Hong Kong /ˌhɒn ˈkɒŋ◂ $ ˈhɑːŋ ˌkɑːŋ/ BrE AmE
an area on the south coast of China, consisting of several islands and a small part of the Chinese ↑ mainland . Population: 7,018,636 (2007). Hong Kong was a British ↑ colony from 1842 until 1997, when it was given back to China and became officially known as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Although it is part of China, it has its own government and financial system, and this arrangement is described as ‘one country, two systems’. Hong Kong is an important financial and trade centre, and is known as a very busy, active place with many very tall buildings. ⇨ ↑ New Territories