Facts about Hong Kong
Article 84 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong allows Hong Kong's courts to refer to decisions (precedents) rendered by courts of other common law jurisdictions.
British rule may have ended a decade ago, but Western culture is deeply ingrained in Hong Kong and coexists seamlessly with traditional philosophy and practices of the Orient.
One of the notable buildings in Hong Kong is I. M. Pei's Bank of China Tower, completed in 1990 and now Hong Kong's third tallest skyscraper.
Many of the manufacturing operations moved to mainland China during the 1980s and Hong Kong became a global financial center, with industry now constituting just 9 percent of the economy.
When the People's Republic of China initiated a set of economic reforms in 1978, Hong Kong became the main source of foreign investment for the mainland.
The oldest service, the legendary Star Ferry, operates four lines between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island and has provided cost-effective transport for over a century.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) was established on the American model of higher education.
Hong Kong's population has an extremely dense urban core, consisting of Kowloon and the north of Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where East meets West, a meeting reflected in its economic infrastructure, architecture, education, and street culture.
Justices of the Court of Final Appeal are appointed by Hong Kong's Chief Executive.
The ecology of Hong Kong is mostly affected by the results of climatic changes.
Hong Kong residents, especially the elder generations, visit Daoist or Buddhist temples to appease the deities and, usually, to request compassion, good health or good fortune.
Laws in Hong Kong are enacted only by approval of the Chief Executive and majority consent from the 60 seat Legislative Council of Hong Kong, or LegCo.
Second to HKU historically, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) follows the American model with a characteristically British college system.
Each district is represented by a District Council that advises the Government of Hong Kong on local matters such as public facilities, community programmes, cultural activities and environmental improvements.
Hong Kong has little arable land and few natural resources within its borders, and must therefore import most of its food and raw materials.
Hong Kong's climate is seasonal due to the alternating wind directions between winter and summer.
The transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong occurred at midnight on the night of June 30, 1997, marked by a handover ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The GDP per capita (PPP) of Hong Kong even exceeded the four big economies in Western Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy) and Japan in Asia.
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome took hold of Hong Kong in the first half of 2003.
Barristers, on the other hand, are licensed and regulated by the Hong Kong Bar Association.
Hong Kong maintains a capitalistic economy built on a policy of free market, low taxation and government non-intervention.
Implementation of the Airport Core Programme led to the opening of the new Hong Kong International Airport in 1998, after six years of construction.
The tramway system covers the northern parts of Hong Kong Island and is the only tram system in the world run exclusively with double deckers.
Back in Hong Kong, several homegrown films have also gained international recognition, such as Chungking Express, Infernal Affairs, Shaolin Soccer, Rumble in the Bronx and In the Mood for Love.
The Hong Kong highway code uses the same road sign system as Great Britain, whereas the Chinese system is different.
Hong Kong consists primarily of Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories as well as some 260 other islands in the South China Sea.
Hong Kong was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1842 until the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997.
Beginning in 2003, the Individual Visit Scheme has allowed travelers from some cities in mainland China to visit Hong Kong without an accompanying tour group.
Pursuant to the Hong Kong Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitutional document, the local Hong Kong government retains sovereignty over the territory except in areas of national defense and foreign relations.
Between December 25, 1941, and the end of World War II, Hong Kong was under Japanese control.
Taxis are also widely used throughout Hong Kong, with 99 percent of them run on liquefied petroleum gas; the rest are still diesel operated.
Dense commercial skyscrapers lining the coast of Victoria Harbour between Central and Causeway Bay form one of Hong Kong's most famous tourist attractions, which is ranked as the best skyline in the world.
Hong Kong's economy is dominated by services, which account for over 90 percent of its gross domestic product.
The goddess Tin Hau, the protector of seafarers, has been honored with several temples throughout Hong Kong for at least 300 years.
Hong Kong is 60 kilometres (37 miles) east of Macau on the opposite side of the Pearl River Delta.
The declaration stipulated that Hong Kong would be governed as a special administrative region, retaining its laws and a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer.
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.
Several Hollywood performers originate from Hong Kong cinema—Bruce Lee, Chow Yun-Fat, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, and Jet Li, to name a few.
Hong Kong Island was first occupied by British forces in 1841, and then formally ceded from China under the Treaty of Nanking at the end of the war.
The vast majority of lawyers are solicitors, who are licensed and regulated by the Law Society of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has been geologically stable for millions of years, though landslides are common especially after heavy rainstorms.
Acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has commented he was strongly influenced by Hong Kong action cinema.
Hong Kong's population declined from 1.6 million before the invasion to about 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony following Japan's defeat in the war.
Life expectancy in Hong Kong is 81.6 years as of 2006, fifth highest in the world.
The rest is relatively sparsely populated, with millions of residents scattered irregularly throughout the New Territories, south Hong Kong island and Lantau Island.
Hong Kong is the only place in China where missionaries from the Mormon Church can serve.
Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network, encompassing both public and private transport.
Many corporations in Shanghai and Guangzhou also shifted their operations to Hong Kong.
The tallest building in Hong Kong is the International Finance Centre 2.
The Hong Kong Observatory is the government department responsible for providing meteorological forecasts, weather-related hazard warnings and geophysical surveys for the territory.
Hong Kong was declared a free port to serve as an entrepфt of the British Empire, and grew rapidly into a center for international trade.
Human settlement in the location now known as Hong Kong dates back to the Paleolithic era.
After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the Hong Kong government became involved in the processing of refugees from Viet Nam.
Most of the territory's urban development exists on the Kowloon peninsula, along the northern shores of Hong Kong Island and in scattered settlements throughout the New Territories.
Both banks' buildings are featured on many of Hong Kong's banknotes.
All parking meters in Hong Kong accept payment by Octopus card only, and Octopus card payment can be made at various car parks.
The Basic Law of Hong Kong, which would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer, was ratified in 1990.
The majority of Hong Kong's population, as in Mainland China, practice a folk version of Buddhism.
Flora and fauna in Hong Kong are affected by climatic change, sea level alternation and human impact.
In 2006, the total value of initial public offerings conducted in Hong Kong was second highest in the world after London.
The highest recorded temperature in Hong Kong is 38°C (100.0°F) while the lowest recorded temperature is -4°C (25.0°F).
Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, a right enshrined and protected in its constitutional document, the Basic Law.
Continuing the practice established under the British administration, the Government of Hong Kong generally leaves the direction of the economy to market forces and the private sector.
Despite Hong Kong's reputation of being intensely urbanized, the territory has made much effort to promote a green environment.
A revival of external and domestic demand led to a strong recovery the following year, as cost declines strengthened Hong Kong export competitiveness.
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, civilians suffered from widespread food shortages caused by the imposition of rations, and hyper-inflation due to forced exchange of currency for military notes.
The Asian financial crisis of 1997 that hit many East Asian markets affected Hong Kong's economy.
The Peoples Republic of China set up a Provisional Legislative Council (PLC) in 1996 just before the handover, which moved to Hong Kong to have its meetings after the handover.
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.
The building attracted heated controversy, as its sharp angles were said to cast negative feng shui energy into the heart of Hong Kong.
About 95 percent of Hong Kong's population is of Chinese descent, the majority being Cantonese or from ethnic groups such as Hakka and Teochew.
Rapid industrialization between 1960s and 1990s made Hong Kong one of the four Asian Tigers of economic growth.
Lacking confidence in this arrangement, some residents chose to emigrate from Hong Kong, particularly after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
The Airport Express zooms passengers to Central on Hong Kong Island in just 23 minutes.
Hong Kong has one active international airport, known as Hong Kong International Airport located at Chek Lap Kok.
The People's Republic of China Central People's Government (CPG) assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, and stationed a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) there to manage its defense affairs.
Hong Kong has an active nightlife in major entertainment districts such as Lan Kwai Fong, Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai.
Under British rule, Chinese Hong Kong residents (and other Hong Kong residents) were able to join the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong.
Aside from prosecuting criminal cases in Hong Kong, officials of the Department of Justice also appear in court on behalf of the government in all civil and administrative lawsuits against the government.
In 2006, Hong Kong's per-capita GDP ranked as the 6th highest in the world at US$38,127, ahead of countries such as Switzerland, Denmark, and Japan.
Despite the banning of the Falun Gong movement by Beijing in 1999, adherents are still free to practice in Hong Kong.
Most comprehensive schools in Hong Kong fall under three categories: public schools, subsidized schools and private schools.
When it opened in 1998, this replaced the former Hong Kong International Airport, Kai Tak Airport located at Kowloon City, which was simultaneously closed.
The currency is allowed to trade within a range between 7.75 and 7.85 Hong Kong dollars to one United States dollar.
Hong Kong underwent a rapid transition to a service-based economy in the 1980s, when growth averaged 7.2 percent annually.
Double-decker buses were introduced to Hong Kong in 1949 and are now used almost exclusively, as in Singapore, Dublin and the United Kingdom.
Both Hong Kong International Airport and Cathay Pacific Airways have been voted best in the world, in the airport and airline criteria respectively, by Skytrax from 2001 to 2005.
Services gradually replaced textiles and manufacturing in the economy of Hong Kong, as the financial and banking sectors became increasingly dominant.
Considered less historically reliable than the synoptic gospels with its longer, more theological speeches, John's treatment of the last days of Jesus is, however, widely thought to be the more probable account.
Approximately 140,000 Filipinos work in Hong Kong as foreign domestic helpers.
The civil service of Hong Kong maintains its quality and neutrality following its tradition in the colonial times, operating without discernible direction from Beijing.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (???????, ???????, commonly known as Hong Kong (Chinese: ??), is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, along with Macau.
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 kmІ.
The Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Hong Kong stipulate that Hong Kong operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2047.
All defense matters have been dependent on the state which controls Hong Kong.
The territory's official languages are Chinese and English; signs in both languages are omnipresent throughout Hong Kong.
Articles 82 and 92 allow judges from other common law jurisdictions to participate in proceedings of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal and sit as Hong Kong judges.
The Battle of Hong Kong ended with British and Canadian forces surrendering control of the colony to Japan on December 25, 1941.
Due to the creative destruction endemic to Hong Kong over the past 50 years, few historical buildings remain in Hong Kong.
The narrow body of water which separates Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon Peninsula is known as Victoria Harbor and is one of the deepest natural maritime ports in the world.
Hong Kong's long, irregular and curvaceous coastline provides many bays, rivers and beaches.
Cantonese, a Chinese language commonly spoken in southern China, is Hong Kong's official dialect.
Hong Kong's religious beliefs are tied to the region's early role as a fishing community.
The Hong Kong government also supports cultural institutions such as the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
A Special Economic Zone was established the following year in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, located immediately north of the mainland's border with Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's public schools are operated by the Education and Manpower Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Five separate companies (KMB, Citybus, NWFB, Long Win & NLB) operate franchised public bus services in Hong Kong.
The recent opening of Sunny Bay Station of the MTR allows easy access to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Hong Kong has often been cited as a prime example of laissez-faire capitalism in practice, most notably by economist Milton Friedman.
Despite the territory's extensive wooded and ocean setting, Hong Kong's air ranks as among the most polluted, and environmental awareness is growing.
The name "Indonesia" derives from Greek "indus" or "India," and "nesos" or "islands").
A large portion of Hong Kong's exports are re-exports, which are products made outside of the territory, especially in mainland China, and distributed through Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is dominated by steep, hilly terrain, and some unusual methods of transport have been devised to ease movement up and down the slopes.
Hong Kong is the world's eleventh largest trading entity, with the total value of imports and exports exceeding its gross domestic product.
Hong Kong's population increased sharply throughout the 1990s, reaching 6.99 million in 2006.
Hong Kong has a fertility rate of 0.95 children per woman, one of the lowest in the world and far below the 2.1 children per woman required to sustain the current population.
The Hong Kong Garrison, composed of ground, naval, and air forces, is under the command of the Chinese Central Military Commission.
Over strong objections from Beijing, Governor Chris Patten introduced democratic reforms to the election process for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is the seventh largest in the world, with a market capitalization of about US$1.69 trillion as of February 2007.
The people of Hong Kong take their food seriously and many top chefs make their way to the city to show off their talents to these discerning diners.