Hong Kong

Environment

Consisting of over 200 islands and a peninsula on the southeast coast of China on the South China Sea and covering a total land area of 1,092 square kilometers (422 square miles), Hong Kong is situated around an outstanding harbor offering 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) of deepwater anchorage. The Sham Chun River defines the border with Guangdong Province, and part of Hong Kong is situated in the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) delta. On the peninsula are Kowloon and the New Territories. Two of the larger islands are Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island, and there are over 230 smaller outlying islands. Much of the terrain is hilly, with the highest peaks being Tai Mo Shan on Lantau at 957 meters (3,140 feet) and Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island at 550 meters (1,810 feet). Fifty percent of the region is sparse grass and shrub on poor soil. Seven percent is arable land, although about 40 percent of that lies fallow or uncultivated; one percent is under permanent cultivation; meadows and pastures constitute another one percent; forest and woodland, 12 percent; and two percent is under fish ponds.

With annual monsoons—winds from the southwest bearing warm, moist air from the equator—Hong Kong's climate is subtropical, despite its location within the tropics, and has a rainy season from May through August. Temperatures average 22.2°C (72°F), with a low of 15°C (59°F) in February and a high of 27.8°C (82°F) in July. Average rainfall is about 222 centimeters (88 inches). The climate encourages the lush vegetation found in areas that are not urbanized or barren; much of the extant forest is the result of forestation programs since World War II.