The official name is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (香港特別行政區). It is an autonomous region of China under the principle of "One country, two systems."

The term "Hong Kong" (*Heung Gong* in Cantonese) means "Fragrant Harbour". It was a British colony from 1842 until 1997, when it was returned to China.

Hong Kong is located in the Pearl River Delta, on the south coast of China. It is an archipelago composed of more than 260 islands and a peninsula.

It borders the province of Guangdong (Mainland China) to the north and the South China Sea to the south, east, and west. Its geographical location is key to its function as a commercial port and global financial center.

Hong Kong is a City-State and **Special Administrative Region** (SAR), so it does not have a provincial capital in the traditional sense. The SAR Government operates from its main financial center.

The area of the **Central and Western District** (formerly known as the City of Victoria) still houses the main government offices and the central business district.

Hong Kong operates under the principle of **"One country, two systems"**. This grants it **high autonomy** in all matters, except foreign policy and military defense, which are the responsibility of the Central Government in Beijing.

The Head of Government is the **Chief Executive**, appointed by Beijing after being selected by an electoral committee. The legislative body is the **Legislative Council (LegCo)**.

Hong Kong has a short land border with **Mainland China** to the north (Guangdong province). The rest of its perimeter is coastline, bordered by the **South China Sea**.

The **maritime border** is much more extensive, as Hong Kong is composed of a large peninsula and over **200 islands and islets**.

In Hong Kong, both **Chinese** and **English** are official languages. English is widely used in government, finance, and professional sectors.

The most common and primary Chinese dialect is **Cantonese**, spoken by nearly 90% of the population. Putonghua (Mandarin) is also used due to ties with Mainland China.

Hong Kong enjoys **freedom of worship**. Its religious landscape is characterized by **synchronicity** between Buddhism and Taoism, which blend with traditional Chinese folk religions.

• No Affiliation/Chinese Folk Religion: Constitutes the largest group, including followers of popular traditions.
• Buddhism and Taoism: Together represent a significant part of the population, with many temples dedicated to popular deities.
• Christianity: Is the second largest organized religion, with important Catholic and Protestant communities.

The official currency of Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD). It is the ninth most traded currency globally.

The HKD operates under a **linked exchange rate system** to the United States Dollar (USD). It is issued by the **Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)**, with issuing licenses granted to three commercial banks.