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Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a largely self-governing territory of the People’s Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south. Hong Kong is a global metropolitan and international financial centre, and has a highly developed capitalist economy.

Beginning as a trading port, Hong Kong became a crown colony of the United Kingdom in 1842, reclassified as a British dependent territory in 1983, and remained so until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. Under the “one country, two systems” policy, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree  of autonomy in all areas with the exception of foreign affairs and defence, which are the responsibility of the PRC Government. As part of this arrangement, Hong Kong continues to maintain its own currency, legal system, political system, immigration control, rule of the road and other aspects that concern its way of life, many of which are distinct from those of mainland China.