Hong Kong, a small trading port in the 19th Century, is today one of the world's leading financial and business centres.
Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997, after more than a century and a half of British administration.
Hong Kong has a high degree of autonomy, except in defence and foreign affairs, and is governed under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy.
Hong Kong's constitutional document is the Basic Law which ensures that the city's economic, legal and social systems will remain unchanged until at least 2047.
Location
Situated at the southeastern tip of China, Hong Kong lies at the centre of rapidly developing East Asia. With a total area of 1,104 square kilometres, Hong Kong is divided into three main regions: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories.
Climate
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate that tends towards temperate for nearly half the year.
During the Olympic Equestrian Events in August, average temperatures will likely range from about 26°C to 31°C. For the Paralympic Events in September, average temperatures will likely range from about 25.5°C to 30°C. As 80% of Hong Kong's rainfall occurs between May and mid-September, tropical cyclones are possible during the events. For detailed weather forecast, please visit the Hong Kong Observatory website or visit the Equestrian Events venue-specific weather website.
A Heat Stress Index monitoring system has been developed to measure the level of stress experienced by humans, horses and animals under the heat and humidity. For more information, please view this video (in Cantonese only).
Population
Hong Kong has a population of about 6.9 million. Population density was 6,350 people per square kilometre at end-2006.
Language
Chinese and English are the official languages of Hong Kong. English is widely used in the Government and by the legal, professional and business sectors. The majority of the population speaks Cantonese. In recent years, the use of Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) has increased dramatically as economic and social ties with the mainland of China continue to develop and deepen.
Economy
Hong Kong is consistently rated the world's freest economy by esteemed think tanks in the US and Canada. It also ranks highly in global competitiveness reports, and has been identified as a 'city of the future' in a study on the economic potential of cities.
Hong Kong's economy is based on free trade, low taxes, and minimum government intervention.
For its small size, Hong Kong ranks highly on a global scale in trade, finance and investment-related areas:
World's busiest international air cargo centre
Asia's largest venture capital centre
World's 7th largest stock market; third largest in Asia
World's 6th largest foreign exchange market
World's 11th largest trading economy
Hong Kong is a major services economy, with particularly strong links to mainland China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. It is home to more than 3,800 international and Mainland companies with regional operations - the largest concentration of regional company operations in Asia. And it is one of the world's most popular destination cities for tourists, business travellers and exhibitions and conventions.
Currency
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency unit. Linked at the rate of HK$7.80 to US$1 since October 1983, Hong Kong dollar notes come in denominations of $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1000. Smaller denominations are divided into coins at values of $1, $2, $5, $10, 50 cents, 20 cents and 10 cents.
Electricity
The standard electrical voltage in Hong Kong is 220 volts AC, 50Hz, and the majority of electrical outlets take a 3-pronged plug (BS1363/A). An adaptor will be needed for 100-volt appliances and electrical equipment. Adaptors can be purchased at the airport upon arrival or at various electrical supplies shops and stalls throughout the city.
Emergency services
The Hong Kong Police Force operates a '999' emergency telephone system that is manned 24 hours a day. The system is linked to the Fire Services Communications Centre. Requests for ambulance and fire services on '999' calls are relayed to the appropriate department immediately.
Acknowledgements: we would like to thank Getty Images, the Hong Kong SAR Government, Hong Kong Jockey Club, FEI,
Riding for the Disabled Association Limited, Xinhua & Fung Kai Yan for providing some of the pictures for this website
