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FACT SHEET
The land area of Hong Kong is approximately 400 sq. miles.
Hong Kong Island (29 sq. miles) was ceded to Britain as a trading station
in 1841. The Kowloon Peninsula together with Stonecutters' Island,
Green Island and Ap Loi Chau Island (3 sq. miles) were added in 1860 under
the Convention of Peking. In 1898 the New Territories, which consist of the
rural areas north of Kowloon and the other Islands, were leased to
Great Britain for 99 years.
Land Policy
All land is owned by the Crown.
Government policy is to sell leases
to the highest bidder by public auction or by tender, except in the case of
land required for public, charitable or non-profit making purposes when grants
are made, usually on favourable terms, by private treaty.
Population
Total population at the end of 1966 was estimated to be 3,785,300
about 98% of whom are Chinese. Population has increased from 1,600,000
in 1946 largely owing to immigration from mainland China. A high proportion
of the population (up to 50% in some urban areas) are not British subjects.
Economy
Hong Kong is now firmly established as a light industrial economy
based on exports. It nevertheless retains a very considerable entrepot trade
serving South East Asia and the Far East. It is the fifth largest port in
the world.
Domestic exports in 1966 totalled H.K.85730 million (£358 m.) and
re-exports totalled H.K.81833 million (£113 m.). Imports were
H.K.£10.097 million (£631 m.).
36% of all exports in 1966 went to the U.S.A. and 17% to the U.K.
In the same year 27% of all imports came from China, 18% from Japan and 10%
from the U.K.
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