Hong Kong, Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港) is one of the two special administrative regions of
the People's Republic of China; the other is Macau. Situated on China's
south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is
renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With land mass
of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong
is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong's
population is 95% ethnic Chinese and 5% from other groups.

Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong runs on
economic and political systems different from those of mainland China. Hong
Kong is one of the world's leading international financial centres, with a
major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation, free trade
and minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive
non-interventionism. The Hong Kong dollar is the 9th most traded currency in
the world.

Hong Kong's independent judiciary functions under the common law framework.
Its political system is governed by the Basic Law of Hong Kong, its
constitutional document. It has a burgeoning multi-party system, and its
legislature is partly elected through universal suffrage. The Chief
Executive of Hong Kong is the head of government.

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War
(1839–42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries
were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories by
1898. It was occupied by Japan during the Pacific War, after which the
British resumed control until 1997, when China regained sovereignty. The
Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong shall enjoy a "high degree of autonomy"
in all matters except foreign relations and military defence.

Etymology

The characters "香港"

The name "Hong Kong" is an approximate phonetic rendering of the Cantonese
pronunciation of the spoken Cantonese or Hakka name "香港", meaning "fragrant
harbour" in English.

Before 1842, the name Hong Kong originally referred to a small inlet (now
Aberdeen Harbour/Little Hong Kong) between the island of Ap Lei Chau and the
south side of Hong Kong Island. The inlet was one of the first points of
contact between British sailors and local fishermen.

The reference to fragrance may refer to the harbour waters sweetened by the
fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense factories
lining the coast to the north of Kowloon which was stored around Aberdeen
Harbour for export, before the development of Victoria Harbour. In 1842, the
Treaty of Nanking was signed, and the name Hong Kong was first recorded on
official documents to encompass the entirety of the island.

History

Hong Kong began as a coastal island geographically located in southern China
While small settlements had taken place in the Hong Kong region, with
archaeological findings dating back thousands of years, regularly written
records were not made 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, it would evolve into a military port of strategic
importance and eventually an international financial centre that enjoys the
world's 6th highest GDP (PPP) per capita, supporting 33% of the foreign
capital flows into China.

Pre-20th century

Human settlement in the area now known as Hong Kong dates back to the late
Paleolithic and early Neolithic era, but the name Hong Kong (香港) did not
appear on written record until the Treaty of Nanking of 1842.

Hong Kong, a little fishing village where Chinese emperors would send their
punished officials, was first inhabited by the Hakka people. The four big
clans were the Liu, Man, Pang, and Tang. Each clan, and its numerous
branches, took up residence in what is today considered the New Territories.
With scant natural resources and hilly terrain, the indigenous peasants and
fishermen survived on the island's few and precious assets until European
visitors set foot on the territory and changed its history.

Governance

In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and reflecting the policy known as "one country, two systems", Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs. The declaration stipulates that the region maintain its capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of its people for at least 50 years beyond the 1997 handover. The Basic Law is the constitutional document that outlines the executive, legislative and judicial authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, although final authority for interpreting the Basic Law rests with the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.