How long was Hong Kong a British colony?
Hong Kong–a small peninsula and group of islands jutting out from China’s Kwangtung province–was leased by China to Great Britain in 1898 for 99 years. In 1839, in the First Opium War, Britain invaded China to crush opposition to its interference in the country’s economic, social, and political affairs.
Is Hong Kong still a British colony?
Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 to 1941 and again from 1945 to 1997.
How did Hong Kong became a British colony?
The Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong to the British Empire in 1842 through the treaty of Nanjing, ending the First Opium War. Hong Kong then became a British crown colony. Britain also won the Second Opium War, forcing the Qing Empire to cede Kowloon in 1860, while leasing the New Territories for 99 years from 1898.
How was Hong Kong treated under British rule?
British rule in Hong Kong was not a utopia to be glorified and looked back upon. The city was rich, but harsh, in an ironic twist being far more heavy-handed and brutal than its current existence, thus overwhelmingly distant from what young people today, having never lived through it, envision it to be.
How long was Hong Kong Independent?
Hong Kong was a colony of the United Kingdom, ruled by a governor appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom, for 156 years from 1841 (except for four years of Japanese occupation during WWII) until 1997, when it was reverted to Chinese sovereignty.
Does Britain own Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is a former British colony, which was handed back to China in 1997.
How many British are in Hong Kong?
33,733
Ethnicity. Among the 33,733 citizens of the United Kingdom living in Hong Kong, 19,405 are of some European ethnicity, 6,893 are Chinese, 2,337 are Indian, 1,047 are Pakistani, 829 are Nepalese, 273 are other Asians, 227 are Filipino, 98 are Thai, 40 are Japanese, and 40 are Indonesian.
How did the British Empire affect Hong Kong?
But between 1842 and 1898, the British Empire gradually seized control of the three main regions that make up modern-day Hong Kong: Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. During the war, China temporarily ceded Hong Kong Island to the British Empire with the 1841 Convention of Chuenpi.
How did British rule affect Hong Kong?
Control of Hong Kong Island gave the British Empire better access to Chinese trade. Eager for even more, it renewed fighting with China in 1856 and sparked the Second Opium War (which the French Empire also joined).
Is Hong Kong still independent?
Legality: Article 1 of the Hong Kong Basic Law states that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China. Any advocacy for Hong Kong separating from China has no legal basis. Same cultural origin and close connection: Hong Kong has been part of China for most of its history.
Who does Hong Kong belong to?
The People’s Republic of China
Hong Kong exists as a Special Administrative Region controlled by The People’s Republic of China and enjoys its own limited autonomy as defined by the Basic Law.