Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island is a major part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is located in the southern part of the territory. It sits across Victoria Harbour from Kowloon and the New Territories. This island is the second largest in the region. Lantau Island is the largest. The island covers an area of about 78 square kilometers. This includes land gained through reclamation. Reclamation is the process of creating new land from the sea.

The island has a very long human history. Evidence shows people lived there 6,000 years ago. Archaeologists found Neolithic artifacts in Stanley. This means people lived there during the New Stone Age. Later, the island was part of various Chinese dynasties. In 214 BC, the Qin dynasty absorbed this area. During the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties, copper coins were used here. These coins were found near where the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club sits today. This suggests the island had active trade long ago.

A major change happened in the 19th century. After the First Opium War, the Treaty of Nanking was signed in 1842. This treaty ceded the island to the United Kingdom. The island became a British Crown colony. At that time, the population was only 7,450 people. Most lived in about a dozen fishing villages. The British established the City of Victoria to serve as a base.

World War II brought great hardship to the island. In December 1941, Japanese forces invaded.

The Battle of Hong Kong began on December 8. Defenders fought at the Wong Nai Chung Gap. This was a strategic location for defense. The Japanese took control of the skies quickly. They also used heavy artillery and bombing. British and Canadian forces fought hard to hold the gap. However, they were defeated by December 23. The island surrendered on December 25, 1941. Locals call this day "Black Christmas." During the occupation, the population fell from 1.6 million to 600,000.

After the war, the island changed rapidly. The population grew very quickly. Old areas like Central could not hold everyone. New areas like North Point and Aberdeen began to develop. These places started as industrial zones. Later, they became commercial centers. This happened because they had cheaper rent than Central. In 1997, sovereignty was transferred to the People's Republic of China. This ended 156 years of British rule.

Today, the island is a global hub for finance and politics. The Central area is the core. It contains the Central Government Complex.

Many banks are located here too. These include HSBC and the Bank of China (Hong Kong). The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is also in this district. The island has a population of 1,289,500 people. It is a very crowded place. The northern part of the island forms part of the "core urban area." This area includes Kowloon and Tsuen Wan.

Nature remains important despite the many buildings. Many hills are protected as country parks. Victoria Peak is the highest point at 552 meters.

Other high points include Mount Parker and Mount Kellett. Hikers use the Hong Kong Trail. It is 50 kilometers long. It has eight different sections. The trail runs from Victoria Gap to Big Wave Bay. At the southern tip, there is the Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve. It covers about 20 hectares of sea. This reserve protects marine life and helps scientists.