. The city has the highest life expectancy in the world, and a public transport rate exceeding 90%.