Hong Kong Geography Profile 2008

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Map references

Southeast Asia

Area

total: 1,092 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km
water: 50 sq km

Area - comparative

six times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 30 km
regional border: China 30 km

Coastline

733 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Terrain

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Elevation extremes

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Natural resources

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Land use

arable land: 5.05%
permanent crops: 1.01%
other: 93.94% (2001)

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements

party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Geography - note

more than 200 islands