History of Hong Kong – Part I

Hong Kong is one of the most unique places on earth. Known for its majestic skyline and being one of the leading financial centers in the world, it is a place where east meets west. Hong Kong, a former colony of the British Empire, is currently a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. For the most part Hong Kong is self-governing and has its own political and legal systems, as well as capitalist economy. 7 million people live on 428 square miles of land, making it a very densely populated area. Hong Kong’s major geographical areas include Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, Lantau Island, the New Territories and 260 other islands.

The area now known as Hong Kong has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. It became a British Colony as result of the opium wars with Great Britain beginning in 1839. Hong Kong served as a free port for the British Empire during the latter half of the nineteenth and first part of the 20th century. During World War II Japan invaded Hong Kong and defeated the British and Canadian forces there. Japan occupied Hong Kong from December 1941 until 1945. During the occupation, Hong Kong lost over half of its population due to food shortages and other results of the war. After the surrender of Japan, the United Kingdom once again controlled the colony of Hong Kong. The population began to increase once more, as many fled from the mainland of China during the Chinese Civil War and the subsequent founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.