Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ?????????????? (traditional Chinese) J?ng'wàh Yàhnmàhn Guhng'wòhgwok H?unggóng Dahkbiht Hàhngjingk?ui (Cantonese Yale romanisation)
Flag Emblem
Anthem:  "March of the Volunteers" ?????? Yihyúhnggw?n Jeunhàhngk?k
City flower: Bauhinia blakeana ??? Joengz?gìng
Location of Hong Kong within China
Status	Special administrative region
Official languages	Chinese English
Official scripts	Traditional Chinese English alphabet
Ethnic groups (2016)	92.0% Chinese 2.5% Filipino 2.1% Indonesians 0.8% White 2.6% others
Demonym	Hongkonger Hong Kongese
Government	Devolved executive-led autonomous system within socialist republic
• Chief Executive	Carrie Lam
• Chief Secretary	Matthew Cheung
• Financial Secretary	Paul Chan
• Secretary for Justice	Teresa Cheng
• Council President	Andrew Leung
• Chief Justice	Geoffrey Ma
National representation
• National People's Congress	36 deputies (of 2,924)
• Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference	203 delegates
Legislature	Legislative Council
Autonomy within the People's Republic of China
• British possession	26 January 1841
• Treaty of Nanking	29 August 1842
• Convention of Peking	18 October 1860
• Extension of Hong Kong Territory Convention	9 June 1898
• Imperial Japanese military occupation	25 December 1941 to 30 August 1945
• Transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom	1 July 1997
Area
• Total	2,755 km2 (1,064 sq mi) (168th)
• Water (%)	59.8 (1,649 km2; 637 sq mi)
Population
• 2017 estimate	7,409,800 (100th)
• Density	6,777/km2 (17,552.3/sq mi) (4th)
GDP (PPP)	2018 estimate
• Total	$482.101 billion (44th)
• Per capita	$64,533 (10th)
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Total	$364.782 billion (35th)
• Per capita	$48,829 (16th)
Gini (2016)	53.9 high
HDI (2015)	0.917 very high · 12th
Currency	Hong Kong dollar (HK$) (HKD)
Time zone	Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy yyyy?mm?dd?
Drives on the	left
Calling code	+852
ISO 3166 code	HK
Internet TLD	.hk .??
Website gov.hk

Hong Kong (Chinese: ??; Cantonese:  ( listen)), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the eastern side of the Pearl River estuary in South China. With over 7.4 million Hongkongers of various nationalities in a territory of 1,104 square kilometres (426 sq mi), Hong Kong is the fourth-most densely populated region in the world.

Hong Kong was formerly a colony of the British Empire, after Qing China ceded Hong Kong Island at the conclusion of the First Opium War in 1842. Originally a lightly populated area of farming and fishing villages, the territory has become one of the most significant financial centres and trade ports in the world. With the exception of the Second World War, during which the colony was occupied by the Empire of Japan, Hong Kong remained under British control until 1997, when it was returned to China. As a special administrative region, Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system apart from mainland China.

As the world's seventh-largest trading entity, the territory's legal tender, Hong Kong dollar, is the 13th-most traded currency. Hong Kong's services-dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its common law judicial system. Although the city boasts one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers severe income inequality.

The territory features the most skyscrapers in the world, surrounding Victoria Harbour, which lies in the centre of the city's dense urban region. It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the seventh-highest life expectancy in the world. Over 90% of its population makes use of well-developed public transportation. Seasonal air pollution from neighbouring industrial areas of mainland China has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.