Geography

The British Dependent Territory of Hong Kong consists of Victoria (commonly known as Hong Kong Island), the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and 235 outlying islands, totalling 1,078 sq km. Hong Kong is located in Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China .The Geographical coordinates are 22 15 N, 114 10 E .It has the  total area of 1,092 sq km including  land area of 1,042 sq km and water of50 sq km . It is situated on the southeastern coastline of China, facing the South China Sea. To its north is the province of Guangdong (formerly called Canton) whose provincial capital of Guangzhou (Canton City), is 135 km away from Hong Kong. China's capital city of Beijing (Peking) is about 2,000 km further north. The territory measures 38 km from north to south and 50 km from east to west.

Hong Kong Island is 77.5 sq km; urban areas are concentrated along the northern shore, its centre and south coast being dominated by mountains.

Kowloon, although only 45.5 sq km, is flatter and therefore more urbanised. Containing most of the territory's land mass (955 sq km including the Outlying Islands), the New Territories is mostly rural, but has growing regional centres which are self-sufficient "New Towns".

More than 70% of Hong Kong is countryside, and 21 official country parks account for 40% of the rural land area. Hong Kong lies just east of the Pearl River Estuary on the coast of the Chinese province of Guangdong, and is just south of the Tropic of Cancer. The total land is c400 sq. miles and is made up as follows:

Hong Kong Island, including a number of small adjacent islets (29 sq. miles), Kowloon, and Stonecutters Island (5 sq. miles) and the New Territories, which consist of a section of the mainland and 235 islands (365 sq. miles).

Between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon on the mainland lies Victoria Harbour, with a total area of 17 sq. miles, providing Hong Kong with its chief natural asset.

Capital      Central

Languages   Chinese and English, Mandarin

Currency      Hong Kong dollar

Climate

Hong Kong’s climate is subtropical and, for nearly half the year, tends toward temperate. The region is cloudy in January and February, meeting with the occasional cold fronts. In March and April, it is pleasant, with occasional high humidity. From May to August, the region is hot and humid, occasionally confronted with showers and thunderstorms. During November and December, there are pleasant breezes, with plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures.

Hong Kong is most likely to be affected by tropical cyclones from July to September, although they are not unusual any time between May and November. An average of about 31 tropical cyclones form in the western North Pacific or Cina Seas yearly, half of them reaching typhoon strength. Winds increase and rain becomes heavy and widespread when the centre of a cyclone comes close to the city; the heavy rain may last for a few days, the subsequent landslips and flooding may cause more damage than the winds.

The highest recorded temperature in Hong Kong is 38°C (100.0°F) while the lowest recorded temperature is -4°C (25.0°F). Meanwhile, the highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded by the Observatory are respectively 36.1°C (97.0°F) on 19 August 1900and 18 August 1990, and 0.0°C (32.0°F) on 18 January 1893. The average temperature in the coldest month, January, is 16.1°C (61.0°F) while the average temperature in the hottest month, July, is 28.7°C (83.7°F). The territory is situated south of the Tropic of Cancer which is approximate to Hawaii in latitude. In winter, strong and cold winds generate from the north cool the city; in the summer, the wind's prevailing direction changes and brings the warm and humid air in from the southwest. This climate can support a tropical rainforest.

Spring:March - mid-May
Summer: late May - mid-September
Autumn: late September - early December
Winter: late December - February