P225 - Hong Kong - Night view of Victoria Harbour

A night skyline view of Hong Kong Island coastline and Kowloon Peninsula, separated by Victoria Harbour

Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,is a largely self-governing territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong province to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south. Hong Kong is a global metropolitan and international financial centre, and has a highly developed capitalist economy.

Beginning as a trading port, Hong Kong became a crown colony of the United Kingdom in 1842, reclassified as a British dependent territory in 1983, and remained so until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997.Under the "one country, two systems" policy, Hong Kong enjoys high degree of autonomy in all areas with the exception of foreign affairs and defence, which are the responsibility of the PRC Government. As part of this arrangement, Hong Kong continues to maintain its own currency, legal system, political system, immigration control, rule of the road and other aspects that concern its way of life, many of which are distinct from those of mainland China.

Renowned for its expansive skyline and natural setting, its identity as a cosmopolitan centre where the East meets the West is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions. Although the population is predominantly Chinese, residents and expatriates of other ethnicities form a small but significant[citation needed] segment of society. With a population of 7 million people but land area of only 1,108 km2 (428 sq mi), Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

香港，全稱香港特別行政區，英文為Hong Kong，英文全稱Hong Kong Special Administrative Region，英文簡稱為 HKSAR，是中華人民共和國首個特別行政區，位於華南沿岸、珠江口以東，由香港島、九龍半島、新界內陸地區，以及262個大小島嶼組成。北接廣東省深圳市，南面是廣東省珠海市萬山群島，西面是澳門及珠海市。香港地名的來源有多種說法，至今仍有爭議。

香港開埠前乃一有小量人口的渔村，1842年因大清帝國對外戰敗，香港的領域被分批割讓及租借予英國成為殖民地，香港從而在法治、醫療、衛生、基礎建設等等，獲得比中國其他地方較優的發展機會。香港又因其當時英國海外屬土的特殊地位，避過了國內軍閥內戰、國共內戰及文化大革命等災難。於1941年至1945年期間，香港被日本佔領及統治，為期3年零8個月。 1984年，中英兩國落實香港前途，決定香港於1997年7月1日結束英國統治，主權交還與中華人民共和國。中方承諾特別行政區依据一国两制執行资本主义制度，主權交還後50年內不會實行中国内地 的社会主义，亦可享受除外交及軍事以外所有事務的高度自治權，是為「港人治港、高度自治」。

第二次世界大戰後，香港經濟和社會迅速發展，不僅成為「亞洲四小龍」之一，也是全球其中一個最富裕、經濟最發達和生活水平最高的地區。香港是亞洲重要的金融、服務和航運中心，並以全亞洲最廉潔政府之一、全亞洲最良好治安之一、自由的經濟體系以及完善的法制而聞名於世。

References sources : Wikipedia