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Jul 5, 2009
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Hong Kong

Hong Kong (hong kong) [key], Mandarin Xianggang, special administrative region of China, formerly a British crown colony (2005 est. pop. 6,899,000), land area 422 sq mi (1,092 sq km), adjacent to Guangdong prov., SE China, on the estuary of the Pearl River, 40 mi (64 km) E of Macao and 90 mi (145 km) SE of Guangzhou (Canton). The region comprises Hong Kong island, ceded by China in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanjing; Kowloon (Mandarin Jiulong) peninsula, ceded (with Stonecutters Island) in 1860 under the Beijing Convention; and the New Territories, a mountainous mainland area adjoining Kowloon, which, with Deep Bay on the west and Mirs Bay on the east and some 235 offshore islands, was leased from China in 1898 for 99 years. China regained sovereignty over the colony on July 1, 1997. The capital, officially named Victoria but commonly called Hong Kong, is on the northwest shore of Hong Kong island.

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The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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More on Hong Kong from Infoplease:

  • Hong Kong - Information on Hong Kong — geography, history, politics, government, economy, population statistics, culture, religion, languages, largest cities.
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  • Hong Kong: Bibliography - Bibliography See R. Hughes, Hong Kong: Borrowed Place, Borrowed Time (1968); J. Pope-Hennesy, ...

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Chinese Political Geography


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What Will Happen to Hong Kong? (Journal of Private Enterprise)

Year of the dragon: on July 1, HOng Kong will become part of China after 150 years of British rule. (Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication)

Asia: Hong Kong - A Crisis Of Confidence? - While Hong Kong Is Still The Region's Dominant Financial Centre, It Must Keep Its Confidence And Focus If It Is To Remain So Long-term. Steve Timewell Reports. (The Banker)

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Hong Kong: Treasure island for U.S. exporters. (interview) (AgExporter)

Is Hong Kong ripe for a bit of central planning? (Chinese rule) (The Economist (US))

Did Britain's diplomats blunder? (over Hong Kong) (The Economist (US))

Stepping into the unknown in Hong Kong: democracy advocates outline fears, resolves as '97 deadline nears. (Catholic Church and other Western institutions after China reclaims Hong Kong: includes a related article)(Cover Story) (National Catholic Reporter)

OK in HK: Hong Kong has had its fair share of economic problems over the past quarter, including Sars, spiralling unemployment and a big budget deficit. but confidence is returning now that the region is free of the virus. Norman Lyle reports on Hong Kong's recovery, bolstered by its new free-trade agreement with mainland China.(Hong Kong) (Financial Management (UK))

The last governor: doing what is right. (Hong Kong's last British governor, Christopher Patten is also a Catholic)(Cover Story)(Interview) (National Catholic Reporter)

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