Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its
population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008. The island had a population of
about 3,000 inhabitants scattered in a dozen fishing villages when it was
occupied by the United Kingdom in the First Opium War. In 1842 the island was
formally ceded in perpetuity to the UK under the Treaty of Nanking and the City
of Victoria was then established on the island by the British Force in honour of
Queen Victoria. The Central area on the island is the
historical, political and economic centre of Hong Kong. The northern coast
of the island forms the southern shore of the Victoria Harbour, which is
largely responsible for the development of Hong Kong due to its deep waters
favoured by large trade ships. The island is home to many of the most
famous sights in Hong Kong, such as "The Peak", Ocean Park, many historical sites
and various large shopping centres. The mountain ranges across the island are
also famous for hiking. The northern part of Hong Kong Island together with
Kowloon forms the core urban area of Hong Kong. Their combined area is
approximately 88.3 km2 and their combined population is approximately
3,156,500, reflecting a population density of 35,700/km².
The island is often referred to locally as "Hong Kong side" or "Island side".
This style was formerly applied to many locations but is now only heard in this
form and 'Kowloon side', suggesting the two sides of the harbour. The form was
once more common in Britain than now, such as 'Surrey-side' and is still seen
in British placenames like 'Cheapside', 'Tyneside', and 'Teesside', not all of
which have an obvious watercourse or boundary with actual sides.
Suburbs and localities Hong Kong Island comprises the following
suburbs/localities of Hong Kong: Administration
Hong Kong Island is not part of the Islands District. Four districts of Hong
Kong are located on the island: Central and Western District
Eastern District Southern District
Wan Chai District Hong Kong Island is one of the five
Legislative Council geographical constituencies.
History = British colony =
Hong Kong island became a colony of the British Empire when their forces
defeated the Chinese in the First Opium War. The island was populated by only a
few thousand people when British empire colonized it, and was thus described as
being almost uninhabited. = Japanese invasion and occupation =
The Second World War was a dark period for Hong Kong. In the 1930s, the British
anticipated a Japanese attack on Hong Kong. As Wong Nai Chung Gap was a
strategic important place of defence, large-scale defensive works were
constructed there, including anti-aircraft batteries, howitzers, and
machine gun nests. The Battle of Hong Kong began on 8
December 1941. British, Canadian, Indian armies and the Hong Kong Volunteer
Defence Forces resisted the Japanese invasion commanded by Sakai Takashi,
which began eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, the Japanese
were able to take control of the Hong Kong skies on the first day of attack,
outnumbering the defenders. The defenders retreated from the Gin
Drinker's Line and consequently from Kowloon under heavy aerial bombardment
and artillery barrage. On 18 December, the Japanese had
conquered North Point, reaching Wong Nai Chung Gap on the next day. English and
Scottish forces and the Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers vigorously defended
the crucial point of Wong Nai Chung Gap, and for a while successfully secured the
passage between Central and the secluded southern parts of the island. Japanese
casualties were about 600. However, Allied forces there were ultimately
defeated by the Japanese on 23 December, and Wong Nai Chung Reservoir was lost –
the only one in Hong Kong at the time. As Wan Chai Gap had also fallen that
same day, the British had no choice but to surrender.
Hong Kong was surrendered on 25 December 1941, thereafter often called "Black
Christmas" by locals. The Governor of Hong Kong, Mark Young, surrendered in
person at the temporary Japanese headquarters, on the third floor of the
Peninsula Hotel, thus beginning the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Isogai
Rensuke became the first Japanese governor of Hong Kong. Hyper-inflation
and food rationing followed; and the Japanese declared Hong Kong Dollars
illegal. The Japanese enforced a repatriation policy throughout the
period of occupation because of the scarcity of food and the possible
counter-attack of the Allies. As a result, the unemployed were deported to
the Mainland, and the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in
1941 to 600,000 in 1945. Geography
Hong Kong Island 22°15′52″N 114°11′14″E is the second-largest island of the
territory, the largest being Lantau Island. Its area is 78.59 km², including
6.98 km² of land reclaimed since 1887 and some smaller scale ones since 1851.
It makes up approximately 7% of the total territory. It is separated from
the mainland by Victoria Harbour. Technically Hong Kong Island is part of
the Wanshan Archipelago. Most of the hills across the middle of
the island are included within the country parks.
Demographics The population as of 2011 is 1,270,876,
which makes up approximately 19% of that of Hong Kong. Its population density is
higher than for the whole of Hong Kong, ca. 18,000 per km². However, the
population is heavily concentrated along the northern shore. The combined
population of Central and Western, Wan Chai, and Eastern is 1,085,500, giving
this urbanised part of the island a density of around 26,000 per km², or
67,000 per mi², in its approximately 41.3 km², or 16.1 sq mi.
The residents living in the Central and Western and Wanchai districts of Hong
Kong island have the highest median household income of any area in Hong
Kong. Affluent districts on Hong Kong Island are The Peak, Western Mid-Levels,
Eastern Mid-Levels, Tai Tam, Deep Water Bay and Repulse Bay.
88.5% of Hong Kong Island's residents are of Chinese descent. The largest
ethnic minority groups are Filipinos, Indonesians, and White people.
80.2% of Hong Kong Island's residents use Cantonese as their usual language,
while 8% use English and 1.9% use Mandarin.
Transport The Island Line of the MTR underground
railway network runs exclusively on Hong Kong Island, from Kennedy Town in the
west to Chai Wan in the east, along the northern coastline of the island. Tsuen
Wan Line and Tseung Kwan O Line have cross-platform interchange stations with
the Island Line which extend the metro transport northward across the Victoria
Harbour. Tung Chung Line and Airport Express which connect to the Lantau
Island and international airport share one single station on the island at Hong
Kong Station, north to Central Station and provide pedestrian link between the
2 stations within paid area. South Island Line is under construction
which will provide metro service from Admiralty to Ap Lei Chau via Wong Chuk
Hang. This line is expected to inaugurate in 2016 and relieve the
congested Aberdeen Tunnel during rush hour. North South Corridor, the
southward extension of the East Rail Line will also terminate at Admiralty
and stop by the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre before leaving the
island, providing direct metro service to the Hong Kong–Shenzhen border
checkpoints. This line is tentatively expected to open in 2021. North Island
Line is planned to extend Tung Chung Line and Tseung Kwan O Line to be met at
Tamar Station. The majority of the extended sections will be situated
beneath the reclaimed land of the northern coastline of the island. The
project is aimed at sharing the load of the already busy Island Line, but it
will not begin construction before 2020. Hong Kong Tramways and the Peak Tram run
exclusively on Hong Kong Island, which run from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan,
with a branch links from Causeway Bay to Happy Valley and the Central District to
Victoria Peak respectively. Hong Kong Island is connected to the
Kowloon Peninsula on the mainland by two road-only tunnels, two MTR railway
tunnels and one combined road and MTR rail link tunnel. A fourth rail link and
a fourth harbour-crossing tunnel are being planned in order to solve the
congested traffic of the current tunnels in peak hours. There is no bridge
between the island and the mainland. A bridge connects Ap Lei Chau and Wong
Chuk Hang of Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island. It was opened in 1983 with two
lanes and was expanded to four in 1994. See also
Hong Kong List of areas of Hong Kong
List of streets and roads in Hong Kong Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong
Country parks and conservation in Hong Kong
Queen's Road Des Voeux Road
Connaught Road References
External links Map of Hong Kong in 1844