13 / 123
13
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.Tolive 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.
Overview
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.
Living inHongKong
Geographic Location
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.