East Asia.

GMT + 8.

1098 sq km (424 sq miles).

7.2 million (UN estimate, 2005).

6557.4 per sq km.

Hong Kong is located in East Asia, just south of the Tropic of Cancer. Hong Kong Island is 32km (20 miles) east of the mouth of Pearl River and 135km (84 miles) southeast of Canton. It is separated from the mainland by a good natural harbour. Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain in 1842 by the Treaty of Nanking; and the Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street and Stonecutters Island) in 1860 by the Convention of Peking. The area of Boundary Street to Shenzhen River and a group of 260 islands, now known as the New Territories, were leased to Britain in 1898 for a period of 99 years. The New Territories (plus the 260 islands) comprise 891 sq km (380 sq miles). Shortage of land suitable for development has led to reclamation from the sea, principally from the seafronts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

Hong Kong is now a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Under the Basic Law which is the governing instrument of the region, executive power is held by a Chief Executive, who is appointed by an ‘Election Committee’ composed of 800 ‘representatives of the community’. The Chief Executive is answerable to the State Council of the PRC (see China (People's Republic of) section) and serves a five-year term. The Chief Executive appoints a 15-member Executive Council to assist in the administration of the Region. Hong Kong’s legislature is the 60-member Legislative Council; 24 members are directly elected in geographical constituencies, 30 members are selected from ‘functional constituencies’ (mostly professional bodies and business interests) and the remaining six by the ‘Election Committee’.

Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China since 1997. Head of Government: Chief Executive Donald Tsang. Recent history: Beijing selected the shipping tycoon Tung Chee Hwa to fill the new post of Chief Executive with powers comparable to those of the former Governor. A pro-Beijing political party created shortly before the handover, the Democratic Party for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), took control of the LegCo after the first election held under Chinese rule in May 1998. The result has been more or less repeated in subsequent polls. The limited powers of the LegCo and the restricted nature of the electoral franchise mean that no serious opposition can be mounted to the policies of the administration. In June 2002, Tung Chee Hwa was confirmed in a second term of office as Chief Executive.
The timing for the new regime was unfortunate in as much as the Asian financial crisis hit the region just months after the territory had changed hands. Initially, it seemed that Hong Kong would come through largely unscathed: in fact, the economy has been depressed for most of the last five years (see Economy section). This has given rise to some political discontent and the self-confidence that previously characterised Hong Kong is now waning severely. Since 2003, there have been protests calling for a more democratic and representative system of Government. On 10 March 2005, Tung Chee-Hwa announced he had resigned as Chief Executive for reasons of ill heath. In accordance with basic law, the Chief Secretary Donald Tsang, became Acting Chief Executive. He was appointed by the Central People's Government in Beijing for a two-year term on 21 June 2005. China is pushing the administration to introduce an anti-subversion law, principally to combat the Falun Gong Christian religious sect.
Hong Kong is now a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Under the Basic Law which is the governing instrument of the region, executive power is held by a Chief Executive, who is appointed by an ‘Election Committee’ composed of 800 ‘representatives of the community’. The Chief Executive is answerable to the State Council of the PRC (see China (People's Republic of) section) and serves a five-year term. The Chief Executive appoints a 15-member Executive Council to assist in the administration of the Region. Hong Kong’s legislature is the 60-member Legislative Council; 24 members are directly elected in geographical constituencies, 30 members are selected from ‘functional constituencies’ (mostly professional bodies and business interests) and the remaining six by the ‘Election Committee’.

Chinese and English are the official languages, with Cantonese most widely spoken. English is spoken by many, particularly in business circles.

Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist, with Christian and Muslim minorities, but there are also places of worship for most other religious groups.

Handshaking is the common form of greeting. In Hong Kong, the family name comes first, so Wong Man Ying would be addressed as Mr Wong. Most entertaining takes place in restaurants rather than in private homes. Normal courtesies should be observed when visiting someone’s home. During a meal, a toast is often drunk saying Yum Sing at each course. There may be up to 12 courses served in a meal, and although it is not considered an insult to eat sparingly, a good appetite is always appreciated and it is considered cordial to taste every dish. It is customary to invite the host to a return dinner. Informal wear is acceptable. Some restaurants and social functions often warrant formal attire. Smoking is widely acceptable and only prohibited where specified. Police who speak English have a red shoulder badge.

220 volts AC, 50Hz.