Hong Kong S. A. R.

I

Introduction

Hong Kong S. A. R., Chinese Special Administrative Region and former British dependency in eastern Asia, on the South China Sea, bordered by China on the north. It is made up of many islands and a portion of the mainland, and has considerable territorial waters. It has a land area of 1,092 sq km (422 sq mi). Despite its small size, Hong Kong S. A. R. plays an important role in the world economy.

II

Land and Resources

Hong Kong S. A. R. can be divided into three main regions—Hong Kong Island, about 18 km (11 mi) long and up to 8 km (5 mi) wide with an area of about 80 sq km (29 sq mi), and nearby islets; the mainland Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island, with an area of about 10 sq km (6 mi); and the New Territories, made up principally of a large area on the mainland and Lantau Island, making up the rest of the land area. The dependency is partly situated in the Zhu Jiang, or Pearl River, delta, and the Sham Chun River forms the border with China. Much of Hong Kong is hilly, the highest elevation being Tai Mo Shan in the New Territories at 957 m (3,140 ft) and the highest island peak Lantau Peak on Lantau Island at 934 m (3,064). Substantial areas of the low-lying terrain are made up of land reclaimed from the sea. Shortage of fresh water is a serious problem, with most of the supply being piped from mainland China.

A

Climate

Although within the tropics, Hong Kong has a subtropical climate because of the south-western monsoon, a moist, warm, equatorial wind that brings a rainy season between May and August. The mean annual temperature is 22.2° C (72° F), with a range from 15° C (59° F) in February to 27.8° C (82° F) in July. Average annual precipitation is about 2,224 mm (88 in). Typhoons are frequent in summer and occasionally cause great destruction.

B

Plants and Animals

Only about 12 per cent of Hong Kong is forested, mostly with conifers, but small tropical and subtropical plants are abundant and diverse throughout the Special Administrative Region. Mangroves and swamp vegetation are also found. Hong Kong’s small amount of fertile soil is concentrated in the mainland portion of the New Territories, near Deep Bay. Few large wild animals inhabit the Region: monkeys are common, and there are small populations of foxes and civets. Birds, lizards, frogs, and small mammals are abundant.