Hong Kong Orientation Guide

Living inHongKong

Geographic Location

The Fragrant Harbour, the Last Prize of the Empire, the City on the Hill, whatever you prefer to call it, Hong Kong is one of themost fascinating and exciting cities on the planet. Known as the city thatneversleeps,itequatestotheexpression“timeismoney.” Cosmopolitan yet maintainingmillennia-old traditions, tolerant andwealthy, it is a city with thrilling optimismand energy.To live inHong Kong is to live in the undeniable center of the fastest growing region in the world. Its geographymakes it one of themost dramatic cities in the world. Hong Kong’s steep mountains plunge directly into an aqua blue sea, affording views of either spectacular cityand harbor lights or tranquil islands dotting the tropical ocean.With a geographical area of only 1,103 sq kmand 80%of the population living on only 8%of the land itdoesrequirealotofverticallivingarrangements. Manyapartmentsandhousestake full advantage of spectacular views. Living in Hong Kong will undoubtedly be different from home, but this Orientation Guidebook isdesigned togetyouacclimated in asshorta timeaspossible.HongKong isavibrantcity with more things to do than a person could fit into a lifetime.With the help of this guide and an adventurous spirit, you and your family will rapidly become involved in the organizations, clubs, sports, attractions, trips, tours and social events that are an exciting and intrinsic part of the rewarding expatriate experience in this remarkable city. HongKong isoneoftwoSpecialAdministrativeRegionsofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,the otherisMacau.HongKong islocatedintheSoutheastareaofChinaand isalsoreferredtoasthe Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It is divided into three principle areas; Hong Kong Island - the helm of the world’s 3rd largest financial center; Kowloon - positioned north of Hong Kong Island across Victoria Harbour; and finally, the vast area of the New Territories, which borders China at the Guandong province. Hong Kongbecame aSpecialAdministrativeRegion (HKSAR) ofThePeople’sRepublic of Chinaon July 1, 1997. It has its own constitution, Basic Law, and its own Government, and inmany ways, it operates as an independent international city state. It is a disciplined, law abiding city with a very lowcrime rate. The entire territory covers approximately 1,470 square kilometers of territory including 235 islands of varying sizes dotted mainly off the shores of Kowloon and the New Territories. The largest of all being Lantau, where Chep Lap Kok Airport is situated. Hong Kong Island itself is no larger than 78 square kilometers. Overview

China is located off the East Asia continent, on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean.

China is a vastcountry,with a landmass of circa9,600,000squarekilometers.Sharing borders with no less than 14 countries, China isthethird-largestcountry in theworld. It is almost identical in size to the United States of America. The coastline alone measures approximately 14,500kilometers, and touches theYellow Sea, East China Sea andtheSouthChinaSea,allpartofthe Pacific Ocean.

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