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Georgraphy. Location: East Asia. Map references: Southeast Asia Time: GMT +8. Area: Hong Kong comprises Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and more than 200 small islands. Area size (Total): ~1,100 sq km Area size (Land): ~1000 sq km Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall Typhoons: During the storm season (July through September), the Hong Kong Observatory issues typhoon warnings on an average of six times a year and heavy rainstorm alerts more frequently. The Hong Kong Observatory has a good notification and monitoring system in place. Population. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world with land population density of 6 410 persons per square kilometre. Cantonese & English are the official languages. Cantonese is spoken by most of the population. English is spoken by more than one-third of the population, particularly in business circles. Fertility rate in Hong Kong is remaining at a low level. The educational level of the population of Hong Kong has improved appreciably over the past five years. Population size: 6.99 million (2008) Population growth rate: 0.7% (2008) Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%; other 5%. Religion: Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist, with Christian and Muslim minorities. Languages: Cantonese (a dialect of Chinese) and English are official. Distribution by Area:
Government & Economy. Type: Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, with its own constitution (the Basic Law), since 1997. Subdivisions: Hong Kong, Kowloon, New Territories. Currency (HKD) Hong Kong Dollar. Notes are in denominations of HKD1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of HKD10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20 and 10 cents. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. There are also plenty of ATMs. Exchange Rates: February 2009 $1 = 7.75HKD €1 = 9.92HKD £1 =11.45HKD Other. Crime: Hong Kong SAR has a low crime rate. Even so, travelers should exercise caution when in congested areas and pay particular attention to personal belongings while in crowded markets and while traveling on public transportation. Violent crime, though rare, does occur. The local equivalent to the “911” emergency line in Hong Kong is 999. Police who speak English have a red shoulder badge. Hong Kong has a crime victim compensation program. For more detailed information on the program and its requirements, please see the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department. Traffic:About 90 percent of the population in Hong Kong depends on public transport. Taxis, buses, and the mass transit railway (MTR) are readily available, inexpensive, and generally safe. The MTR is an underground railway network and is the most popular mode of public transport, carrying an average of 2.3 million passengers a day. In Hong Kong, traffic moves on the left. During the daytime, traffic congests Hong Kong's urban areas. Speed limits are 50 kilometers per hour in urban areas, 80 kilometers per hour on highways and 110 kilometers per hour on expressways unless otherwise marked. Telephone Code: +852 Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. |