User:Paine Ellsworth/Sandbox7b
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Chinese: 香港特別行政區),[7] is one of the Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China. Consisting of a peninsula and 236 islands on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea,[8] Hong Kong has developed into one of the world's top financial centres.[9] It has a highly developed capitalist economy, and has a "high degree of autonomy" in all areas except foreign affairs and defence. Renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour, its identity as a cosmopolitan centre where east meets west is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions.[10]
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China[1] 中華人民共和國香港特別行政區 | |
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ISO 3166 code | HK |
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Starting out as a fishing village on Hong Kong Island in the late Paleolithic and early Neolithic period, Hong Kong progressed through being a salt production site into a trading and military port of strategic importance. It became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–1842), and then in 1898 expanded onto the mainland and northern islands. It was occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War, when the population halved. The British resumed control, and the population gradually recovered as corporations moved there from China when the Communist Party of China became the ruling political party after the Chinese Civil War. Textile and manufacturing industries grew, then toward the end of the 20th century the economy shifted to mainly services-based, as the financial and banking sectors became increasingly dominant.
Hong Kong was reclassified as a British dependent territory in 1983 until its sovereignty was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1997.[11][12] The city's population is 95% Chinese and 5% from other ethnic groups.[13] At 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of 7 million people, Hong Kong is the 179th largest habited territory in the world. It is also one of the most densely populated areas in the world.[14] The land area consists primarily of Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories as well as some 260 other islands.[8]
The Hong Kong dollar is the 9th most traded currency in the world.[15] Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[16] the judiciary system in Hong Kong maintains the English Common law framework rather than legal system of China.[17] The political system takes place in a structure dominated by its constitutional documents, the Basic Law of Hong Kong, its own legislature, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong as the head of government, and of a multi-party system.[18] Regardless of the change in sovereignty, Hong Kong's immigration system remained largely unchanged from its British predecessor model. Residents from mainland China do not have the right of abode in Hong Kong, nor can they enter the territory freely, both before and after 1997.[19] Another distinction from mainland China is the left-hand traffic rule. The defence of Hong Kong is handled by military forces sent by the Central Government to prevent outside interference of its internal affairs.[18]