Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. It occupies about 1,100 km2 of China, on the southeast coast. With a population of about 7.5 million people, it would be the 102nd most populous country in the world.
Hong Kong had become British territory during a series of conflicts during the 19th century between the Chinese government, seeking to prevent opium from being imported to the country, and the British military, protecting British drug cartels. Ownership was finalized with a 99-year lease of the Hong Kong territory to the UK in 1898.
In 1997, Hong Kong was formally and peacefully handed over to the People's Republic of China by the United Kingdom.
