Special Administrative Region:      

Hongkong

Official Name:

Xiānggǎngtèqū

Status:

Special Administrative Region

Chinese Characters:

Population Figure:    

approx. 6.7 million

Area:

approx. 1100 square kilometer

Postcode:

150001

Time difference:

6 hours during summer

7 hours during winter, as there is no clock change to summer time

Location:       

South-China

Adjacent provinces: Guangdong

Capital City:

Hongkong

Sights:

Shopping is one of the main reasons why tourists visit Hongkong, especially Japanese and Korean tourists

There are quite a few parks worth seeing and Hongkong also offers a Disneyland.

General Information:           

Hongkong was populated by Chinese during the Han-Dynasty. First contacts with Portuguese traders were established at the beginning of the 16^th century.

The East-India Company reached Hongkong in the 18^th century and Hongkong evolved to an important trade center.

China had to cede Hongkong to the British after the first Opiumwar. Hongkong was leased to England for 99 years in 1898.

Hongkong has been administrated by China since 1997. Hongkong’s currency is still the Hongkong-Dollar.

The peninsula Kowloon, Hongkong, the New Territories as well as over 250 other islands all belong to Hongkong.

The languages spoken in Hongkong are English, Cantonese and more and more also Mandarin.

Links:

www.info.gov.hk/:
Hongkong’s official website
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
Hongkong –section in the Lonely Planet