History and Culture of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Chinese for "Fragrant Harbor," began as a coastal island geographically located in southern China. While pockets of settlements had taken place in the region dating back thousands of years, regularly written records were not kept until the engagement of Imperial China and the British Colony in the territory. Starting out as a fishing village, salt production site and trading ground, Hong Kong evolved into a military port of strategic importance and, eventually, an international financial centre that enjoys the world's 14th highest GDP (PPP) per capita, supporting 33% of the foreign capital flows into China. Hong Kong's GDP exceeds that of Western Europe's four largest economies - the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy - as well as Japan.

Hong Kong was a crown colony of the U.K. from 1842 until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997. Under the agreements of that transfer, Hong Kong is destined to operate with a high degree of autonomy at least until 2047, fifty years after the official transfer date. It is officially known as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, one of two along with Macau that are part of the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong maintains a highly capitalist economy built on a policy of free markets, low taxation and government non-intervention. It's an important centre for international finance and trade, with the greatest concentration of corporate headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region.

The culture of Hong Kong is best described as a foundation that began with China, then leaned West for much of the 20th century under constructive British colonialism. Despite the 1997 transfer of sovereignty with the mainland, Hong Kong continues to hold an identity of its own. It can best be summarized as an upbeat, high-tech and fashion-conscious culture in a sophisticated, world-class city. The population of Hong Kong is approximately 6.9 million, making it one of the world's most densely populated areas. Cantonese and English are the two official languages of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong covers an area of 1,092 sq. km., making it six times the size of Washington, D.C. It boasts over 2,000 islands within its region and the physical geography is extremely diverse, ranging from hilly and mountainous to lowlands in north.