GEOGRAPHY
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factories actually producing because there are many that are small and not recorded or registered. Textiles, clothing, rubber footwear, light metal products, electrical apparatus and plastics are the most important light industries, shipbuilding and shipbreaking among heavy industries. With very few exceptions the Colony is dependent on outside sources for its raw materials. Principal among these are fuel oil, iron, steel, cotton, plastics, rubber and wood. The location of industry has been influenced by accessibility to the sea-board. A broad pattern is that of dockyards and heavy bulk- type industries such as oil storage depôts and iron foundries along the coasts, while the lighter industries, including textiles, have settled on cheaper land further inland or on the post-war reclaimed lands. The growth of industry and the accompanying building boom has created a steady demand for skilled workers.
A basic factor in the growth of Hong Kong as a trading and manufacturing centre has been the development and maintenance of an efficient system of transportation and communications. Shipping facilities have kept abreast of all requirements whether for ocean, coastal or cross-harbour purposes, and there are large fleets of motor vehicles of all types to provide carriage on land.
Communications are the subject of Chapter 15.
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The economy of Hong Kong is still expanding rapidly and the post-war change in emphasis from entrepôt trade to industrial development is now also influenced by tourism which yearly provides an increasingly important source of income.
CLIMATE
The climate of Hong Kong is governed by the monsoons, and although the Colony lies within the tropics it enjoys a variety of weather from season to season which is unusual for tropical countries. The winter monsoon blows from the north-east and normally begins during September. It prevails until mid-March but can occur as late as May. Early winter is the most pleasant time of the year when the weather is generally dry and sunny with mean daily temperatures about 70°F to 75°F; this is the most popular time of the year with tourists. After the New Year the sky is more often clouded, though rainfall remains slight; frequently the days are overcast and dull with chilly winds. Coastal
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