Saturday, September 22, 2012

Hong Kong is the San Francisco of China

San Francisco (named for Saint Francis) was founded in the 1770s by Spanish colonists.  It, along with all of California, became part of the US by treaties signed in 1847 and 1848 with the Californios and Mexico.  It sits on a peninsula, surrounded by water on 3 sides and is very hilly.  It is the second-most densely populated city in the US after New York.  It is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and is a primary banking and finance center.  The metro area (excluding San Jose), has a population of about 4.3 million in its metro area.

Hong Kong was occupied by British forces in 1841 and was ceded in perpetuity in 1842.  Its sovereignty was transferred by the United Kingdom to China in 1997.  It includes Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories. It has a deep natural harbor.  Hong Kong is one of the world's leading international financial centers, and is the most visit tourist destination in the world. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.  It has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.  It has a population of about 7 million people.

See also: Evolving Urban Form - Hong Kong

No comments:

Post a Comment