M 8
From May until October, the season of the South West Monsoon, the air is highly charged with moisture and the climate is hot, muggy and enervating.
July, August and September are marked by atmospheric disturbances which now and then culminate in typhoons or cyclones accompanied by blinding sheets of rain.
The mean annual temperature is 72°. During the summer months the average temperature is 87° and there is little variation throughout the 24 hours. Situated on the north side of the Island the city of Victoria gets all the heat and moisture of the South West Monsoon but not the breeze, which is cut off by the mountains behind the town. During the winter months the range of temperature is from 70° to 45° with an average of 66°, necessitating for comfort the wearing of warm clothes and the provision of fires in the houses. Frost is practically unknown.
The average yearly rainfall is 85.72 inches. As might be expected most of the rain falls in the summer months.
Population and its distribution.—With regard to population there are no accurate statistical figures, the great movement to and from the Colony and the facility with which the border is crossed preventing accurate checking. Hong Kong being the principal entrepôt for South China and its harbour one of the busiest in the world, every day on an average 4,000 to 5,000 individuals pass to and from China by river steamer and by rail; there are others who arrive and depart by junks or smaller vessels. During times of political unrest in China many thousands from the mainland sojourn in the Colony, some of whom return to their homes when conditions are more settled, others remaining attracted by the opportunities offered for employment. It is estimated that the civil population of the Colony is 1,171,400 of which 592,100 reside in the City of Victoria, 310,000 in the Town of Kowloon, over 100,000 on boats in or about the harbour and the remainder in villages. The Chinese outnumber the rest by 50 to 1, the great majority being illiterate working people who reside in Hong Kong because of the facilities for employment but who return to their native towns and villages when too ill or too old for labour. Through this exodus the death rate of the Colony is considerably lower than it otherwise would be. The Chinese of the upper classes, many of whom have received a western education, are mostly engaged in commerce but there are among them a number of professional men including both lawyers and doctors.
Hong Kong depends for its prosperity on its trade with China and consequently 9/10ths of the population are concentrated in the cities of Victoria and Kowloon which may justly be described as one city divided into two by the harbour. Outside this city there is little of commercial importance and Hong Kong as a Colony might almost be termed the city and port of Greater Hong Kong.
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M 8
From May until October, the season of the South West Monsoon, the air is highly charged with moisture and the climate is hot. muggy and enervating.
enervating. July,
July, August and September are marked by atmospheric disturbances which now and then cul- inate in typhoons or cyclones accompanied by blinding sheets 1 rain.
The mean annual temperature is 72. During the summer months the average temperature is 87 and there is little varia- tion throughout the 24 hours. Situated on the north side of the Island the city of Victoria gets all the heat and moisture of the South West Monsoon but not the breeze, which is cut off by the mountains behind the town. During the winter months the range of temperature is from 70° to 45° with an average of 66° necessitating for comfort the wearing of warm clothes and the provision of fires in the houses. Frost is practically unknown.
The average yearly rainfall is 85.72 inches. As might be expected most of the rain falls in the summer months.
Population and its distribution.—With regard to population there are no accurate statistical figures, the great movement to and from the Colony and the facility with which the border is end preventing accurate checking Hong Kong being the principal entrepôt for South China and its harbour one of the
st in the world, every day on an average 4,000 to 5,000 viduals pass to and from China by river steamer and by rail, there are others who arrive and depart by junks or smaller tessels. During times of political unrest in China many thou- nds from the mainland sojourn in the Colony, some of whom turn to their homes when conditions are more settled. others maining attracted by the opportunities offered for employment. It is estimated that the civil population of the Colony is 1.171,400 of which 592,100 reside in the City of Victoria, 310,000 in the Town of Kowloon, over 100,000 on boats in or about the harbour and the remainder in villages. The Chinese outnumber the rest by 50 to 1, the great majority being illiterate working people who reside in Hong Kong because of the facilities for employment but who return to their native towns and villages when too ill or too old for labour. Through this exodus the death rate of the Colony is considerably lower than it otherwise would be. The Chinese of the upper classes, many of whom have received a western education, are mostly engaged in com- merce but there are among them a number of professional men including both lawyers and doctors.
Hong Kong depends for its prosperity on its trade with China and consequently 9/10ths of the population are concen- trated in the cities of Victoria and Kowloon which may justly be described as one city divided into two by the harbour. Out- side this city there is little of commercial importance and Hong Kong as a Colony might almost be termed the city and port of Greater Hong Kong.
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