5 Facts of Hong Kong

The capital of Hong Kong is Hong Kong

Hong Kong is an island city off of the southern coast of China. It was under British rule from 1842 to 1997 when it became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The Hong Kong area is made up of the main island of Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories, covering a total area of over 1,000 square km. It has a vast population of well over 7 million inhabitants, most of whom are Chinese. The two main languages spoken in the city are Cantonese and English.

5 Facts You Might Not Know

1

Hong Kong is the world's 10th largest trading economy due, in most part, to its partnership with mainland China. Separate from China, it has its own currency, the Hong Kong Dollar.

2

The name Hong Kong means fragrant harbor and originally referred to a small inlet between Aberdeen Island and the South Side of Hong Kong Island. It was in 1842 when Britain captured the island during the Opium Wars that the name Hong Kong was officially recorded as a reference to the island in its entirety.

3

Hong Kong was invaded and occupied by Japan in 1941 and remained so until 1945. During the years of occupation the civilians suffered tight rationing and hardship, while the city's economy was almost ruined by forced exchanges of military notes for currency.

4

Martial arts screen legend Bruce Lee is a hero in Hong Kong, having grown up in the city during Japan's occupation. Lee was born in San Francisco in 1940 but moved to Hong Kong with his family in 1941. He starred in several films as a child actor but left the city in his late teens after trouble with the police. He returned years later to become a star in Hong Kong's martial arts movie industry.

5

Of the over 1,000 square km of Hong Kong, only around 25% has been developed. Around 40% of the area has been given over to country parks and nature reserves.