October 1, 1998
Hong Kong is situated partly on the mainland southeast coast of the People's
Republic of China and partly offshore, comprising Hong Kong Island, Kowloon,
the New Territories, and numerous small islands. Though Hong Kong was for
more than 150 years under British control, Britain returned it to China's
sovereignty on July 1, 1997. Hong Kong has one of the most prosperous newly
industrialized economies in East Asia, and one of the most dynamic in the world.
The 1,092-square-mile Hong Kong region ranges from hilly to mountainous, with steep slopes and a natural harbor. It has a tropical monsoon climate: hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in the fall, cool and humid in winter.
Its population of 6.5 million is 95 percent Chinese. Hong Kong is one of the world's most densely populated areas, with an overall density of 6.042 people per square kilometer. Official languages are Cantonese (a dialect of Chinese) and English. Ninety-two percent of the population is literate, and most people speak Cantonese. More than one-third of the population speaks English.
Ninety percent of the population follows numerous local religions. Ancestor worship is predominant because of a strong Confucian influence. The remaining 10 percent are Christian. Besides Christianity, every major religion is practiced in Hong Kong.
Of its workforce of 3.18 million, 43.8 percent are in merchandising, restaurants, and hotels; in the finance, insurance, and real estate sectors, 17.7 percent; service sector, 13.4 percent; manufacturing, also 13.4 percent; transport and communications, 7.7 percent; construction, 3.5 percent; and other fields, 0.5 percent.
Hong Kong has virtually no natural resources and little arable land or water for agriculture. It is less than 20 percent self-sufficient in agriculture, with shortages of rice and wheat. However, Hong Kong is renowned for its deep-water natural harbor, which has been crucial in the rapid growth of foreign trade. Vegetables and poultry are key agricultural products. Industries include textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks, and office machinery.
Human activity in Hong Kong dates back 5,000 years, according to archeological studies begun in the 1920s. Han Chinese settled the territory during the seventh century A.D. The first major migration from northern China to Hong Kong came during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
The British East India Company came by sea to China in 1699, and trade between Hong Kong and British merchants grew rapidly thereafter. Although Chinese laws had banned opium since 1799, the British entered and monopolized the opium trade until 1834.
Alarmed by growing opium traffic in China, the Qing government moved to stamp it out. When Chinese authorities seized and destroyed large quantities of opium in 1839, the British dispatched an expeditionary force that blockaded Guangzhou, and demanded that China agree to a commercial treaty or cede an island for the safety of British nationals.
This set off the Opium War, which China lost. The British and other Western powers thereupon forcibly took over "concessions" and special commercial privileges. China ceded Hong Kong to Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanking.
A Second Opium War flared in 1856 after the Chinese boarded the British ship Arrow. Also known as the Lorcha Arrow War, the conflict lasted until 1858. The signing of the Convention of Beijing in 1860 brought hostilities to a formal close and gave Britain a perpetual lease on the Kowloon Peninsula. Britain was concerned that Hong Kong could not be defended unless outlying areas were also under British control.
In 1898, Britain executed a 99-year lease of the New Territories, further enlarging the size of the Hong Kong colony. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hong Kong grew into a warehousing and distribution center for British trade with southern China.
With the end of World War II in 1945 and the Communist takeover in mainland China in 1949, hundreds of thousands fled the mainland to Hong Kong. This enabled Hong Kong to become one of the world's premier economic successes, and a center of manufacturing, commerce, and tourism.
Its modern communications, banking facilities, transportation, and wide expertise in trade and investment with China have been major assets in that success. Though much past economic growth stemmed from Hong Kong's strong manufacturing sector, in recent years the service sector has outstripped it in importance. Major components of the service sector are shipping, civil aviation, tourism, and financial services.
In 1984, following two years of negotiation, Britain and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which spelled out the framework for a peaceful transfer of sovereignty. It said Hong Kong would become a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997, but would keep a high degree of autonomy in all matters except defense and foreign affairs. Chinese President Jiang Zemin has called this a "one country, two systems" formula.
The declaration also stipulated that for 50 years after reverting to China, Hong Kong would retain its political, economic, and judicial systems, and could continue taking part in international agreements and organizations under the name "Hong Kong, China."
In 1990, the Chinese National People's Congress issued the Basic Law, which sets forth Hong Kong's post-handover political and legal structure and serves as a mini-constitution for the Hong Kong SAR. The Congress put forward the Basic Law after five years of deliberation.
The Hong Kong SAR is headed by Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa, a millionaire shipping magnate. Tung took office on July 1, 1997, after a vote by a 400-member Selection Committee of prominent Hong Kong residents. Pro-democracy activists have charged that Tung's selection was decided and carried through by Beijing.
Though the return of Hong Kong to China entailed some important changes, notably the disbanding of the pre-handover Legislative Council, most institutions and the great majority of senior civil servants remained unchanged. Hong Kong continues to be active in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.
With the transfer accomplished, a major question has continued to occupy international observers, and vocal pro-democracy elements in Hong Kong: With Hong Kong under Beijing's sovereignty, will Chinese authorities act repressively toward Hong Kong, perhaps curbing freedom of speech, press, and religion, among other liberties?
Since the handover, Hong Kong continues to be a venue for protests by human rights and pro-democracy groups, which have called for Beijing to release political prisoners and to say it was wrong in crushing the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989.
Meanwhile, the financial turmoil that has arrested many Asian nations since 1997 has also hampered Hong Kong, spawning the first full-scale recession in three decades. To climb out of the recession, Tung has said Hong Kong would have to pursue cooperation with the mainland, especially its vigorous southern regions that include Guandong province.
The Methodist Church, Hong Kong (MCHK), is an autonomous church with close ties to The United Methodist Church, the British Methodist Church, and other Methodist churches. The MCHK has 19 local churches and two chapels with a baptized membership of about 12,000. In addition to evangelism and missionary efforts, ministries include social, educational, and medical services. Among educational services are seven secondary schools, seven primary schools, and ten kindergartens, with a combined attendance of 16,000 students. Social services include, among other programs, two dental clinics and four nurseries.
Public Domain Map from the Perry-Castaņeda Library Map Collection
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