Hong Kong History

The region was first integrated into Imperial China in the Qin Dynasty, and served as naval base during the Song Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty.

During 1839 it began first Opium war Between China and Britain, due to the import of opium. In January 1841, as a result of the defeat of the Qing Dynasty of China.

Hong Kong Island was ceded from China under the Treaty of Nanjing at the end of the war and during 1860 the Kowloon Peninsula south of Boundary Street and Stonecutter's Island were also ceded to Britain due to defeat in the Second Opium War.

In 1898, the new territories were leased to Britain for 99 year, (a rural area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon district).

During World War II the empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong the 08/12/1941. The Battle of Hong Kong ended with Canadian and British defenders surrendering control of the colony to Japan on December 25, but soon it would be assumed by the Kingdom United after the defeat of Japan.

In 1984, the two governments signed the Joint Declaration, agreeing to transfer the sovereignty of Hong Kong back to china on 1 July 1997.

The declaration stipulated that Hong Kong would be governed as a special Administrative Region (SAR), retaining its laws and high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer.

Under the slogan "1 Country, 2 Systems", Hong Kong remains a capitalist economy without various restrictions that apply in China.

The Economy of Hong Kong was affected by the Asian financial crisis of 1997 that hit several East Asian markets.