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Revision as of 10:37, 7 July 2005 by PDH (talk | contribs) (→Administrative divisions: er, right align)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (Chinese: 中華人民共和國香港特別行政區, pronunciation listen) is a city and a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, located on the southeastern coast of China. Hong Kong usually participates in international events under the name "Hong Kong, China".
Hong Kong consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. The Kowloon Peninsula is attached to the New Territories in the north, and the New Territories are in turn connected to Mainland China across the Sham Chun River (Shenzhen River). In total, Hong Kong has 236 islands in the South China Sea, of which Lantau is the largest, and Hong Kong Island the second largest and most populated. Ap Lei Chau is the most densely populated island in the world.
Hong Kong was a British crown colony until 1 July 1997, when it was returned to Chinese rule. Under the policy of 'One Country, Two Systems', Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy from the Mainland. Hong Kong continues to have its own legal system, currency, customs, immigration authorities, and its own rule of the road, with traffic continuing to drive on the left. Only national defence and diplomatic relations are responsibilities of the central government in Beijing. Template:Hong Kong infobox
History
- Main article: History of Hong Kong
Even though Hong Kong has been occupied since the Neolithic Age, the area now known as Hong Kong remained distant from the major events that took place in Imperial China for most of its history. Hong Kong only began to attract the attention of China and the rest of the world in the 19th century. Hong Kong was first visited by a European in 1513, by the Portuguese mariner Jorge Alvares. He first landed on the island of Lintin, which is to the west of the New Territories in the Pearl River Delta.
Alvares began trading with the Chinese, and the Portuguese continued to make periodic trade stops at various locations up and down the coast. This led the Portuguese to establish a permanent trading station at Macau, which was to be the first European settlement in Chinese territory. The Portuguese introduced Europe to tea, silk, and other Asian luxury goods, and by the mid-18th century, these items were in high demand, particularly tea. At this time, China enjoyed a near monopoly on the entire tea industry, and insisted that all tea be purchased in silver. The British, in order to buy tea from China, grew opium and sold it for silver, which it then used to buy tea to export. This resulted in a trade deficit for China. Tensions arose over increasing Chinese dependence on opium, which culminated in the Chinese destruction in over 20,000 chests of opium in Canton. Britain, seeing this as an act of war, invaded China, winning the First Opium War in 1841.
Hong Kong Island was first occupied by the British during the war, and was formally ceded by the Qing Dynasty of China the following year under the Treaty of Nanking. Kowloon Peninsula south of Boundary Street and Stonecutter's Island were ceded to the British in 1860 under the Convention of Peking after the Second Opium War. Various adjacent lands, known as the New Territories (including New Kowloon and Lantau Island), were then leased by Britain for 99 years, beginning on 1 July 1898 and ending on 30 June 1997.
Hong Kong became a crown colony in 1843. For the first twenty years of its existence, the colony had almost no government as no British civil servants spoke any Chinese. Exacerbating matters, there was little contact between the European and Chinese communities. The first specially recruited Hong Kong civil servants to be taught Cantonese were recruited in 1862, markedly improving relations.
Hong Kong entered a dark age during the Japanese Occupation of World War II, which lasted for three years and eight months. The Japanese assumed control of Hong Kong when the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered to Imperial Japanese Army on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting. The Japanese subsequently surrendered on 15 August 1945, and civilian rule was re-established on 30 August 1946. The port was quickly re-opened, which welcomed a mass migration of Chinese refugees in 1949 from the civil war and new Communist government in China.
Hong Kong had been a trade port since British occupation. However, the United Nations ordered a sanction against China as a result of the Korean War, and the position of Hong Kong as a entreport declined greatly as a result of decreased volume of trade. Therefore, the Hong Kong economy took advantage of the new pool of workers from China who were willing to work for almost any wage, establishing a textile industry lead by Shanghainese entrepreneurs who had fled the Communists. During this time period, the economy grew extremely rapidly and Hong Kong grew into one of the largest industrial centres in Asia. Towards the 1970s, Hong Kong began to move away from the textile industry and develop its financial and banking economy. This led to even greater levels of wealth, and Hong Kong quickly became among the wealthiest cities in the world.
In the 1980s, when it became clear that the lease for the New Territories would soon be expiring, it became necessary for Britain to negotiate the return of Hong Kong to China. This was done between Margaret Thatcher and Deng Xiaoping in 1984. Pursuant to an agreement known as the Sino-British Joint Declaration, signed by the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom on 19 December 1984, the whole territory of Hong Kong under British colonial rule became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC on 1 July 1997.
In the Joint Declaration, the PRC promised that under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy proposed by Deng Xiaoping, the socialist economic system in mainland China would not be practised in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's previous capitalist system and life-style would remain unchanged for 50 years, or until 2047. Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign affairs and defence. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule at the stroke of midnight on 1 July 1997. The exchange of power was peaceful, despite widespread worries.
The handover co-incided with the large scale collapse of land values in Hong Kong, greatly damaging the economy which had grown in a bubble economy. The land values fell in some areas by over half, trapping many people in a cycle of negative equity. The Hang Seng Index fell by over 1,500 points on 28 October, and lost 22.8 percent of its value in a week. Exacerbating the region's economic problems, Hong Kong was hit badly with the SARS virus. Tourism numbers decreased to near zero, and the government was sharply criticised for its inefficient and uncoordinated response to the virus.
In 2003, concerns about the proposed anti-subversion bill that would have eroded freedom of the press, of religion and of association arising from Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 and unpopularity of the government, plus dissatisfaction about the poor state of the economy, prompted a half a million people to parade on 1 July, making it the largest protest ever aimed at the government in the history of Hong Kong.
On 10 March 2005, Tung Chee Hwa submitted to the State Council of the People's Republic of China his resignation report as chief executive of the Hong Kong. Tung Chee Hwa left his post as HKSAR Chief Executive two days later, on 12 March. Donald Tsang, the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong, served as Acting Chief Executive until 25 May, when he resigned from his post to take part in the campaign for the new Chief Executive election. Following an interim government headed by Henry Tang, Donald Tsang was eventually elected as the SAR's new Chief Executive.
Politics and government
- Main article: Politics of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is headed by its Chief Executive, the head of government. This office is presently held by Donald Tsang, who was elected on 16 June 2005. Tsang had held the post of Chief Secretary for Administration prior. Donald Tsang assumed his post on 24 June 2005 in Beijing, China; he will finish the remaining portion of Tung Chee Hwa's last term which ends on 30 June 2007, according to the interpretation of Annex I and Article 46 by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
The election of a new Chief Executive by the 800-member Election Committee was expected to be held on 10 July 2005. On 16 June 2005, Donald Tsang was acclaimed the winner, as the only candidate securing the required 100 nominations from members of the election committee. Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive, assumed office on 1 July 1997, following his election by a 400-member electoral college. For the second five-year term of the Chief Executive which began in July 2002, Tung was the only nominated candidate and therefore acclaimed.
The PRC set up a Provisional Legislative Council (PLC) just before the handover, and moved to Hong Kong to have its meetings after the handover. It reverted some laws passed by the original Legislative Council, which was formed by means of universal suffrage. The PLC passed some of its own laws, such as the Public Order Ordinance , which required permission from police to hold a demonstration where the number of people who participates exceeds 30. Legislative Council elections were held on 24 May 1998, 10 September 2000, and again on 12 September 2004, with the next election scheduled for 2008. According to the Basic Law, Hong Kong's "Mini-constitution", the present third term of the Legislative Council has 30 seats directly elected from geographical constituencies, and 30 seats elected from functional constituencies. The 1998, 2000 and 2004 Legislative Council elections were seen as free, open, and widely contested, despite discontent among a small number of mainly 'pro-democratic' politicians, who contended that the functional constituency elections and the Election Committee elections (for 1998 and 2000) were undemocratic, as they consider that the electorate for these seats is too narrow.
The civil service of Hong Kong maintains its quality and neutrality, operating without discernible direction from Beijing. Many government and administrative operations are located in Central on Hong Kong Island near the historical location of Victoria City, the site of the original British settlements.
The Right of abode issue sparked debates in 1999, while the controversy over Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 was the focus of politics in Hong Kong between 2002 and 2003, culminating in a peaceful mass demonstration on 1 July 2003, after which the government shelved the drafted law brought forth by Article 23. The focus of controversies shifted to the issue of universal suffrage towards the end of 2003 and in 2004, which was the slogan of another peaceful mass demonstration on 1 July 2004.
Legal System and Judiciary
- Main articles: Legal system of Hong Kong and Judiciary of Hong Kong
In contrast to mainland China's civil law system, Hong Kong continues to follow the common law tradition established by British colonial rule. Article 84 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong allows Hong Kong's courts to refer to decisions (precedents) rendered by courts of foreign jurisdictions and to invite foreign judges to participate in proceedings of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal.
Structurally, Hong Kong's court system consists of the Court of Final Appeal which replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the High Court, which is made up of the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance, and the District Court, which includes the Family Court. Other adjudicative bodies include the Lands Tribunal, the Magistrates' Courts, the Juvenile Court, the Coroner's Court, the Labour Tribunal, the Small Claims Tribunal, and the Obscene Articles Tribunal, which is responsible for classifying non-video pornography to be circulated in Hong Kong. Justices of the Court of Final Appeal are appointed by Hong Kong's Chief Executive. The Basic Law of Hong Kong is subject to interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and this power has been invoked three times: the right of abode issue, an interpretation regarding post-2008 election procedures, and an interpretation regarding the length of the term of the Chief Executive.
As in England, lawyers in Hong Kong are classed as barristers and solicitors, where one can choose to practice as one or the other but not both. The vast majority of lawyers are solicitors who are licensed and regulated by the Law Society of Hong Kong. Barristers, meanwhile, are licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Bar Association. Only barristers are allowed to appear in the Court of Final Appeal and the High Court. Just as the common law system is maintained, so are British courtroom customs such as the wearing of robes and wigs by both judges and lawyers.
Geography
- Main articles: Geography of Hong Kong and Ecology of Hong Kong
The name "Hong Kong", literally meaning 'fragrant harbour,' is derived from the area around present-day Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang on Hong Kong Island, where fragrant trees were once abundant and exported. The Hong Kong Island is located in the South China Sea at the mouth of the Pearl River (Zhu Jiang). Other territories that were added later include the Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and the New Territories. The New Territories includes over 200 surrounding smaller islands. The body of water between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula is Victoria Harbour, one of the deepest maritime ports in the world. The landscape of Hong Kong is fairly hilly to mountainous with steep slopes. The highest point in the territory is Tai Mo Shan, at a height of 958 metres. Lowlands exist in the northwestern part of the New Territories.
Hong Kong is 60 km to the east of Macau on the opposite side of the Pearl River estuary. Hong Kong has a land border with the Chinese city of Shenzhen to the north. Of the territory's 1,102 square kilometres, only less than 25 percent is developed. The remaining land has been reserved as country parks and nature reserves.
Hong Kong's climate is tropical and prone to monsoons. It is cool and dry in the wintertime which lasts from around January to March, and is hot and rainy from spring through summer. It is warm, sunny, and dry in autumn. Hong Kong occasionally has typhoons. The ecology of Hong Kong is mostly affected by the results of climatic changes. Hong Kong's climate is seasonal due to alternating wind direction between winter and summer. Hong Kong has been geologically stable for millions of years. However, flora and fauna in Hong Kong are altered by climatic change, sea level alternation and human impact. The highest recorded temperature in Hong Kong is 40 degrees Celsius while the lowest recorded temperature is 0 degrees.
Administrative divisions
- Main article: Districts of Hong Kong
Hong Kong consists of 18 administrative districts:
- Central and Western
- Eastern
- Islands
- Kowloon City
- Kwai Tsing (Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi)
- Kwun Tong
- North
- Sai Kung
- Sham Shui Po
- Sha Tin
- Southern
- Tai Po
- Tsuen Wan
- Tuen Mun
- Wan Chai District
- Wong Tai Sin
- Yau Tsim Mong (Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok)
- Yuen Long
Economy
- Main articles: Economy of Hong Kong and Employment in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a vibrant economy that is highly dependent on international trade through the Port of Hong Kong. The dominant presence of international trade is reflected in the number of consulates located in the territory: As of June 2005, Hong Kong had 107 consulates and consulates-general, more than any other city in the world. Even New York City, host of the United Nations, only has 93 consulates. Hong Kong has one of the world's least restricted economies, and is the world's 10th largest trading entity and 11th largest banking centre.
The objective of Hong Kong's monetary policy is to maintain currency stability. Given the highly externally oriented nature of the economy, this objective is further defined as a stable external value for the Hong Kong dollar in terms of a linked exchange rate against the US dollar at the rate of HK$7.80 to one United States dollar. This objective is achieved through the linked exchange rate system introduced in October 1983.
Hong Kong has limited natural resources, and food and raw materials must be imported. In fact, imports and exports (including re-exports) exceed the GDP of Hong Kong. Hong Kong has extensive trade and investment ties with the People's Republic of China which existed even before the handover on 1 July 1997. The service sector represented 86.5 percent of the GDP in 2001. The territory, with a highly sophisticated banking sector and good communication links, hosts the Asian headquarters of many multinational corporations.
At USD 24,626 in 2005, the nominal per capita GDP of Hong Kong is somewhat lower than that of the four big economies of western Europe. However, it would be ranked 11th in terms of per capita GDP (PPP) in the world (USD 32,292), which is even higher than Japan (USD 31,384), making Hong Kong one of the richest territorial regions in Asia. Growth averaged a strong five percent between 1989 and 1997, although the Asian financial crisis in 1998 damaged the trade-dependent economy badly, prompting the economy to shrink by five percent in a year. However, the economy, which grew by 10 percent in 2000, recovered rapidly, although the recent world-wide global downturn has decreased the market for Hong Kong's exports, reducing economic growth to 2.3 percent in 2002.
To further increase economic co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland, the Individual Visit Scheme was started on 28 July 2003, which allows travellers from some cities in Mainland China to visit Hong Kong without an accompanying tour group. As a result, the tourism industry in Hong Kong is booming due to an exponential increase in the number of visitors from Mainland China.
A revival in both external and domestic demand led to a strong upswing in growth in 2004, surging to 8.2 percent for the year. The domestic sector completely shrugged off its earlier sluggishness, and the general weakness of the Hong Kong dollar, when included with the still modest cost and price pressures in Hong Kong, has resulted in a strengthening in Hong Kong's external price competitiveness. In addition, Hong Kong's 68-month-long deflationary spiral, the longest and highest deflation according to Guinness World Records, ended in mid-2004, with consumer price inflation hovering at near zero levels.
Demographics
- Main article: Demographics of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is the fourth largest metropolitan area of the PRC by population. Considered as a dependency, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated countries/dependencies in the world, with an overall density of more than 6,200 people per km². Despite the facts that the government has been actively encouraging locals to have children (Hong Kong does not enforce the one-child policy of China), Hong Kong has a fertility rate of .94 children per woman , one of the lowest in the world, and far below the 2.1 children per woman required to maintain an even population level. However, population is continuously growing due to immigration from mainland China.
Despite the population density, Hong Kong was reported to be one of the greenest cities in Asia. The majority of people live in flats in high-rise buildings. The rest of the open spaces are often covered with parks, woods and shrubs. About 60 percent of the land is designated as Country Parks and Nature Reserves. Hiking and camping are popular outdoor activities in Hong Kong's hilly country parks. The irregular and long coastline of Hong Kong also provides many bays and fine beaches for its inhabitants. Environmental concern and awareness is growing, however, as Hong Kong ranks as one of the most (air-)polluted cities in the world.
Cantonese, the Chinese language used in Hong Kong government matters, is spoken by most of the local Chinese population at home and in the office. But English is quite widely understood; it is spoken, mostly at work, by more than one-third of the population. About 95 percent of Hong Kong residents claim primarily Chinese ancestry. Caucasians make up about 1.5% of the population. The top three immigrant nationalities are the Philippines (132,770), Indonesia (95,460), and the United States (31,330).
Education
- Main article: Education in Hong Kong
As Hong Kong was a British colony, its educational system follows that of the United Kingdom, and in particular, the educational system in England proper. In Hong Kong, there is a non-compulsory three-year kindergarten, which is followed by compulsory six-year primary education, three-year junior secondary education, and a non-compulsory two-year senior secondary education leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations and a two-year matriculation course leading to the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examinations. There are also tertiary institutions offering various bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, other higher diplomas, and associate degree courses.
In general, three types of comprehensive schools exist in Hong Kong. There are government schools, which are relatively rare, and subsidised schools, run by charitable (often Christian) organizations with government funding, to which most students go. Most private schools are run by Christian organizations as well; admissions are based more on academic merit than on financial resources.
Outside this system are the private international schools, which provide an alternative to the high-pressured mainstream education in exchange for much higher tuition fees. A few of the international schools include: the Hong Kong International School, Chinese International School, Canadian International School of Hong Kong and the German Swiss International School.
Culture
- Main article: Culture of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is often described as a city where East meets West, yet 96 percent of its population is Chinese, the majority of which are Cantonese. Therefore, while the colony was ruled by the British for nearly 150 years, its psyche is firmly Chinese.
Since the Handover, a small flood of immigrants from Mainland China have increased the ethnic diversity of the Chinese population in the territory. The remaining four percent of the population is composed of non-Chinese, who form a highly visible group, despite their small numbers. While Hong Kong was British territory for 150 years, not many British citizens remain today. Of some 30,000 British citizens who live in Hong Kong, the majority are Chinese. There is also a very important South Asian population, which includes some of Hong Kong's wealthiest families. Some Nepalis residing in Hong Kong are Gurkhas who chose to stay, or their descendants. There are also more than 15,000 Vietnamese refugees staying and absorbed as residents, the majority of whom survive on casual manual jobs. There are also over 120,000 Filipinas working in Hong Kong as maids, who are known in Hong Kong as amahs, or more often feiyungs. Some maids are from Thailand and Indonesia. On Sundays and on public holidays, thousands of feiyungs gather in Central to socialise.
Hong Kongers traditionally spend their leisure time playing games. Mahjong is extremely popular in Hong Kong, and it is possible to see people playing almost everywhere, especially during holidays. Chinese chess is mostly played by elderly Chinese men across Hong Kong, who are usually surrounded by crowds betting on the winner, and it is also popular among secondary school students. The martial art of tai chi is also popular, especially among the elderly. There are groups of people who practice tai chi in every park in Hong Kong at dawn, making the slow and graceful movements associated with the practice.
Every district in Hong Kong has old-fashioned stores that sell Chinese herbal medicine. The largest concentration of these shops is along Bonham Strand and Bonham Strand West in Sheung Wan, where all types of pills, plants, and dried animals are for sale.
Religion
- Main article: Religion in Hong Kong
Religion plays an important role in many Hong Kongers' lives. Unlike the Mainland, Hong Kong enjoys total freedom of religion. Most of Hong Kong's population is either Buddhist or Taoist, and ancestor worship is predominant due to the strong Confucian influence, but there are also about half a million Christians or about ten percent of the total population, who are roughly equally divided between Catholics and Protestants. There are also an estimated 70,000 Muslims, between 2,000 and 3,000 Jews, and a few Hindus and Sikhs. Apart from offering religious instructions, many major religious bodies have established schools and provided social welfare facilities.
There are some fears that Beijing may interfere with Hong Kong's freedom of religion in the future, particularly in light of the crackdown on Falun Gong. The religious beliefs are tied to the region's first needs, which are those of the fishing community. Tin Hau, the protector of seafarers, is honoured with several temples throughout Hong Kong. The average Hong Konger goes to Taoist or Buddhist temples to appease the deities and, usually, to ask for compassion or good fortune. Gifts of food, and in particular fruit, are presented, and incense and paper offerings are burnt in respect.
There are six major Chinese festivals celebrated on Hong Kong's calendar: The most important Lunar New Year, the Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival), the Yu Lan Festival (Hungry Ghost Festival), the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Ching Ming Festival and the Winter Solstice. These festivals normally give people breaks from work. Gifts and visits are exchanged among friends and relatives, and children receive lai see, or ‘lucky money’. During the Ching Ming Festival in spring, ancestral graves are visited. In early summer (fifth day of the fifth lunar month), the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated with dragon boat races and by eating cooked glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaves. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Gifts of mooncakes, wine and fruit are exchanged and adults and children go into parks and the countryside at night with colourful lanterns. Apart from the above traditional festivals, quite a number of important religious festivals, including Buddha's Birthday and Christian observances such as Good Friday, Easter and Christmas, have been listed as public holidays. Adherents hold special celebrations or memorial ceremonies on these occasions.
Architecture
Due to the lack of available space, few historical buildings remain in the urban areas of Hong Kong. However, Hong Kong has become a centre for modern architecture as older buildings are cleared away to make space for newer, larger buildings. Historically, the demand for high-end buildings has been in and around Central. After decades of development, Central has become a district with plenty of tall business buildings. These buildings comprise the skyline along the coast of the Victoria Harbour, which is a famous tourist attraction in Hong Kong. But until Kai Tak Airport closed in 1998, strict height restrictions were in force in Kowloon so that aeroplanes could come in to land. These restrictions have now been lifted, and several new buildings in Kowloon are being planned, including a massive tower at the West Kowloon reclamation.
Hong Kong's best-known building is probably Ieoh Ming Pei's Bank of China Tower. The building attracted heated controversy from the moment its design was released to the public, which continued for years after the building's completion in 1990. The building was said to cast negative feng shui energy into the heart of Hong Kong due to the building's sharp angles. One rumour even went so far as to say that the negative energy was concentrated on the Government House as a Chinese plot to foil any decisions taken there. The two white aerials on top on the building were deemed inauspicious as two sticks of incense are burned for the dead.
Predating the Bank of China Tower, the HSBC Headquarters Building was finished in 1985 as the third incarnation of the HSBC headquarters on the site. This building is featured on many of Hong Kong's banknotes. It was built on the site of Hong Kong's first skyscraper, which was finished in 1935, and was the first building in Hong Kong to have centralised air conditioning. The Hong Kong Club was built atop a smaller structure that was built in an Italian Renaissance style in 1897. The building was the subject of a bitter heritage conservation struggle in the late 1970s, which ultimately failed to save the building.
One of the largest construction projects in Hong Kong has been the construction of the new Hong Kong International Airport on Chek Lap Kok near Lantau, which was the most extensive single civil engineering project ever undertaken. Designed by Sir Norman Foster, the huge land reclamation project is linked to the centre of Hong Kong by three huge new bridges: the Tsing Ma Suspension Bridge which was built in 1997, connecting the islands of Tsing Yi and Ma Wan, the smaller Kap Shui Mun Bridge, which links Ma Wan and Lantau, and the Ting Kau Bridge, which connects Tsing Yi and the mainland New Territories.
Transport
- Main article: Transport in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network, encompassing both public and private transport. The Octopus card stored value smart card payment system can be used to pay for fares on almost all railways, buses and ferries in Hong Kong. Most parking meters in Hong Kong only accept payment by Octopus card, and Octopus card payment can be made at various carparks.
Hong Kong Island is dominated by steep, hilly terrain, which required the development of unusual methods of transport up and down the slopes. In Central and Western district there is an extensive system of escalators and moving sidewalks, including the longest outdoor covered elevator system in the world, the Mid-levels Escalator.
Hong Kong has several different modes of public rail transport. The two light rail systems for the city are the MTR and KCR, which are operated by the MTR Corporation Limited and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation respectively. The tramway system covers a large area and is the only tram system in the world run exclusively with double deckers.
Five separate companies operate franchised public bus services in Hong Kong. Double-decker buses were introduced to Hong Kong in 1949. They are now used almost exclusively in Hong Kong just as in London and Singapore. However, there are also single-decker buses for the bus routes with fewer passengers. Most normal franchised bus routes in Hong Kong operate until midnight. Public light buses run the length and breadth of Hong Kong, through there are some areas which standard bus lines cannot or do not reach as frequently, quickly, or directly. Taxis are also widely used in Hong Kong.
Most ferry services are provided by licensed ferry operators, which serve outlying islands, new towns, and inner-Victoria Harbour. The two routes operated by the Star Ferry are franchised. Additionally, 78 "kai-to" ferries are licensed to serve remote coastal settlements.
Hong Kong has one active international airport since the famous Kai Tak International Airport was retired in favour of the recently constructed Hong Kong International Airport. The airport now serves as a transport hub for Southeast Asia, and as the hub for Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair, and Air Hong Kong.
Military
- Main article: Military of Hong Kong
The Chinese Central People's Government (CPG) resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997 and stationed a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong to manage its defence affairs. The stationing of the PLA troops in the region is a significant symbol of the Chinese government's resumption of exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. It is also an imperative guarantee for the conservation of state sovereignty and sanctuary and the upholding of the region's long-term prosperity and stability.
The Basic Law provides that the CPG shall be responsible for the defence of Hong Kong and shall bear the expenditure for the garrison. The Basic law also contains specific provisions on the duties and rules of discipline of the garrison personnel, the judicature and other questions, fundamentally guaranteeing that the Hong Kong Garrison fulfils its defence functions along legal lines. Military forces stationed in Hong Kong shall not interfere in the local affairs and the Hong Kong government shall be responsible for the maintenance of public order. The Garrison formally stationed in Hong Kong assumed defence responsibility for Hong Kong immediately as of midnight on 1 July 1997.
The Hong Kong Garrison, composed of ground, naval, and air forces, is under the direction of the Chinese Central Military Commission. While performing its defence duties, the Hong Kong Garrison must abide by both national and Hong Kong laws, as well as the current rules and regulations of the PLA.
After its entry into Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Garrison abided by the Basic Law and the Garrison Law, actively organising military training. According to the Garrison Law, the Garrison established working contacts with the Hong Kong government, and opened the barracks on Stonecutters Island and Chek Chu to the public to promote Hong Kongers' understanding of and trust in the garrison troops.
See also
International rankings
- IMD International: World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005, ranked 2nd out of 60 economies (countries and regions)
- World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, ranked 21st out of 104 countries
- A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine: Globalization Index 2005, not ranked out of 62 countries
- United Nations Development Programme: Human Development Index 2004, ranked 23rd out of 177 countries
- Save the Children: State of the World's Mothers 2005, not ranked out of 110 countries
- Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal: 2005 Index of Economic Freedom, ranked 1st out of 155 countries
- The Economist: The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005, ranked 18th out of 111 countries
- Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2004, ranked 16th out of 146 countries
- Reporters without borders: Third annual worldwide press freedom index (2004), ranked 34th out of 167 countries
References
- A Borrowed Place: The History of Hong Kong. Frank Welsh. Kodansha America. 1 October 1993. 624 pages. ISBN 1568360029.
- Hong Kong's History: State and Society Under Colonial Rule (Asia's Transformations). Tak-Wing Ngo. Routledge. 1 August 1999. 205 pages. ISBN 0415208688.
- The Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity. Poshek Fu, David Deser. Cambridge University Press. 25 March 2002. 346 pages. ISBN 0521776023.
- A Modern History of Hong Kong. Steve Tsang. I. B. Tauris. 14 May 2004. 356 pages. ISBN 1860641849.
- An Outline History of Hong Kong. Kiu Shuyong. 291 pages. ISBN 7119019465.
- Forts and Pirates - A History of Hong Kong. Hong Kong History Society. Hyperion Books. December 1990. ISBN 9627489018.
Footnotes
- BBC News: Donald Tsang set to be HK leader
- Hong Kong Public Order Ordinance
- Presentation to Legislative Council on Right of Abode Issue
- HKSAR Immigration Department: Right of Abode in HKSAR - Verification of Eligibility for Permanent Identity Card
- Hong Kong Government may delay universal sufferage
- T-Salon: Hong Kong: Calls for Universal Sufferage Unabated
- Third annual report by the European Commission on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- Hong Kong Information: About Hong Kong
- Century21: Learn About Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Country Commercial Guide 2004: Economic Trends
- Nationmaster: Hong Kong
- Sinomedia: Hong Kong Turnaround
- Hong Kong Total Fertility Rate
- Chief Executive pledges a clean, green, world-class city
- The Fifth Group Training Course on Integrated Urban Policy 1998
- Hong Kong in a Nutshell
External links
Government
- Hong Kong SAR Government Information Centre - official site of the Government of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Fact Sheets - Quick facts about Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Legislative Council
- Hong Kong District Councils
News
- South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's leading English-language newspaper
- The Standard - Hong Kong's leading business newspaper
- Ming Pao News - Hong Kong's largest Chinese-language newspaper
- Metro - The Hong Kong edition of the Metro
Overviews
- BBC News - Regions and Territories: Hong Kong
- CIA World Factbook - Hong Kong
Directories
- Yahoo! Hong Kong - directory category
Other
- Hong Kong Maps CentaMap
- GeoExpat.Com - Online magazine, directory and forums for residents and expats in Hong Kong.
- HongKong-Macau.info - Information, links and discussion.
