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| National motto: None | |
| Language: | English, Cantonese, others |
| Capital: | Victoria |
| Sovereign | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Sir Sir Donald Tsang |
| Prime Minister | Rita Fan |
| Area | 1,104 km² |
| Population | 8,953,202 |
| Currency: | Hong Kong dollar |
Hong Kong (Chinese:香港) is a country on the Pearl River Delta in southern China, located on the South China Sea. Beginning as a 19th-century trading port, Hong Kong has developed into a world financial centre and a regional power.
Hong Kong is a constitutional monarchy forming part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1842 until full independence was granted by the UK in 1984. Parts of Hong Kong had been leased in 1898 for 99-years from the then-government of China (the Qing Empire). However, by the 1970s no unified government existed in China, and as the year 1997 drew closer there was no government to which to return the land. The issue of Hong Kong's lease, which has since expired, is a source of contention between some Chinese states and the United Kingdom - however, for the most part Hong Kong has been a prosperous and powerful member of the East Asian region. Hong Kong's head of state is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, represented by a Governor-General, currently Sir Donald Tsang. The bicameral Hong Kong Parliament serves as a legislature, and the day-to-day affairs of government are handled by the Prime Minister, currently Rita Fan.