Hong Kong, officially the Confederation of Hongg Kong (CHK), is a city state on the Eastern Pearl River Delta in South China on the continent of Asia. With a population consisting of 11.6 million people of multiple diverse nationalities in a 1,104-square-kilometer (426-square-miles) territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Hong Kong is also famous for being one of the most developed cities in the world with the most expensive housing.

Flag of the
Confed. of Hong Kong
(Current)

Flag of
British Hong Kong
(1871-1997)

1 Etymology

The name ‘Hong Kong’ is often believed to have derived from an early phonetic rendering of the Cantonese pronunciation hēung gong, meaning ‘fragrant harbour’ or ‘incense harbour.’ Some historians believe the word ‘fragrant’ may have referred to the sweet taste of the harbour’s freshwater from the Pearl River, while others believe it discusses the incese factories near the coast of northern Kowloon. Sir John Davis, the second colonial governor of British Hong Kong, proposed an alternate origin, stating that the region’s name came from the word ‘Hoong-keang,’ meaning ‘red torrent,’ which reflects the colour of the soil under the waterfall on the island.

The name was first romanized as ‘He-Ong-Kong’ in 1780 and was used to refer to a small inlet located between Aberdeen Island (currently Ap Lei Chau) and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. By 1810, the simplified and current name ‘Hong Kong’ was frequently used throughout the public. The name was also commonly written as a single word, ‘Hongkong,’ before the government officially adopted the two-word name in 1926.

2 Geography & Statistics

3 People

3.1 Visible Minorities

3.2 Indigenous Inhabitants

3.3 Language

4 Regions

4.1 Time & Dates

5 Education

6 Economy

Hong Kong Mint

Flag of the Straits Settlements
(1925–1946)

Takashi Sakai enters Hong Kong
(26 December 1941)

Handover of
Hong Kong Ceremonyㅤ
(1 July 1997)

HSBC Main Building
(Hong Kong)

Elizabeth II,
Former Head of
the Commonwealth
(1926- 2024 2022)

Bauhinia × blakeana

6.1 Money

6.1.1 History of the Hong Kong Dollar

When first established as a free trading port in 1841, Hong Kong had no local and official currency. Instead, multiple foreign currencies such as Indian rupees, Spanish/Mexican reales, and Chinese cash circulated across the territory. Like their North American counterparts, multiple attempts have been made by the British to introduce sterling silver coinage and establish a standardized currency to Hong Kong. However, these efforts ultimately ended in failure as the sterling coinage had failed to overcome local use of the silver Spanish dollar, which had been in circulation in the Pacific for centuries through a variety of Spanish colonies. In 1863, the Royal Mint in London began to print and issue silver coinage in Hong Kong and the Straights Settlements, having it circulate with other national currencies. In 1866, the first local mint was established. Located in Hong Kong Island and being tasked with the purpose of minting silver coins, the mint ran for two years before reluctance by the Chinese to use the aforementioned coins, due to similarities in value and looks to their Spanish/Mexican counterparts, caused it to close. In the 1860s, banknotes, denominated in dollars, began to circulate both in Hong Kong and across the Pearl River Delta region. These banknotes were printed and regulated by colonial banks, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China.

By 1865, an insufficient supply of Spanish/Mexican dollars into Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements caused pressure to London to mandate a regular supply of silver dollar coins into both territories; London eventually accepted and multiple legislations were enacted in an attempt to regulate supply and circulation. In 1906, several colonial territories, such as the Straits Settlements, began to issue their own currencies. By 1914, the Hong Kong dollar began to flow across and even out of Hong Kong and China.

By 1935, Hong Kong abandoned the silver standard, shortly after China, and began to introduce exchange rates with the pound sterling, causing the concept of the Hong Kong dollar as a distinct unit of currency to be born. The One-Dollar Currency Note Ordinance of the same year led to the introduction of one-dollar notes. In 1937, the legal tender of Hong Kong was unified. In 1939, the Hong Kong dollar was put on a fixed exchange rate of HK$16 = £1.

During WW2 and the [url=LINK-IS-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE!!]Japanese occupation of Hong Kong[/url], the Japanese military yen was introduced as the only means of currency. First used on ‘Black Christmas,’ the exchange rate was placed at ¥1 = HK$2 and was later raised to ¥1 = HK$4. The yen became the only legal form of currency in June 1943. Local currency was resumed by the Hong Kong government after liberation. The yen was exchanged at a rate of ¥100 = HK$ and the Hong Kong dollar was set to the pre-war fixed rate of HK$16 = £1.

Following WW2 and the devaluation of the pound, the Hong Kong dollar was pegged to the United States dollar in 1972. Following the [url=LINK-IS-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE!!]Hong Kong Handover[/url] in 1997, a high degree of economic autonomy was provided to the new [url=LINK-IS-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE!!]Special Administrative Region (SAR)[/url] in China and such order was maintained thoroughly until [url=LINK-IS-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE!!]WW3[/url], where the Hong Kong dollar was briefly fixed to the Chinese renminbi before returning to the United States dollar during and after the [url=LINK-IS-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HERE!!]American occupation and administration of Hong Kong[/url].

6.1.2 Paper Money & Bills

The circulation and issuing of banknotes and bills of the Hong Kong dollar is administered by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the government currency board of Hong Kong. Although the HKMA issues notes itself, most banknotes are issued by the de facto ‘central bank,’ that being the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC). Historically, banknotes were also issued by two other commercial banks – the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited and the Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited – along with HSBC, each producing similar, yet unique, designs for the banknotes. The Hong Kong Note Printing Limited company is tasked with printing all bills.

HK$20, HK$50, HK$100, and HK$500 banknotes issued by HSBC

Currently, banknotes come in denominations of HK$10, HK$20, HK$50, HK$100, and HK$500. HK$1000 notes, although not printed and issued anymore, are still very prevalent and are commonly accepted in various stores across Hong Kong. Other historical notes, including those in denominations of 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, HK$1, HK$5, HK$10, and HK$25 are considered defunct and can be exchanged through banks, although certain local shops may accept such notes.

6.1.3 Coins

Coins of the Hong Kong dollar are issued entirely by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and currently come in denominations of 20 cents, 50 cents, HK$1, HK$2, HK$5, and HK$10. During British colonial rule, coins of Hong Kong featured a portrait of the monarch on its backside, similar to many other Commonwealth members’ coins. Beginning in 1993, coins featuring Queen Elizabeth II, the then monarch of the United Kingdom, were slowly drawn out of circulation and replaced with a new set of coins (and bills) which held the Bauhinia flower and other symbols in preparation for the [url=if-no-url-is-here-please-telegram-me!]Hong Kong Handover[/url]. Currently, although rare and considered defunct, coins featuring the British monarch are still commonly accepted across Hong Kong and can be exchanged through banks.

HK$1 (top) and HK$2 (bottom) coins in the Queen Elizabeth II (left) and Bauhinia (right) series

Flag of the
Auroran Space Territory
Treaty Organization (AUR)
(Current)

7 Military

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Flag of the
The West Best Pacific

8 Foreign Policy

Historically determined by the British, the Chinese, and later the Americans, the foreign policies of Hong Kong are heavily influenced by its membership of the Auroran Space Territory Treaty Organization. Hong Kong has traditionally followed a non-aligned foreign policy, with its government often preferring to stay neutral in various conflicts and having a longstanding policy in military neutrality. Although Hong Kong has diplomatic relations with multiple nations across the world, the defense and promotion of democratic nations has been a major theme in its foreign policy. Other common themes include the support of global stability, justice, and pacifism, anti-authoritarianism, the development of a strong economy, and building a reputation of friendliness.

Passports of Hong Kong
Click here for a larger image

Passports are issued by the
Immigration Department
of the Government. They are
handed to only permanent
residents of Hong Kong,
barring certain special cases.
The passport is printed
bilingually in the languages of
Chinese (traditional) and
English.

Regional Emblem
of the Hong Kong SAR
(1997-2073)

9 Branding & Logos

Official wordmark of Hong Kong in two background variations
Click here for a larger image

The Government of Hong Kong uses very specific branding on all their official signage, logos, and marks. The official logo features the text 'Confederation of Hong Kong' in two languages, Traditional Chinese and English placed on the top and bottom respectively, written in the font Droid Serif. Next to the text is the national emblem of Hong Kong, which holds the bauhinia, a significant symbol of the region. The shade of blue in the emblem, which is also found in the British Blue Ensign, is always Pantone 280, or hex colour code #012169.

The coat of arms of Hong Kong, which varies from the national emblem, has been used in its colonial era since it was adopted on 21 January 1959. It was later adopted onto the colonial flag in July of the same year. The official use of the colonial arms was ended in 1997 after the transfer of sovereignty, when it was replaced with the regional emblem. Throughout the rule of Hong Kong under China, the coat of arms was used by various protesters and political groups to represent the support for autonomy and independence in Hong Kong. The official use of the coat of arms was restored in 2073, the same year which the national emblem was adopted.

9.1 Abbreviations & Name Codes

Numerous placed in Hong Kong have abbreviations and codes that have been standardized under national law. They are used in both global and regional contexts, such as in mail, maps, and government documents.

Hong Kong’s two-letter abbreviation is HK, and its standard three-letter code is HKG. The country’s numeric code is 344. District and region abbreviations are listed below.