ENG-1953 — Page 240

Chapter 1

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

Geography

Hong Kong lies just within the tropics on the south-eastern coast of the Chinese province of Kwangtung, and east of the Pearl River estuary. The Colony includes:-

(a) Hong Kong Island (area 32 square miles) on which is situated the capital city of Victoria, with an estimated population of 1 million.

(b) The ceded territory of Kowloon (area 31 square miles) with an estimated population of just under 1 million. (c) Stonecutters Island (area square mile).

(d) The New Territories, with an estimated population of 225,000, lying behind Kowloon which, together with numerous islands (a total area of 355 square miles) comprises the territory leased from China on 1st July, 1898, for 99 years.

The total area of the Colony is thus roughly 391 square miles, a large proportion of which is steep and unproductive hillside. The leased territories include also the waters of Deep Bay to the west and Mirs Bay to the east. (The population figures given above include the floating population, but it should be noted that the figures are only approximate and are not based on statistical evidence).

Hong Kong Island is eleven miles long from east to west and varies in width from two to five miles. It rises steeply from the northern shore to a range of treeless hills of volcanic rock of which the highest point is Victoria Peak (1,809 ft.) near the western end. Between these hills and the harbour lies the city of Victoria. The oldest part of the urban area runs up the steep hillside for hundreds of yards in narrow

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