Interesting & Fun Facts About Macau . The official name of Macau is Macau Special Administrative Region. . The official languages of Macau are Portuguese and Chinese. . Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north. . Majority of the people living in Macau are Buddhists, while one can also find Roman Catholics and Protestants here. . The economy of Macau largely depends upon the revenue generated by tourism. Gambling is also a money-generating affair in the region. . The currency of Macau is Macanese Pataca. . After Las Vegas, Macau is one of the biggest gambling areas in the world. In fact, gambling is even legalized in Macau. . Macau is the Special Administrative Region of China. . It is one of the richest cities in the world. . Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. . Macau is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. . Macau ranks amongst the top 10 regions in the world, with a quite high life expectancy at birth. . Macau is a highly humid region, with the humidity ranging anywhere between 75% and 90%. It receives fairly heavy rainfall as well. . The Historic Centre of Macau, including twenty-five historic monuments and public squares, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. . The tourists of Macau should know that tipping is a very popular as well as important tradition followed in the region. Nearly 10% of the bill is given as tip in most of the restaurants and hotels of Macau http://goway.com/blog/2010/06/25/interesting-fun-facts-about-macau/

Basic Information on Macao (east-asian-games2005.com) Updated: 2005-09-27 15:23

Geographical Location

Macau is located in the Guangdong province,on western bank of the Pearl River Delta,at latitude 22o14‘ North,longitude 133 o35‘ East and connected to the Gongbei District by the Border Gate (Portas do Cerco) isthmus.

Geographical Composition The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) composed of Macao Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane which are now connected by the new COTAI zone.

Area

Macao has a total area of 27.3km2 , which includes Macao Peninsula (8.7km2) , Taipa (6.3km2) and Coloane (7.6 km2) and COTAI reclamation zone(4.7 km2).

Weather

Macao is also located to the south of the tropic of Cancer.The wind directions in winter and summer are opposite.Macau is in the monsoon region and the climate can be described as mild and rainy in summer. The most comfortable period is from the middle of Octoberto December, as the best weather occurs during this period.The autumn season commences between October and November, when the weather cools down. Although autumn is relatively short in Macao , the weather is more stable and comfortable.

Transportation

Macao Peninsula is connected to Taipa Island by three bridges : Nobre de Carvalho Bridge (2.5km), Amizade Bridge (4.5km) and Sai Van Bridge (2.2km). The longest bridge, Amizade, directly connects the three main entry ports of Macao ： the China-Macao border gate, HK-Macao Ferry Passenger Terminal and the Macao International Airport. Taipa and Coloane islands are also connedcted by recently reclaimed land 2.2 km in length known as the COTAI Zone.

Local Time

Macao time is GMT+8 hr

Population

Around 461,000;95% Chinese,5%Portuguese and other

Language

Official Language are Chinese and Portuguese. Macao residents main language for communication is Cantonese,but Mandarin (Putonghua) and English are also widely used.

Currency

The Pataca (MOP$) is divided into 100 avos and it is Macau ‘s official currency. There are banknotes and coins in the following denominations: Coins: 10,20 and 50 avos; 1,2,5 and 10 Patacas. Bandnotes: 10,20,50,100,500 and 1000 Patacas.

Rates

By the decision of the Government the Pataca (MOP$) is linked to the Hong Kong dollar (HK$) which is accepted as currency in Macau. The exchange rate is MOP$103.00=HK$100.00. there is an acceptable variation of up to 10%. Roughly 8 Patacas is equivalent to 1 US Dollar.

There are no restrictions on the amount of currency, which can be brought in or taken out.

Macau (Chinese: 澳門), also spelled Macao ( /məˈkaʊ/), is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong-Kong which is to the east, bordering Guangdong province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south.[6]

The territory's economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, but also includes manufacturing.

Macau is a former Portuguese colony, and is both the first and last European colony in China.[7][8] Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on 20 December 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and theBasic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operates with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer.[9] Macau was first lent by the Chinese empire as a trading port in the 16th century, and the Portuguese had to administer the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty. In 1887, Macau became a colony of the Portuguese empire and its sovereignty transferred to Portugal.

Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the PRC's Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's defense and foreign affairs, while Macau maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, and immigration policy. Macau participates in many international organizations and events that do not require members to possess national sovereignty.[9][10] According to The World Factbook, Macau has the second highest life expectancy in the world Etymology

Main article: Names of Macau Before the Portuguese settlement in the early 16th century, Macau was known as Haojing (濠鏡, literally "Oyster Mirror") or Jinghai (鏡海, literally "Mirror Sea").[12] The name Macau is thought to be derived from the A-Ma Temple (Chinese: 媽閣廟; Mandarin Pinyin: Māgé Miào; Jyutping: Maa1 Gok3 Miu6), a temple built in 1448 dedicated to Matsu – the goddess of seafarers and fishermen. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives replied "媽閣" (Mandarin Pinyin: Māgé; Jyutping: Maa1 Gok3). The Portuguese then named the peninsula "Macau".[13] The present Chinese name (澳門, Àomén) means "Inlet Gates".

[edit]History

Main articles: History of Macau and Transfer of the sovereignty of Macau

Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, by George Chinnery (1774–1852). The cathedral was built in 1602 and destroyed by fire in 1835. Only the southern stone façade remains today.

Macau, c. 1870

The history of Macau is traced back to the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC), when the region now called Macau came under the jurisdiction of Panyu county, in Nanhai prefecture (present day Guangdong).[12]The first recorded inhabitants of the area were people seeking refuge in Macau from invading Mongolsduring the Southern Song Dynasty.[14] Under the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), fishermen migrated to Macau from Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

Flag of the Government of Portuguese Macau (1976–1999)

Macau did not develop as a major settlement until the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century.[15] In 1535, Portuguese traders obtained the rights to anchor ships in Macau's harbours and to carry out trading activities, though not the right to stay onshore.[16] Around 1552–1553, they obtained temporary permission to erect storage sheds onshore, in order to dry out goods drenched by sea water;[17] they soon built rudimentary stone houses around the area now called Nam Van. In 1557, the Portuguese established a permanent settlement in Macau, paying an annual rent of 500 taels ( 20 kilograms / 44pounds ) of silver.[17] The Portuguese continued to pay an annual tribute up to 1863 in order to stay in Macau.[18]

In 1564, Portugal commanded western trade with India, Japan, and China, but their pride was shocked by the indifference with which the Chinese treated them. The senate of Macao complained to the viceroy of Goa, of the contempt with which the Chinese authorities treated them, confessing however that ―it was owing more to the Portuguese themselves than to the Chinese‖. The Chinese were obliged to restrict the commerce of Portugal to the port of Macao, in 1631.[19]

During the 17th century some 5,000 slaves lived in Macao, in addition to 2,000 Portuguese and 20,000 Chinese.[20][21][22] As more Portuguese settled in Macau to engage in trade, they made demands for self-administration; but this was not achieved until the 1840s.[23] In 1576, Pope Gregory XIII established the Roman Catholic Diocese of Macau.[24] In 1583, the Portuguese in Macau were permitted to form a Senate to handle various issues concerning their social and economic affairs under strict supervision of the Chinese authority,[25] but there was no transfer of sovereignty.[14]

Macau prospered as a port but it was the target of repeated failed attempts[26] by the Dutch to conquer it in the 17th century. On June 24, 1622, the Dutch attacked Macau in the Battle of Macau, in the hope of turning it into a Dutch possession. The Portuguese repulsed their attack and the Dutch never tried to conquer Macau again. The majority of the defenders were Africans slaves, with only a few Portuguese soldiers and priests. Captain Kornelis Reyerszoon was commander of the 800 Dutch strong invasion force.[27][28][29][30]

The Dutch Governor Jan Coen said after the defeat that "The slaves of the Portuguese at Macao served them so well and faithfully, that it was they who defeated and drove away our people there last year", and "Our people saw very few Portuguese" during the battle.[31][32][33][34]

Following the Opium War (1839–42), Portugal occupied Taipa and Coloane in 1851 and 1864 respectively. On 1 December 1887, the Qing and Portuguese governments signed the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Amity and Commerce, under which China ceded the right of "perpetual occupation and government of Macau by Portugal" in compliance with the statements of the Protocol of Lisbon. In return, Macau Government would cooperate with Hong Kong's smuggle of Indian opium and China would be able to increase profits through customs taxes. Portugal was also obliged "never to alienate Macau without previous agreement with China", therefore ensuring that negotiation between Portugal and France (regarding a possible exchange of Macau and Portuguese Guinea with the French Congo) or with other countries would not go forward – so that the British commercial interests would be secured; Macau officially became a territory under Portuguese administration.[14]

In 1928, after the Qing Dynasty had been overthrown following the Xinhai Revolution, the Kuomintang (KMT) government officially notified Portugal that it was abrogating the Treaty of Amity and Commerce;[35] the two powers signed a new Sino-Portuguese Friendship and Trade Treaty in place of the abrogated treaty. Making only a few provisions concerning tariff principles and matters relating to business affairs, the new treaty did not alter the sovereignty of Macau and Portuguese government of Macau remained unchanged.[36]

In the Second World War, unlike in the case of Portuguese Timor which was occupied by the Japanese in 1942 along with Dutch Timor, the Japanese respected Portuguese neutrality in Macau, but only up to a point. As such, Macau enjoyed a brief period of economic prosperity as the only neutral port in South China, after the Japanese had occupied Guangzhou (Canton) and Hong Kong. In August 1943, Japanese troops seized the British steamer Sian in Macao and killed about 20 guards. The next month they demanded the installation of Japanese "advisors" under the alternative of military occupation. The result was that a virtual Japanese protectorate was created over Macau.

When it was discovered that neutral Macau was planning to sell aviation fuel to Japan, aircraft from the USS Enterprise bombed and strafed the hangar of the Naval Aviation Centre on 16 January 1945 to destroy the fuel. American air raids on targets in Macau were also made on 25 February and 11 June 1945. Following Portuguese government protest, in 1950 the United States paid US$20,255,952 to the government of Portugal.[37]Japanese domination ended in August 1945 with the Surrender of Japan. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Beijing government declared the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Amity and Commerce invalid as an ―unequal treaty‖ imposed by foreigners on China. However, Beijing was not ready to settle the treaty question, leaving the maintenance of ―the status quo‖ until a more appropriate time.[38]

Influenced by the Cultural Revolution in mainland China and by general dissatisfaction with Portuguese government, riots broke out in Macau in 1966. In the most serious, the so-called 12-3 incident, 6 people were killed and more than 200 people were injured.[39][40] On 28 January 1967, the Portuguese government issued a formal apology.

Shortly after the overthrow of the Portuguese dictatorship in 1974 in Lisbon, the new Portuguese government determined it would relinquish all its overseas possessions. In 1976, Lisbon redefined Macau as a "Chinese territory under Portuguese administration" and granted it a large measure of administrative, financial, and economic autonomy. Three years later, Portugal and China agreed to regard Macau as "a Chinese territory under (temporary) Portuguese administration".[14][41] The Chinese and Portuguese governments commenced negotiations on the question of Macau in June 1986. The two signed a Sino- Portuguese Joint Declaration the next year, making Macau a special administrative region (SAR) of China.[42] The Chinese government assumed formal sovereignty over Macau on 20 December 1999.[43] The economy since then has continued to prosper with the sustained growth of tourism from mainland China and the construction of newcasinos.

[edit]Government and politics

Main articles: Politics of Macau, Legislative Assembly of Macau, Legal system of Macau, and Municipalities of Macau

Headquarters of the Government of Macau, previously the Governor's House until 1999.

The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, Macau's constitution promulgated by China's National People's Congress in 1993, specify that Macau's social and economic system, lifestyle, rights, and freedoms are to remain unchanged for at least 50 years after the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1999.[9] Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Macau enjoys a high degree of autonomy in all areas except in defence andforeign affairs.[9] Macau officials, rather than PRC officials, run Macau through the exercise of separate executive, legislative, and judicial powers, as well as the right to final adjudication.[44] Macau maintains its own separate currency, customs territory, immigration and border controls, and police force.[45][46] [edit]Executive The government in Macau is headed by the chief executive, who is appointed by the central government upon the recommendation of an election committee, whose three hundred members are nominated by corporate and community bodies. The recommendation is made by an election within the committee.[47] The chief executive's cabinet is made up of five policy secretaries and is advised by the Executive Council that has between seven and eleven members.[48] Edmund Ho Hau Wah, a community leader and former banker, was the first chief executive of the Macau SAR, replacing General Vasco Rocha Vieira at midnight on 20 December 1999. Fernando Chui Sai On is the current Chief Executive.[49] The chief executive and the cabinet have their offices in the Macau Government Headquarters, located in the former area of the St. Lawrence Parish. [edit]Legislature

Office building of the Legislative Assembly of Macau.

The legislative organ of the territory is the Legislative Assembly, a 29-member body comprising 12 directly elected members, ten indirectly elected members representing functional constituencies and seven members appointed by the chief executive.[50] Any permanent residents at or over 18 years of age are eligible to vote in direct elections.[51] Indirect election is limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" and a 300-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies.[52] [edit]Judiciary The original framework of the legal system, based largely on Portuguese law or Portuguese civil law system, was preserved after 1999. The territory has its own independent judicial system with a high court. Judges are selected by a committee and appointed by the chief executive. Foreign judges may serve on the courts.[53]

Macau has a three-tier court system: the Court of the First Instance, the Court of the Second Instance and the Court of Final Appeal.[54] In February 2009, the Legislative Assembly passed a security bill based on the withdrawn security legislation previously introduced in Hong Kong.[55] Democracy advocates feared that the bill's excessively broad scope could lead to abuses, a concern which has been heightened after a number of prominent supporters of democracy in Hong Kong were denied entry into Macau in the run-up to the bill's passage.[56] [edit]Military Main article: Military of Macau under Portuguese rule

Main article: People's Liberation Army Macau Garrison Under Portuguese rule, Macau often served as an expeditionary base to Japan and other regions of East Asia from the 16th century onwards, while maintaining a strong garrison mainly to repel Dutch and mainland Chinese attacks. However since the allied British settled Hong Kong, the need for a strong military presence in Macau dimmed and it became very limited and ceased in 1974. In 1999, upon handover to the PRC, a substantial garrison of the People's Liberation Army was established in the city itself, with a large portion of the forces stationed in neighbouringZhuhai as well.

[edit]Geography

Main article: Geography of Macau

The map of Macau, showingMacau Peninsula, Cotai, Taipa andColoane.

Landscape of Penha Hill in Macau.

Macau viewed from Macau Museum.

Macau is situated 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) from Guangzhou. It also has 41 kilometres (25 mi) of coastline, yet only 310 metres (1,000 ft) of land border with Guangdong.[6][57] It consists of the Macau Peninsula itself and the islands of Taipa and Coloane, which are now connected by landfill forming the Cotai Strip. The peninsula is formed by the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) estuary on the east and the Xi Jiang (West River) on the west.[57] It borders the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone in mainland China. The main border crossing between Macau and China is known as the Portas do Cerco (Barrier Gate) on the Macau side, and the Gongbei Port of Entry on the Zhuhai side.[58]

Macau Peninsula was originally an island, but a connecting sandbar gradually turned into a narrow isthmus, thus changing Macau into a peninsula. Land reclamation in the 17th century transformed Macau into a peninsula with generally flat terrain, though numerous steep hills still mark the original land mass.[57] Alto de Coloane is the highest point in Macau, with an altitude of 170.6 metres (559.7 ft).[6] With a dense urban environment, Macau has no arable land, pastures, forest, or woodland. [edit]Climate Macau has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with average relative humidity between 75% and 90%.[59]Similar to much of South China, seasonal climate is greatly influenced by the monsoons, and differences in temperature and humidity between summer and winter are noticeable, though not as great as inland China. The average annual temperature of Macau is 22.7 °C (72.9 °F).[60] July is the warmest month, with average temperature being 28.9 °C (84.0 °F). The coolest month is January, with a mean temperature of 15.0 °C (59.0 °F).[59]

Located on China's southern coast, Macau has ample rainfall, with average annual precipitation being 2,120 millimetres (83 in). However, winter is mostly dry due to the influence of the vast Siberian High affecting much of East Asia. Autumn in Macau, from October to November, is sunny and still pleasantly warm with low humidity. Winter (December to early March) is generally mild with temperature above 10°C most of the time, although it could also drop to below 5°C at times. Humidity starts to increase from late March. Summer is very warm to hot (often rising above 30 °C (86 °F) at daytime). The hot weather is often followed by heavy rain, thunderstorms and occasional typhoons.[59]

[hide]Climate data for Macau

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

17.7 17.7 20.7 24.5 28.1 30.3 31.5 31.2 30.0 27.4 23.4 19.6 25.2 Average high °C (°F) (63.9) (63.9) (69.3) (76.1) (82.6) (86.5) (88.7) (88.2) (86.0) (81.3) (74.1) (67.3) (77.4)

12.2 13.1 16.2 20.2 23.6 25.7 26.3 26.0 24.9 22.3 17.8 13.8 20.2 Average low °C (°F) (54.0) (55.6) (61.2) (68.4) (74.5) (78.3) (79.3) (78.8) (76.8) (72.1) (64.0) (56.8) (68.4)

32.4 58.8 82.5 217.4 361.9 339.7 289.8 351.6 194.1 116.9 42.6 35.2 2,122.9 Rainfall mm (inches) (1.276) (2.315) (3.248) (8.559) (14.248) (13.374) (11.409) (13.843) (7.642) (4.602) (1.677) (1.386) (83.579)

% humidity 74.3 80.6 84.9 86.2 85.6 84.4 82.2 82.5 79.0 73.4 69.3 68.8 79.3

Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 6 10 12 12 15 17 16 16 13 7 5 4 133 Mean monthly sunshine hours 132.4 81.8 75.9 87.8 138.4 168.2 226.2 194.7 182.2 195.0 177.6 167.6 1,827.8

Source: SMG [61] [edit]Economy

Main articles: Economy of Macau and Gambling in Macau

Employed population by occupation 2007[62]

no. Occupation ('000)

Senior officials/managers 14.6

Professionals 9.9

Technicians 28.1

Clerks 83.7

Service & sale workers 63.2

Workers in agriculture/fishery 0.8

Craft & similar workers 33.7

Graphical depiction of Macao's product exports in 28 color coded categories.

Tourism and gambling have been the primary drivers of Macau's economy.

Nightview of Macau Tower, a communication tower.

The central business district of Macau. The building shown is the BNU tower.

Ruins of St. Paul's, façade originally of The Cathedral of St. Paul built in 1602.

Macau's economy is based largely on tourism. Other chief economic activities in Macau are export- geared textile and garment manufacturing, banking and other financial services.[63] The clothing industry has provided about three quarters of export earnings, and the gaming, tourism and hospitality industry is estimated to contribute more than 50% of Macau's GDP, and 70% of Macau government revenue.[48]

Macau is a founding member of the WTO and has maintained sound economic and trade relations with more than 120 countries and regions, with European Union and Portuguese-speaking countries in particular; Macau is also a member of the IMF.[64] The World Bank classifies Macau as a high income economy[65] and the GDP per capita of the region in 2006 was US$28,436. After the Handover in 1999, there has been a rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors due to China's easing of travel restrictions. Together with the liberalization of Macau's gaming industry in 2001 that induces significant investment inflows, the average growth rate of the economy between 2001 and 2006 was approximately 13.1% annually.[66]

In a World Tourism Organization report of international tourism for 2006, Macau ranked 21st in the number of tourists and 24th in terms of tourism receipts.[67]From 9.1 million visitors in 2000, arrivals to Macau has grown to 18.7 million visitors in 2005 and 22 million visitors in 2006,[68] with over 50% of the arrivals coming from mainland China and another 30% from Hong Kong.

Starting in 1962, the gambling industry had been operated under a government-issued monopoly license by Stanley Ho's Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau. The monopoly ended in 2002 and several casino owners from Las Vegas attempted to enter the market. With the opening of the Sands Macao,[69] in 2004 and Wynn Macau in 2006,[70] gambling revenues from Macau's casinos were greatly prosperous.[71][72][73] In 2007, Venetian Macau, at the time the second (now sixth) largest building in the world by floor space, opened its doors to the public, followed by MGM Grand Macau. Numerous other hotel casinos, including Galaxy Cotai Megaresort, are also to be opened in the near future. In 2002, the Macau government ended the monopoly system and six casino operating concessions and subconcessions are granted to Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands,Galaxy Entertainment Group, the partnership of MGM Mirage and Pansy Ho (daughter of Stanley Ho), and the partnership of Melco and Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL). Today, there are 16 casinos operated by the STDM, and they are still crucial in the casino industry in Macau, but in 2004, the opening of the Sands Macauushered in the new era.[69][74][75] Gambling revenue has made Macau the world's top casino market, surpassing Las Vegas.[76]

In the early 2010s, Macau also ramped up show and entertainments in additional to gambling business, including the famous show House of Dancing Water,[77] concerts, industry trade shows and international art crossovers.[78]

Macau is an offshore financial centre, a tax haven, and a free port with no foreign exchange control regimes.[79][80][81] The Monetary Authority of Macauregulates offshore finance,[82] while the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute provides services for investment in Macau.[83] In 2007,Moody's Investors Service upgraded Macau's foreign and local currency government issuer ratings to 'Aa3' from 'A1', citing its government's solid finances as a large net creditor. The rating agency also upgraded Macau's foreign currency bank deposit ceiling to 'Aa3' from 'A1'.[84]

As prescribed by the Macau Basic Law, the government follows the principle of keeping expenditure within the limits of revenues in drawing up its budget, and strives to achieve a fiscal balance, avoid deficits and keep the budget commensurate with the growth rate of its gross domestic product. All the financial revenues of the Macau Special Administrative Region shall be managed and controlled by the Region itself and shall not be handed over to the Central People's Government. The Central People's Government shall not levy any taxes in the Macau Special Administrative Region.[85]

[edit]Monetary system

In Macau, the unit of currency is the pataca which is currently pegged to the Hong Kong dollar at a rate of HK$1 = MOP1.03. The name pataca is a Portuguese word which was applied to the Mexican dollars that were the main circulating coin in the wider region in the second half of the 19th century. In the year 1894, the pataca was introduced in both Macau and Portuguese Timor as a unit of account for the Mexican dollar and the other silver dollar coins in circulation. In 1901 it was decided to grant the Banco Nacional Ultramarino the exclusive rights to issue banknotes denominated in patacas, and in the year 1906, these notes went into circulation at an official equivalent rate of 2 shillings and 4 pence sterling, and all foreign coins were outlawed. However, the Chinese were suspicious of these paper patacas, being so accustomed to using silver for barter, and as such, the paper patacas circulated at a discount in relation to the silver dollar coins. In the year 1935, when China and Hong Kong abandoned the silver standard, the Hong Kong dollar was pegged to sterling at the fixed rate of 1 shilling and 3 pence, whereas the pataca was pegged to the Portuguese escudo at a sterling equivalent rate of only 1 shilling. From 1945 to 1951 fractional coins of the pataca were minted for issue in Portuguese Timor, and in 1952 similar issues were minted for Macau including an actual pataca coin for the first time.

[edit]Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of Macau and Religion in Macau

Residents' usual language spoken at home[86]

Percentage of Language population

Cantonese 85.7%

Other 6.7% forms of Chinese

Portuguese 0.6%

Mandarin 3.2%

English 1.5%

Others 2.3%

A-Ma Temple, a temple built in 1448 dedicated to the goddess Matsu.

Many signs and establishments make use of Chinese and Portuguese names with English becoming commonplace as well.

Macau is the most densely populated region in the world, with a population density of 18,428 persons per square kilometre (47,728/sq mi).[87] 95% of Macau's population is Chinese; another 2% is of Portuguese and/or mixed Chinese/Portuguese descent, an ethnic group often referred to asMacanese.[86] According to the 2006 by-census, 47% of the residents were born in mainland China, of whom 74.1% were born in Guangdong and 15.2% in Fujian. Meanwhile, 42.5% of the residents were born in Macau, and those born in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Portugal shared 3.7%, 2.0% and 0.3% respectively.[86]

The growth of population in Macau mainly relies on immigrants from mainland China and the influx of overseas workers since its birth rate is one of the lowest in the world.[88] According to a recent survey conducted by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Macau is the top country/region for life expectancy at birth with an average of 84.36 years,[89] while its infant mortality rate ranks among the lowest in the world.[90]

Both Chinese (Cantonese) and Portuguese are Macau's official languages.[91] Other languages such as Mandarin, English and Hokkien are also spoken by some local communities.[92] The Macanese language, a distinctive creole generally known as Patuá, is still spoken by several dozen Macanese.[93]

Most Chinese in Macau are profoundly influenced by their own tradition and culture, of which most take part inChinese folk religion, of which the faiths of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, form an integral part.[48] Macau has a sizable Christian community; Roman Catholics and Protestants constitute 7% and 2% of the population respectively. In addition, 17% of the population follow original Mahayana Buddhism.[94]

Since Macau has an economy driven by tourism, 14.6% of the workforce is employed in restaurants and hotels, and 10.3% in the gambling industry.[92] With the opening of several casino resorts and other major constructions underway, many sectors reportedly experience a shortage of labor, and the government seeks to import labor from neighboring regions.

The number of imported workers stood at a record high of 98,505 in the second quarter of 2008, representing more than 25% of the labor force in Macau.[95] Some local workers complain about the lack of jobs due to the influx of cheap imported labor. Some also claim that the problem of illegal labor is severe.[96] Another concern is the widening of income inequality in the region. Macau's Gini coefficient, a popular measure of income inequality where a low value indicates a more equal income distribution, rose from 0.43 in 1998 to 0.48 in 2006. It is higher than those of neighboring regions, such as mainland China (0.447), South Korea (0.316) and Singapore (0.425).[97]

[edit]Education

Main article: Education in Macau

The administrative building of theUniversity of Macau, the first modern university in the region. A fifteen-year free education is currently being offered to residents, that includes a three-year kindergarten, followed by a six-year primary education and a six-year secondary education. The literacy rate of the territory is 93.5%. The illiterates are mainly among the senior residents aged 65 or above; the younger generation, for example the population aged 15–29, has a literacy rate of above 99%.[86] Currently, there is only one school in Macau where Portuguese is the medium of instruction.

Macau does not have its own universal education system; non-tertiary schools follow either the British, the Chinese, or the Portuguese education system. There are currently 10 tertiary educational institutions in the region, four of them being public.[48] In 2006, the Programme for International Student Assessment, a worldwide test of 15-year-old schoolchildren's scholastic performance coordinated by OECD, ranked Macau as the fifth and sixth in science and problem solving respectively.[98] Nevertheless, education levels in Macau are low among high income regions. According to the 2006 by-census, among the resident population aged 14 and above, only 51.8% has a secondary education and 12.6% has a tertiary education.[86]

As prescribed by the Basic Law of Macau Chapter VI Article 121, the Government of Macau shall, on its own, formulate policies on education, including policies regarding the educational system and its administration, the language of instruction, the allocation of funds, the examination system, the recognition of educational qualifications and the system of academic awards so as to promote educational development. The government shall also in accordance with law, gradually institute a compulsory education system. Community organisations and individuals may, in accordance with law, run educational undertakings of various kinds.[85]

[edit]Health Care

Main article: List of hospitals in Macau

Macau is served by one major public hospital, the Hospital Conde S. Januário, and one major private hospital, the Hospital Kiang Wu, both located in Macau Peninsula, as well as a university hospital called Macau University of Science and Technology Hospital in Cotai. In addition to hospitals, Macau also has numerous health centres providing free basic medical care to residents. Consultation in traditional Chinese medicine is also available.[99]

Trishaw used to be a major public mode of transport in Macau. But now it is only for sightseeing purposes.

Taxis in Macau

Currently none of the Macau hospitals are independently assessed through international healthcare accreditation. There are no western-style medical schools in Macau and thus all aspiring physicians in Macau have to obtain their education and qualification elsewhere.[48] Local nurses are trained at the Macau Polytechnic Institute and the Kiang Wu Nursing College.[100][101] Currently there are no training courses in midwifery in Macau.

The Health Bureau in Macau is mainly responsible for coordinating the activities between the public and private organisations in the area of public health, and assure the health of citizens through specialised and primary health care services, as well as disease prevention and health promotion.[102]The Macau Centre for Disease Control and Prevention was established in 2001, which monitors the operation of hospitals, health centres, and the blood transfusion centre in Macau. It also handles the organisation of care and prevention of diseases affecting the population, sets guidelines for hospitals and private health care providers, and issues licences.[103]

[edit]Transport

Main article: Transport in Macau

In Macau traffic drives on the left, unlike either mainland China or Portugal. Macau has a well-established public transport network connecting theMacau Peninsula, Cotai, Taipa Island and Coloane Island. Buses and taxis are the major modes of public transport in Macau. Currently three companies, namely Transmac, Transportas Companhia de Macau and Reolian Public Transport Co., operate franchised public bus services in Macau.[104] The trishaw, a hybrid of the tricycle and the rickshaw, is also available, though it is mainly for sightseeing purposes. The newest public bus operator, Reolian Public Transport Co., entered service on 1 August 2011. This new bus operator operates on the existing routes by Transmac and Transportas Companhia de Macau.

The Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal provides cross-border transportation services for passengers travelling between Macau and Hong Kong, while the Yuet Tung Terminal in the Inner Harbour serves those travelling between Macau and cities in mainland China, including Shekou and Shenzhen.[105]

Macau has one active international airport, known as Macau International Airport located at the eastern end of Taipa and neighbouring waters. The airport used to serve as one of the main transit hubs for passengers travelling between mainland China and Taiwan, but now with the introduction of direct flights between those two regions, passenger traffic in this regard has lessened.[106][107] It is the primary hub for Air Macau. In 2006, the airport handled about 5 million passengers.[108] [edit]Culture

Main article: Culture of Macau

The Statue of Guanyin, a blend between the traditional images of the bodhisattvaGuanyin and Holy Mary.

The mixing of the Chinese and Portuguese cultures and religious traditions for more than four centuries has left Macau with an inimitable collection of holidays, festivals and events. The biggest event of the year is the Macau Grand Prix in November,[109] when the main streets in Macau Peninsula are converted to a racetrack bearing similarities with the Monaco Grand Prix. Other annual events include Macau Arts festival in March,[110] the International Fireworks Display Contest in September,[111] the International Music festival in October and/or November,[112] and the Macau International Marathon in December.[113]

The Lunar Chinese New Year is the most important traditional festival and celebration normally takes place in late January or early February.[114][115]The Pou Tai Un Temple in Taipa is the place for the Feast of Tou Tei, the Earth god, in February. The Procession of the Passion of Our Lord is a well-known Catholic rite and journey, which travels from Saint Austin's Church to the Cathedral, also taking place in February.[57]

A-Ma Temple, which honours the Goddess Matsu, is in full swing in April with many worshippers celebrating the A-Ma festival. In May it is common to see dancing dragons at the Feast of the Drunken Dragon and twinkling-clean Buddhas at the Feast of the Bathing of Lord Buddha. In Coloane Village, the Taoist god Tam Kong is also honoured on the same day.[57] Dragon Boat festival is brought into play on Nam Van Lake in June and Hungry Ghosts' festival, in late August and/or early September every year. All events and festivities of the year end with Winter Solstice in December.[113]

Local cooking in Macau consists of a blend of Cantonese and Portuguese cuisines.[116] Many unique dishes resulted from the spice blends that the wives of Portuguese sailors used in an attempt to replicate European dishes. Its ingredients and seasonings include those from Europe, South America, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, as well as local Chinese ingredients.[117] Typically, Macanese food is seasoned with various spices and flavours including turmeric, coconut milk, cinnamon and bacalhau, giving special aromas and tastes.[118] Famous dishes include Galinha à Portuguesa, Galinha à Africana (African chicken), Bacalhau, Macanese Chili Shrimps and stir-fry curry crab. Pork chop bun, ginger milk and Portuguese-style egg tart are also very popular in Macau.[119]

Macau preserves many historical properties in the urban area. The Historic Centre of Macau, which includes some twenty-five historic locations, was officially listed as a World Heritage Site UNESCO on 15 July 2005 during the 29th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Durban, South Africa.[120]

[edit]Sports

Football has the greatest popularity in Macau, which has a representative international side, Macau national football team. Another common sport isRink Hockey, which is often practiced by the Portuguese. Macau always participate in the Rink Hockey World Championship in B category. The national team of Macau is the most powerful of Asia and has many Rink Hockey Asian Championship titles. The last Championship was conquered inDalian, China, in the 2010 Asian Roller Hockey Championship.

The automobile racing Macau Grand Prix is arguably the most important international sporting event in Macau, mainly with Formula 3, Motorcycle Road Racing and Touring Car races. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau Macau Basic Facts the macao special administrative region (msar) is a part of china‟s territory. it is located on the southeast coast of china to the west of the pearl river delta. bordering on guangdong province, it locates 60km from hong kong and 145km from the city of guangzhou. local time is eight hours ahead of greenwich mean time. area due to land reclamation along its coastline, macao has grown in land area from 10.28km2 in the 19th century to29.5km2 today, which is equal to one-fortieth of hong kong and one twenty-third of singapore. macao consists of the macao peninsula and the two islands of taipa and coloane. three bridges, nobre de carvalho bridge, friendship bridge (ponte da amizade) and sai van bridge, link the peninsula to taipa, while the two islands are linked by the six-lane 2.2km taipa-coloane causeway. population the population of macao is estimated to be 549.500 population density is 18628/km2, and the northern part of the peninsula is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. chinese and portuguese are the official languages of macao, and more than 95% of the population speak chinese. portuguese is spoken by about 0.6% and the remainder speak english, filipino or other languages. climate macao‟s climate is warm and humid with a fairly wide variation in temperature over the year. from june to september, the temperature can rise to over 30ºc while it can drop to less than 10ºc from november to february. the average temperature seldom falls below 14ºc. macao‟s weather is also influenced by tropical cyclones from the south china sea and north western pacific ocean during the typhoon season between may and september. political system macao people ruling macao with a high degree of autonomy the systems and policies of the msar – including its social and economic systems; safeguards for the fundamental rights and freedoms of its residents; the executive, legislature and judiciary; and government policies – are all based on the provisions of the basic law. the principles of “one country, two systems”, “macao people governing macao” and “a high degree of autonomy” have passed their initial tests with flying colours, and are now broadly recognised in macao and infused into its social and political culture. the principle of “macao people ruling macao” means that the people of macao govern macao. the chief executive, principal officials, members of the executive council and the legislative assembly, the president of the court of final appeal and the procurator-general of the msar must be permanent residents of the region. some of these posts can only be assumed by chinese citizens who are also permanent residents in macao. legal system macao‟s legal system is founded on a strong tradition of adherence to the rule of law and judicial independence. under the principle of “one country, two systems”, the macao special administrative region (msar) maintains continental european law as the foundation of its legal system. the basic law of the macao special administrative region of the people's republic of china is the constitutional document for the msar, adopted by the seventh national people's congress (npc) in accordance with the constitution of the people‟s republic of china (prc). the basic law sets a foundation for all systems and policies implemented in macao including its social system, economic system, protection of fundamental rights and freedom, administration, legislation and justice. economy macao is one of two international free ports in china. goods, capital, foreign exchange and people flow freely in and out of macao. since the establishment of the msar government, economic policy in macao has focused primarily on protecting and streamlining its free market economic system. it has cultivated a world-recognised, free and open, fair and orderly market environment. the macao special administrative region (msar) has maintained rapid growth since its establishment, with its economy growing by an average of 14 percent in real terms annually between 2000 and 2008. macao‟s gross domestic product (gdp) posted an increase of 1.3 percent in real terms in 2009 despite the global economic downturn. this translates into us$39,000 of gdp per capita in 2009 – one of the highest in asia. as of the end of 2009, macao‟s foreign reserves had reached 146.6 billion patacas. macao‟s small-scale economy is characterized by its openness and flexibility and enjoys a unique position in the regional economy. it used to be largely dependent on export trade, but the services sector is playing an increasingly bigger role as the processing industry tries to adapt itself to changing times. tourism and gaming the tourism and gaming industry, a general term for tourism, hotels, catering, retails and gaming, is a major driving force of macao‟s economy. gaming by itself is the largest source of direct tax in macao. the fast growing tourism and service industries are the main source of foreign income for macao. the income generated from tourism has exceeded the total value of exports since 1992. over the 1990s, the tourism industry in macao prospered and its development accelerated following the establishment of the sar government.

Basic Facts about Macao

2009-01-08 07:33:00 Gov.cn Editor: Liu Donghui

Geography, Population, and Geographical Location

The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is a part of China's territory. It is located on the Southeast coast of China to the west of the Pearl River Delta. Bordering on Guangdong Province, it locates 60km from Hong Kong and 145km from the city of Guangzhou. Local time is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Area

Due to land reclamation along its coastline, Macao has grown in land area from 10.28 square km in the 19th century to 29.2 square km today, which is equal to one-fortieth of Hong Kong and one twenty- third of Singapore. Macao consists of the Macao peninsula and the two islands of Taipa and Coloane. Three bridges, Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, Friendship Bridge (Ponte da Amizade) and Sai Van Bridge, link the peninsula to Taipa, while the two islands are linked by the six-lane 2.2km Taipa-Coloane Causeway.

Population

The population of Macao is estimated to be 557,400. Population density is 19090/km2, and the northern part of the peninsula is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

According to the results of the by-census 2006, as at 19 August 2006, 48.8% of the resident population were male and 51.2% were female. In terms of age structure, the youth population aged under 15 shared 15.2% of the total, and 77.7% are aged between 15 and 64. Those aged 65 years and older accounts for 7% of the population. Average life span for both sexes is over 79 years old.

Chinese and Portuguese are the official languages of Macao, and more than 95% of the population speak Chinese. Portuguese is spoken by about 0.6% and the remainder speak English, Filipino or other languages.

According to the results of the by-census 2006, more than 78% of Macao's population have been living in the territory for more than 10 years. Meanwhile, 42.5% of the population were born in Macao and 47.1% were born in the Mainland, while 10.4% of residents are from other regions.

Climate

Macao's climate is warm and humid with a fairly wide variation in temperature over the year. From June to September, the temperature can rise to over 30?C while it can drop to less than 10?C from November to February. The average temperature seldom falls below 14?C. Macao��s weather is also influenced by tropical cyclones from the South China Sea and North Western Pacific Ocean during the typhoon season between May and September.

Currency

The Pataca (MOP$) is divided into 100 avos and it is Macau's official currency. There are banknotes and coins in the following denominations: Coins: 10, 20 and 50 avos; 1, 2, 5 and 10 Patacas. Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Patacas.

By the decision of the Government the Pataca is linked to the Hong Kong dollar (HK$) which is accepted as currency in Macau. The exchange rate is MOP$103.20 = HK$100.00. There is an acceptable variation up to 10%. Roughly 10 Patacas is equivalent to 1 EURO and 8 Patacas is equivalent to 1 US Dollar.

Foreign currency or travellers' cheques can be changed in hotels, banks and authorised exchange dealers located all around the city. If the visitor needs to change money outside the usual banking hours, there are 24 hours exchange counters operating in the Macau International Airport (Taipa Island) and in the Lisboa Hotel (Macau).

Banks open normally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most credit cards are accepted in many hotels, shops and restaurants.

There are no restrictions on the amount of currency, which can be brought in or taken out of the territory.

Interesting Facts About Hong Kong Madogs and Englishmen in Hong Kong

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 Hong Kong Map  Hong Kong Shopping  Hong Kong Tour Package  Hong Kong  Tours Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a unique city and there are plenty of interesting facts about Hong Kong. Below you‟ll find Noel Coward and his noon day gun, as well as sardines and skyscrapers in our selection of facts about Hong Kong.

 Hong Kong‟s official name is the tongue twisting Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or Hong Kong SAR. Find out more in What Country is Hong Kong in?

 The city‟s name, Hong Kong means Fragrant Harbor

 Hong Kong is the most densely populated city in the world. The current sardine squeezing world record holder is the Mongkok district. Take our Tour of the Mongkok Ladies Market.  The saying „Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the miday sun‟ originated in Hong Kong. Noel Coward wrote the words referring to the Noon Day Gun in Causeway Bay fired every day at the stroke of midday since colonial times.

 Hong Kong has more Rolls Royce‟s per person than any other city in the world.

 Hong Kong‟s official languages are Chinese (Spoken Cantonese) and English. Find out more in our Do Hong Kongers Speak English article.

 Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world. Classified as buildings with more than 14 floors, Hong Kong has around 8000, almost double that of New York its nearest rival. Take a look with our Picture Tour of Hong Kong‟s Skyscrapers. Facts About Macau Related Articles

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Just like Hong Kong, Macau is one of the special administrative regions of People‘s Republic of China. The city is considered to be one of the most affluent cities in the world, owing to its flourishing tourist industry. In effect, it houses a number of hotels, resorts, stadiums, restaurants and casinos. Apart from this, it has other notable industries, such

as textiles, electronics and toys. Macau was initially inhabited by the Portuguese, in 16th century. It operates on two political systems. The defense and foreign affairs of the region are looked after by the Central People‘s Government, while it maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy and delegates to international organizations and events. To get more interesting and fun facts about Macau, go through the following lines.

Interesting & Fun Facts About Macau

 The official name of Macau is Macau Special Administrative Region.  The official languages of Macau are Portuguese and Chinese.  Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north.  Macau was known by the name ‗Haojing‘ (meaning Oyster Mirror) or Jinghai (which literally means Mirror Sea), before Portuguese immigrated to the place way back in 16th century.  It is believed that the name ‗Macau‘ was derived from the A-Ma Temple, a place of worship that was build in 1448, with Matsu (the goddess of seafarers and fishermen) as its deity.  Chinese form as much as 95% of the total population of Macau, whereas the rest of the 5% comprise of people belonging to Portugal, Europe and other countries.  Majority of the people living in Macau are Buddhists, while one can also find Roman Catholics and Protestants here.  The economy of Macau largely depends upon the revenue generated by tourism. Gambling is also a money- generating affair in the region.  The currency of Macau is Macanese Pataca.  After Las Vegas, Macau is one of the biggest gambling areas in the world. In fact, gambling is even legalized in Macau.  Macau is the Special Administrative Region of China.  It is one of the richest cities in the world.  Macau was the first and last European colony in China.  Macau is one of the most densely populated regions in the world.  Macau ranks amongst the top 10 regions in the world, with a quite high life expectancy at birth.  The infant mortality rate of Macau ranks amongst the lowest in the world.  Macau is a highly humid region, with the humidity ranging anywhere between 75% and 90%. It receives fairly heavy rainfall as well.  The Historic Centre of Macau, including twenty-five historic monuments and public squares, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  The tourists of Macau should know that tipping is a very popular as well as important tradition followed in the Fast Facts   In 2006, a new visitor entered Macau every 1.4 seconds!   Since 1998, Macau has added the equivalent of 700 football pitches to its land area!   Until the end of 2009, there will be an average of 16.4 new hotel rooms built everyday!   Geography  Macau consists of the Macau Peninsula, the islands of Taipa and Coloane, and Cotai – the reclaimed land that now connects the two islands.   Area: 28.2 sq. km (10.9 sq. miles)   Map Coordinates:  22° 10‘ 0‖ N  113° 33‘ 0‖ E   Language  The official languages of Macau are Portuguese and Chinese, with Cantonese being most widely spoken. Many people speak English and Mandarin.   Climate  Hottest month: 27°C – 32°C (July)  Coolest month: 13°C – 18°C (January)   Population  525,500 (est. 2007)   Brief History  1557 – occupied by Portugal  1862 – Portuguese colony  1999 – China Special Administrative Region   Government  Chief Executive: Edmund Ho   Phone  International Area Code: +853  Emergency: 999  Police: 919  Fire: 572 222   Time Zone  GMT/UTC +8   Main Industries  Tourism  Banking  Clothing  Hospitality   Attire  Smart casual attire is appropriate for most casinos and restaurants. Light clothing for warm temperatures and clothing appropriate for periodic rainstorms are recommended for May through September. Sweaters and jackets are recommended for evenings in spring and autumn and cooler months from November to February.   Electricity  220V, 50Hz   Health  Macau is a modern, developed city with health standards and facilities equal to those of western countries.   Macau's tap water is sourced from mainland China. It is purified and chlorine is added. The Health Department and Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau monitor water quality to ensure it meets international standards. Bottled water is available in restaurants and hotels throughout Macau.   Medical Emergency  Emergency Phone: 999   S. Januário Hospital (Public)  Address: Estrada do Visconde de S. Januário  Telephone: +853 2831 3731   Kiang Wu Hospital (Private)  Address: Estrada Coelho do Amaral  Telephone: +853 2837 1333   Emergency services are available 24 hours.   Public Safety  Macau is considered a very safe city.   In the event of an emergency, call one of the following three numbers available 24 hours:  999  110  112region. Nearly 10% of the bill is given as tip in most of the restaurants and hotels of Macau. BASIC FACTS

Hong Kong literally meaning "fragrant harbor" is a favorite and most popular travel destination in Asia, where the exotic East fuses with the contemporary west as a dynamic contemporary city. It is a vast and varied city, drawing its diversity from a range of historical influences, not least British and Chinese. It is a colorful kaleidoscope of attractions to arouse the senses: spectacular sightseeing, sensational shopping and fabulous foods - perhaps the number one highlight of this gastronomic city.

This city is also known as an excellent destination for shopping as prices are comparably cheaper than the US, Europe or Japan with no sales tax on anything. Popular shopping items include consumer electronics, clothes, shoes, jewelry and expensive brand names goods. On the surface, it's an urban landscape however take time to explore the small curious nooks, as well as the beautiful greenery and hiking trails, and you will find it a unique location to spend a holiday. Vibrant and exciting.

CLIMATE

It's climate is sub-tropical, tending towards temperate for nearly half the year. During November and December there are pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Many people regard these as the best months of the year. January and February are more cloudy, with occasional cold fronts followed by dry northerly winds. It is not uncommon for temperatures to drop below 10 C in urban areas. The lowest temperature recorded at the Observatory is 0 C, although sub-zero temperatures and frost occur at times on high ground and in the New Territories.

LANGUAGE

Chinese (Cantonese) and English are both the official language here. So foreigners, who are planning to visit, should not have any problems exploring, and experiencing the culture of this vibrant place, since English is widely spoken here.

TIME ZONE

Local time is GMT +8

CURRENCY

The HongKong dollar is the currency in use. One American dollar roughly equals around 7 HKD. Hong Kong Basics

Hong Kong is essentially four sections, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, New Territories and Outlying Islands. Kowloon and the New Territories are part of the Chinese mainland to the north of Victoria Harbor. Hong Kong Island, where the main business hub exists, is situated on the southern side of the harbor facing Kowloon. The Outlying Islands consist of 234 islands. Hong Kong enjoys a sub-tropical climate. Winters are cool and dry, summers hot and humid (often extremely so). Winter lasts from January to March, the coldest month being February. Typhoons are possible during the autumn months. A Typhoon Warning System is in place, with television and radio giving plenty of notice about approaching storms or heavy rain. Hong Kong Time

GMT +8 Voltage

220 volts, 50 Hertz. The UK standard 3 pin plug design is standard throughout Hong Kong, a legacy of British colonial rule. International dialling code

+852 Mobile Phones

There are no area codes in Hong Kong. Cellular communications are widespread and coverage excellent. The supported systems are GSM 900, PCS 1800 and CDMA. Pre-paid SIM cards are widely available from convenience stores. Hong Kong mobile phone operators have roaming agreements with most overseas operators. See also: Mobile Phones in Hong Kong | Prepaid SIM Cards Internet

Internet cafes are plentiful and access is free at many coffee shops, public libraries etc. Money

The unit of currency the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) divided into 100 cents. Banks are open from 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12.30pm on Saturday. All major credit cards are accepted and ATMs are plentiful. See also: Expat Banking in hong Kong Tipping

A 10% service charge is often added to bills in Hong Kong. Waiters will expect some loose change, and if no service charge is included a 10% tip is expected. Taxis fares are rounded up to the nearest dollar, usually automatically by the driver. Safety

Be in no doubt that Hong Kong is an extremely safe city. That said the usual precautions should be taken to protect you against pickpockets and similar crimes. Country parks are also occasionally targeted by robbers. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. See also: Is Hong Kong Safe? Driving in Hong Kong In Hong Kong, you should drive on the left. In urban areas, 50 kilometre per hours is the speed limit and 80 on main roads. You are required to wear seatbelts by law and that includes taxis, for both front seat passengers and those in the rear. A minimum of third party liability insurance is compulsory. A heavy fine will be imposed if you are caught using a cellphone without a handsfree device. Many people can drive for up to 12 months on their home issued licence and obtaining a Hong Kong driving licence is relatively straightforward. http://www.orientexpat.com/hong-kong-expat/basics

Basic Facts about Hong Kong

Spoken languages:

Mainly Cantonese. English and Mandarin are widely used in the Government and by the legal, professional and business sectors as well as tourist areas.

Currency: Hong Kong dollars HKD (linked to the US dollar at a rate of about 7.80 HKD to 1 USD)

International Calling Code: + 852 (no regional code)

Emergency number: 999, to contact the local police, ambulance service, fire

Time Zone: GMT +8

English Operator number: 1081, a free service to search for any registered local phone numbers

Electricity: 220V / 50Hz UK plug

Smoking Restrictions:

Prohibited in all indoor public places, including restaurants, karaokes, malls and bars.

Drinking water:

Boiled tap water or bottled water http://www.ais.edu.hk/RelId/607345/ISvars/default/Basic_Facts_about_Hong_Kong.htm Hong Kong – the Facts Hong Kong is a vibrant city, and a major gateway to China. This page will give you the facts about Hong Kong – from the form of government to the languages used.

Government

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Following British rule from 1842 to 1997, China assumed sovereignty under the 'one country, two systems' principle. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's constitutional document, the Basic Law, ensures that the current political situation will remain in effect for 50 years. The rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong are based on the impartial rule of law and an independent judiciary.  Head of Government: Chief Executive  Cabinet: Executive Council  Legislature: Legislative Council, 60 seats  Highest Court: Court of Final Appeal Economy

Hong Kong's economy is characterised by free trade, low taxation and minimum government intervention. It is the world's 10th largest trading economy, with the mainland of China as its most significant trading partner. Hong Kong is also a major service economy, with particularly strong links to mainland China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.

 Currency: Hong Kong dollar  GDP: HK$1,743.5 billion (2010)  GDP per capita: HK$246,677 (2010)  Real GDP growth: +5.8% (2010)  Labour force: 3.70 million (2010) Public Holidays

Hong Kong provides two types of public holidays: statutory and general holidays. Statutory holidays are mandated under the Employment Ordinance and must be provided to all employees. General holidays include every Sunday, all statutory holidays and an additional 5 holidays.

 Working week: Monday to Saturday  Statutory holidays: 12  General holidays: 17 (including the 12 statutory holidays) Geography

At the south-eastern tip of China, Hong Kong covers Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, including 262 outlying islands. Between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula lies Victoria Harbour, one of the world's most renowned deep-water harbours.

 Total area: 1 104 square kilometres  Land developed: less than 25%  Country parks and nature reserves: 40% Climate

Hong Kong's climate is sub-tropical, with temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius in winter and exceeding 31 degrees Celsius in summer. It is warm, sunny and dry in autumn, cool and dry in winter, and hot, humid and rainy from spring to summer.

 Average annual rainfall: 2 398.5 mm  Wettest month: June  Driest month: January Population Hong Kong's population was approximately 7.00 million in 2010. People of Chinese descent comprise the vast majority of the population, with foreign nationals comprising 8%.

 Population density: 6 540 people per square kilometre  Crude birth rate: 12.5 per 1000  Percentage of population Chinese descent: 92%  Other significant national groups  Indonesia (156 319 total)  Philippines (144 463 total)  Thailand (28 067 total). Language

Chinese and English are the official languages of Hong Kong. English is widely used in the Government and by the legal, professional and business sectors. Trilingual professionals who speak English, Cantonese and Putonghua play a vital role in the numerous enterprises trading in Hong Kong or doing business with mainland China and Taiwan.

 Cantonese speakers: 89.2% of population  Putonghua speakers: 0.9% of population  Other Chinese dialect speakers: 5.5% of population  English speakers: 3.2% of population  Other language speakers: 1.2% of population http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/facts.htm

Hong Kong[note 3] (Chinese: 香港) is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other beingMacau. It is situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.[10] Hong Kong's population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups. Hong Kong's Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province.

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and then the New Territories in 1898. It was occupied by Japan during thePacific War, after which the British resumed control until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty.[13][14] The region espoused minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism during the colonial era. The time period greatly influenced the current culture of Hong Kong, often described as "East meets West", and the educational system, which used to loosely follow the system in England[17] until reforms implemented in 2009. Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has a different political system from mainland China.[19] Hong Kong's independent judiciary functions under the common law framework.[20][21] Hong Kong Basic Law, its constitutional document, which stipulates that Hong Kong shall have a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign relations and military defence, governs its political system.[22][23] Although it has a burgeoning multi-party system, a small-circle electorate controls half of its legislature. That is, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the head of government, is chosen by an Election Committee of 400 to 1,200 members, a situation that will be in effect during the first 20 years of Chinese rule. As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the eighth most traded currency in the world. The lack of space caused demand for denser constructions, which developed the city to a centre for modern architecture and the world's most vertical city. Hong Kong has one of thehighest per capita income in the world. The dense space also led to a highly developed transportation network with public transport travelling rate exceeding 90 percent, the highest in the world.[32] Hong Kong has numerous high international rankings in various aspects. For instance, itseconomic freedom, financial and economic competitiveness, quality of life, corruption perception, Human Development Index, etc., are all ranked highly. According to both UN and WHO estimates, Hong Kong has the longest life expectancy of any country in the world from 2012. Etymology

The name "Hong Kong" is an approximate phonetic rendering of the pronunciation of the spoken Cantonese or Hakka name "香港", meaning "fragrant harbour".[41] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet – now Aberdeen Harbour or 香港仔 hoeng1 gong2 zai2 "Little Hong Kong" – between the Aberdeen Island and the south side of Hong Kong Island, which was one of the first points of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[42]

The reference to fragrance may refer to the harbour waters sweetened by the fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense from factories lining the coast to the north of Kowloon, which was stored around Aberdeen Harbour for export before the development of Victoria Harbour.[41] In 1842, the Treaty of Nanking was signed, and the name Hong Kong was first recorded on official documents to encompass the entirety of the island.[43] History

Main article: History of Hong Kong Pre-colonial Main articles: Prehistoric Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong under Imperial China

Archaeological studies support a human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago, and in Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[44][45][46] Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the two earliest sites of human habitation in the Paleolithic period. It is believed the Three Fathom Cove was a river valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artifacts suggest cultural differences from the Longshan culture in northern China and settlement by the Che people prior to the migration of the Baiyue.[47][48] Eightpetroglyphs were discovered on surrounding islands, which dated to the Shang Dynasty in China.[49]

In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern Liangguang region) and incorporated the territory into imperial China for the first time. Modern Hong Kong is located in Nanhai commandery (modern Nanhai District) and near the ancient capital city Panyu.[50][51][52] The area was consolidated under the kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC after the Qin Dynasty collapsed.[53] When the kingdom was conquered by Emperor Wu of Han in 111 BC, the land was assigned to the Jiaozhi commandery under the Han Dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates the population increased and early salt production flourished in this time period. Lei Cheng Uk Han Tombin the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built during the Han Dynasty.[54]

During the Tang Dynasty period, the Guangdong region flourished as a regional trading center. In 736, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military town in Tuen Mun to defend the coastal area in the region.[55] The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 in theNew Territories under the Northern Song Dynasty.[56] During the Mongol invasion in 1276, the Southern Song Dynasty court moved to Fujian, then toLantau Island and later to Sung Wong Toi (modern Kowloon City), but the child Emperor Bing of Song committed suicide by drowning with his officials after being defeated in the Battle of Yamen. Hau Wong, an official of the emperor is still worshipped in Hong Kong today.[57]

The earliest recorded European visitor was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer who arrived in 1513.[58][59] After establishing settlements in the region, Portuguese merchants began trading in southern China. At the same time, they invaded and built up military fortifications in Tuen Mun.Military clashes between China and Portugal led to the expulsion of the Portuguese. In the mid-16th century, the Haijin order banned maritime activities and prevented contact with foreigners; it also restricted local sea activity.[57] In 1661–69, the territory was affected by the Great Clearanceordered by Kangxi Emperor, which required the evacuation of the coastal areas of Guangdong. It is recorded that about 16,000 persons from Xin'an County were driven inland, and 1,648 of those who left are said to have returned when the evacuation was rescinded in 1669.[60] What is now the territory of Hong Kong became largely wasteland during the ban.[61] In 1685, Kangxi became the first emperor to open limited trading with foreigners, which started with the Canton territory. He also imposed strict terms for trades such as requiring foreign traders to live in restricted areas, staying only for the trading seasons, banning firearms, and trading with silver only.[62] The East India Company made the first sea venture to China in 1699, and the region's trade with British merchants developed rapidly soon after. In 1711, the company established its first trading post in Canton. By 1773, the British reached a landmark 1,000 chests of opium in Canton with China consuming 2,000 chests annually by 1799.[62] British colonial era Main articles: British Hong Kong, History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)

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Flag of the British colony of Hong Kong (used in between 1870 and 1876)

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Flag of the British colony of Hong Kong(used in between 1876 and 1910)

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Flag of the British colony of Hong Kong (used between 1910 and 1959)

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Flag of the British colony of Hong Kong (Unofficial Red ensign for Hong Kong used in between 1959 to prior the

Handover of Hong Kong to the PRC in 1997)

Victoria City in the 1890s.

General Post Office in Central,City of Victoria, 1911 In 1839 the refusal by Qing Dynasty authorities to import opium resulted in the First Opium War between China and Britain. Hong Kong Island was occupied by British forces on 20 January 1841 and was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpee as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan, but the agreement was never ratified due to a dispute between high-ranking officials in both governments.[63] It was not until 29 August 1842 that the island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking. The British established a crown colony with the founding of Victoria City the following year.[64]

Under British rule, the population of Hong Kong island had increased from 7,450 Chinese residents, mostly fishermen, in 1841 to over 115,000 Chinese and 8,754 Europeans in Hong Kong (including Kowloon) in 1870.[65]

In 1860 after China's defeat in the Second Opium War, the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutter's Island were ceded in perpetuity to Britain under theConvention of Peking.

In 1894 the deadly Third Pandemic of bubonic plague spread from China to Hong Kong, causing 50,000– 100,000 deaths.[66]

In 1898 under the terms of the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, Britain obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island and the adjacent northern lands, which became known as the New Territories.[67] Hong Kong's territory has remained unchanged to the present.[68][69]

During the first half of the 20th century, Hong Kong was a free port, serving as an entrepôt of the British Empire. The British introduced an education system based on their own model, while the local Chinese population had little contact with the European community of wealthy tai-pans settled nearVictoria Peak.[67] Japanese invasion In conjunction with its military campaign, the Empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941.[70] The Battle of Hong Kong ended with British and Canadian defenders surrendering control of the colony to Japan on 25 December.[71] During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, civilians suffered widespread food shortages, rationing, and hyper-inflation due to forced exchange of currency for military notes. Through a policy of enforced repatriation of the unemployed to the mainland throughout the period, because of the scarcity of food, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony.[72] Cold war era Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s

Hong Kong's population recovered quickly as a wave of migrants from China arrived for refuge from the ongoing Chinese Civil War. When the PRC was proclaimed in 1949, more migrants fled to Hong Kong for fear of persecution by the Communist Party.[67] Many corporations in Shanghai and Guangzhou shifted their operations to Hong Kong.[67]

In the 1950s Hong Kong's rapid industrialization was driven by textile exports and other expanded manufacturing industries. As the population grew and labour costs remained low, living standards rose steadily.[73] The construction of Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 followed a massive slum fire, and marked the beginning of the public housing estateprogramme designed to cope with the huge influx of immigrants. Trade in Hong Kong accelerated even further when Shenzhen, immediately north of Hong Kong, became a special economic zoneof the PRC, and Hong Kong was established as the main source of foreign investment in China.[74] The manufacturing competitiveness gradually declined in Hong Kong due to the development of the manufacturing industry in southern China beginning in the early 1980s. By contrast, the service industry in Hong Kong experienced high rates of growth in the 1980s and 1990s after absorbing workers released from the manufacturing industry.[75]

Development of Hong Kong Island in 1986

Throughout the British colonial era, Hong Kong was industrialized and improved in all aspects from its economy to its health care system. Many health facilities were built for its citizens, for example the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, the Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, the Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong and the Prince of Wales Hospital. Many changes happened during this era shaped the future of Hong Kong. In the year 1983, when the United Kingdom reclassified Hong Kong from a British crown colony to a dependent territory, the governments of the United Kingdom and China were already discussing the issue of Hong Kong's sovereignty due to the impending expiration (within two decades) of the lease of the New Territories. In 1984 the Sino-British Joint Declaration – an agreement to transfer sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997 – was signed.[67]It stipulated that Hong Kong would be governed as a special administrative region, retaining its laws and a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, which is based on the English law would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer, was ratified in 1990.[67] Since 1997 Main articles: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and 2000s in Hong Kong

On 1 July 1997 the transfer of sovereignty from United Kingdom to the PRC occurred, officially ending 156 years of British colonial rule. Hong Kong became China's first special administrative region, and Tung Chee Hwa took office as the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong. That same year, Hong Kong suffered an economic double blow from the Asian financial crisis and the H5N1 avian influenza.[67] In 2003 Hong Kong was gravely affected by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).[76][77] The World Health Organization reported 1,755 infected and 299 deaths in Hong Kong.[78] An estimated 380 million Hong Kong dollars (US$48.9 million) in contracts were lost as a result of the epidemic.[79]

On 10 March 2005 Tung Chee Hwa announced his resignation as Chief Executive due to "health problems".[80] Donald Tsang, the Chief Secretary for Administration at the time, entered the 2005 election unopposed and became the second Chief Executive of Hong Kong on 21 June 2005.[81] In 2007 Tsang won the Chief Executive election and continued his second term in office.[82] In 2009 Hong Kong hosted the fifth East Asian Games, in which nine national teams competed. It was the first and largest international multi-sport event ever held in the territory.[83] Today, Hong Kong continues to serve as an important global financial centre, but faces uncertainty over its future due to the growing mainland China economy, and its relationship with the PRC government in areas such as democratic reform and universal suffrage.[84] Governance

Main articles: Politics of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government, and Elections in Hong Kong

The Legislative Council Building in Centralbecame the home to Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 1985.

Owing to its long history as a colony of the British Empire, Hong Kong is a city-state which continues to enjoy a high degree of autonomy even after its return to China.[85] In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the underlying principle of one country, two systems, Hong Kong has a "high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs."[note 4] The declaration stipulates that the region maintain its capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of its people for at least 50 years beyond the 1997 handover.[note 5] The guarantees over the territory's autonomy and the individual rights and freedoms are enshrined in a constitution, the Hong Kong Basic Law (formed based on the Common law of England), which outlines the system of governance of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, but which is subject to the interpretation of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).[86][87]

The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, the civil service, the Legislative Council, and the Judiciary. The Executive Council is headed by the Chief Executive who is elected by the Election Committee and then appointed by the Central People's Government.[88][89] The civil service is a politically neutral body that implements policies and provides government services, where public servants are appointed based on meritocracy.[25][90] The Legislative Council has 60 members, half of whom are directly elected by universal suffrage by permanent residents of Hong Kong according to five geographical constituencies. The other half, known as functional constituencies, are directly elected by a smaller electorate, which consists of corporate bodies and persons from various stipulated functional sectors. The entire council is headed by the President of the Legislative Council who serves as the speaker.[91][92] Judges are appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of an independent commission.[20][93]

Government House is the official residence of the Chief Executive.

The implementation of the Basic Law, including how and when the universal suffrage promised therein is to be achieved, has been a major issue of political debate since the transfer of sovereignty. In 2002, the government's proposed anti-subversion bill pursuant to Article 23 of the Basic Law, which required the enactment of laws prohibiting acts of treason and subversion against the Chinese government, was met with fierce opposition, and eventually shelved.[22][94][95] Debate between pro-Beijing groups, which tend to support the Executive branch, and the Pan-democracy campcharacterises Hong Kong's political scene, with the latter supporting a faster pace of democratisation, and the principle of one man, one vote.[96]

In 2004 the government failed to gain pan-democrat support to pass its so-called "district council model" for political reform.[97] In 2009, the government reissued the proposals as the "Consultation Document on the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive and for Forming the LegCo in 2012". The document proposed the enlargement of the Election Committee, Hong Kong's electoral college, from 800 members to 1,200 in 2012 and expansion of the legislature from 60 to 70 seats. The ten new legislative seats would consist of five geographical constituency seats and five functional constituency seats, to be voted in by elected district council members from among themselves.[98] The proposals were destined for rejection by pan-democrats once again, but a significant breakthrough occurred after the Central People's Government accepted a counter-proposal by the Democratic Party. In particular, the Pan-democracy camp was split when the proposal to directly elect five newly created functional seats was not acceptable to two constituent parties. The Democratic Party sided with the government for the first time since the handover and passed the proposals with a vote of 46–12.[99] Legal system and judiciary Main articles: Law of Hong Kong and Judiciary of Hong Kong

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Statue of Themis on the Legislative Council Building.

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The Court of Final Appealin Central is the supreme court of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's legal system is completely independent from the legal system of Mainland China. In contrast to mainland China's civil law system, Hong Kong continues to follow the English Common Law tradition established under British rule.[100] Hong Kong's courts may refer to decisions rendered by courts of other common law jurisdictions as precedents,[20][101] and judges from other common law jurisdictions are allowed to sit as non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal.[20][101]

Structurally, the court system consists of the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, which is made up of the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance, and the District Court, which includes the Family Court.[102] Other adjudicative bodies include the Lands Tribunal, the Magistrates' Courts, the Juvenile Court, the Coroner's Court, the Labour Tribunal, the Small Claims Tribunal, and the Obscene Articles Tribunal.[102] Justices of the Court of Final Appeal are appointed by Hong Kong's Chief Executive.[20][101]

The Department of Justice is responsible for handling legal matters for the government. Its responsibilities include providing legal advice, criminal prosecution, civil representation, legal and policy drafting and reform, and international legal cooperation between different jurisdictions.[100] Apart from prosecuting criminal cases, lawyers of the Department of Justice act on behalf of the government in all civil and administrative lawsuits against the government.[100] As protector of the public interest, the department may apply for judicial reviews and may intervene in any cases involving the greater public interest.[103] The Basic Law protects the Department of Justice from any interference by the government when exercising its control over criminal prosecution.[104][105] Human rights Main article: Human rights in Hong Kong

Hong Kong 1 July march with British Hong Kong flag.

Hong Kong's Basic law is based on the English law and so in general, Hong Kong is perceived to enjoy a high level of civil liberties.[106] The Hong Kong government generally respect the human rights of the citizens, although core issues remain.[107] There are concerns over the freedom of assemblywhich is restricted by the Public Order Ordinance. The police has been occasionally accused of using heavy- handed tactics towards protestors[108] and questions are asked towards the extensive powers of the police.[109] As to the right of privacy, covert surveillance remains the major concern.[110] There is a lack of protection for gay men and lesbians due to the absence of a sexual orientation discrimination law, though there are currently no laws that criminalize homosexuality per se.[111] There are also comments regarding a lack of protection for labour rights.[107]

Internet censorship in Hong Kong operates under different principles and regulations than under the rest of China.[112] Administrative districts

Statistics[show]

Main article: Districts of Hong Kong

Hong Kong has a unitary system of government; no local government has existed since the two municipal councils were abolished in 2000. As such there is no formal definition for its cities and towns. Administratively, Hong Kong is subdivided into 18 geographic districts, each represented by adistrict council which advises the government on local matters such as public facilities, community programmes, cultural activities, and environmental improvements.[115]

There are a total of 534 district council seats, 405 of which are elected; the rest are appointed by the Chief Executive and 27 ex officio chairmen of rural committees.[115] The Home Affairs Department communicates government policies and plans to the public through the district offices.[116] Military

Coat of Arms of the Royal Hong Kong Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (UK) (UK)

Hong Kong Military Service Corps (UK)

The Cenotaph of Hong Kong. Constructed in 1923, it commemorates the dead in the First and Second World War that served in Hong Kong in the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

Main articles: Royal Hong Kong Regiment, Hong Kong Military Service Corps, and British Forces Overseas Hong Kong

When Hong Kong was a British colony and later, a dependent territory, defence was provided by the British militaryunder the command of the Governor of Hong Kong who was ex officio Commander-in- chief.[117] Most of the members of the British Forces in Hong Kong were from Britain but there were locally enlisted personnel (LEP) who served as regular British Forces members in the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy as well as the Hong Kong Military Service Corps. The Royal Hong Kong Regiment a military unit part of the Hong Kong Government, trained and organised along timelines of British Territorial Army and supported by British Army personnel holding key positions. These British Army personnel, for their duration of service to the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, are seconded to the Hong Kong Government. In the post-WWII era, the majority of the regiment's members have been local citizens of Chinese descent.[citation needed]

The Hong Kong Military Service Corps maintained its reputation for loyalty and military skill at the highest level, often outshining British and Gurkha troops based in Hong Kong. The HKMSC Shooting Team won the Team and Individual champion pistol shot a number of times at RASAAM (the Regular Army Skill at Arms Meeting) at Bisley, in the UK, and in 1992 a Training Company team representing the HQ and Depot HKMSC won the Dragon Cup for military skills (outperforming the Queen's Gurkha Signals in signalling and the British Military Hospital team in first aid); the competition was not held again.[citation needed]

The HKMSC reached a peak strength of 1,200 men, providing the British garrison in Hong Kong with supporting personnel. All HKMSC soldiers were basically trained in Hong Kong and from time to time attended upgrading and trade courses in the United Kingdom. HKMSC soldiers who were posted to and served with other non-HKMSC units, wore the other units' cap badge. Unit personnel were enlisted as officers and drivers in 29 Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) based in Gun Club Hill Barracks. It provided crews for 415 Maritime Troop based on Stonecutters' Island, dog handlers in the Defence Animal Support Unit (DASU) of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) based in Sek Kong, officer instructors in the Royal Army Educational Corps (RAEC), officers and clerks in the Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC), technicians in the Royal Signals (R Sigs) of the Queen's Gurkha Signals (QGS) and engineers and armourers in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). The HKMC trained physical training instructors (PTI) in the Army Physical Training Corps (APTC), medics in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) based in the British Military Hospital (BMH), military police in the Royal Military Police (RMP), helicopter support crews in 660 Squadron Army Air Corps (AAC) based at Sek Kong Airfield, cooks in the Army Catering Corps (ACC), Weapons and Supplies Storekeepers in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) and intelligence staff in the Intelligence Corps. They also provided interpreters, clerks, Regimental Police and light-infantry personnel in Dragon Company of the General Service Corps (GSC) headquartered in Osborn Baracks, Kowloon Tong. The HKMSC offered Hong Kong Chinese soldiers the opportunity to pursue a full career in the British Regular Army up to and including a Queen's Commissioned officer rank of the General List (HKMSC). As all members of the HKMSC were British Regular Army soldiers, they received a Regular Army Service Record Book when they left the army. Many of them had also been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (LS&GC) after 15 years of good and loyal service. British gallantry awards, Orders, Decorations and Medal Ribbons had also been presented to some HKMSC soldiers; such as the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM), the British Empire Medal (BEM), Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and the Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).[citation needed]

When the PRC assumed sovereignty in 1997 the British barracks were replaced by a garrison of the People's Liberation Army, comprising ground, naval, and air forces, and under the command of the Chinese Central Military Commission.

The Hong Kong Basic Law is formed based on the Common law of England and it protects local civil affairs against interference by the garrison, and members of the garrison are subject to Hong Kong laws. The Hong Kong Government remains responsible for the maintenance of public order; however, it may ask the PRC government for help from the garrison in maintaining public order and in disaster relief. The PRC government is responsible for the costs of maintaining the garrison.[22][118] Geography and climate

Main articles: Geography of Hong Kong, Ecology of Hong Kong, and Climate of Hong Kong

Areas of urban development and vegetation are visible in this false-colour satellite image.

Hong Kong is located on China's south coast, 60 km (37 mi) east of Macau on the opposite side of the Pearl River Delta. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on the east, south, and west, and borders the Guangdong city ofShenzhen to the north over the Shenzhen River. The territory's 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) area consists of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and over 200 offshore islands, of which the largest is Lantau Island. Of the total area, 1,054 km2 (407 sq mi) is land and 50 km2 (19 sq mi) is inland water. Hong Kong claims territorial waters to a distance of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km). Its land area makes Hong Kong the 179th largest inhabited territory in the world.[3][9]

As much of Hong Kong's terrain is hilly to mountainous with steep slopes, less than 25% of the territory's landmass is developed, and about 40% of the remaining land area is reserved as country parks and nature reserves.[119] Most of the territory's urban development exists on Kowloon peninsula, along the northern edge of Hong Kong Island, and in scattered settlements throughout the New Territories.[120] The highest elevation in the territory is at Tai Mo Shan, 957 metres (3,140 ft) above sea level.[121] Hong Kong's long and irregular coast provides it with many bays, rivers and beaches.[122] On 18 September 2011, UNESCO listed the Hong Kong National Geopark as part of its Global Geoparks Network. Hong Kong Geopark is made up of eight Geo-Areas distributed across the Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region and Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region.[123]

Despite Hong Kong's reputation of being intensely urbanised, the territory has tried to promote a green environment,[124] and recent growing public concern has prompted the severe restriction of further land reclamation from Victoria Harbour.[125] Awareness of the environment is growing as Hong Kong suffers from increasing pollution compounded by its geography and tall buildings. Approximately 80% of the city's smog originates from other parts of the Pearl River Delta.[126]

Though it is situated just south of the Tropic of Cancer, Hong Kong has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). Summer is hot and humid with occasional showers and thunderstorms, and warm air coming from the southwest. Summer is when typhoons are most likely, sometimes resulting in flooding or landslides. Winters are mild and usually start sunny, becoming cloudier towards February; the occasional cold front brings strong, cooling winds from the north. The most temperate seasons are spring, which can be changeable, and autumn, which is generally sunny and dry.[127] Hong Kong averages 1,948 hours of sunshine per year,[128] while the highest and lowest ever recorded temperatures at the Hong Kong Observatory are 36.1 °C (97.0 °F) and 0.0 °C(32.0 °F), respectively.[129]

[hide]Climate data for Hong Kong (1981–2010)

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year 18.6 18.9 21.4 25.0 28.4 30.2 31.4 31.1 30.1 27.8 24.1 20.2 25.6 Average high °C (°F) (65.5) (66.0) (70.5) (77.0) (83.1) (86.4) (88.5) (88.0) (86.2) (82.0) (75.4) (68.4) (78.1)

16.3 16.8 19.1 22.6 25.9 27.9 28.8 28.6 27.7 25.5 21.8 17.9 23.24 Daily mean °C (°F) (61.3) (62.2) (66.4) (72.7) (78.6) (82.2) (83.8) (83.5) (81.9) (77.9) (71.2) (64.2) (73.84)

14.5 15.0 17.2 20.8 24.1 26.2 26.8 26.6 25.8 23.7 19.8 15.9 21.4 Average low °C (°F) (58.1) (59.0) (63.0) (69.4) (75.4) (79.2) (80.2) (79.9) (78.4) (74.7) (67.6) (60.6) (70.5)

24.7 54.4 82.2 174.7 304.7 456.1 376.5 432.2 327.6 100.9 37.6 26.8 2,398.4 Rainfall mm (inches) (0.972) (2.142) (3.236) (6.878) (11.996) (17.957) (14.823) (17.016) (12.898) (3.972) (1.48) (1.055) (94.425)

% humidity 74 80 82 83 83 82 81 81 78 73 71 69 78.0

Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 5.37 9.07 10.90 12.00 14.67 19.07 17.60 16.93 14.67 7.43 5.47 4.47 137.65

Mean monthly sunshine hours 143.0 94.2 90.8 101.7 140.4 146.1 212.0 188.9 172.3 193.9 180.1 172.2 1,835.6

Source: Hong Kong Observatory [130] Economy

Main article: Economy of Hong Kong

The International Finance Centre in Central

As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade. The currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the eighth most traded currency in the world as of 2010.[28] Hong Kong was once described by Milton Friedman as the world‘s greatest experiment in laissez-faire capitalism.[131] It maintains a highly developed capitalist economy, ranked the freest in the world by the Index of Economic Freedom every year since 1995.[132][133][134] It is an important centre for international finance and trade, with one of the greatest concentrations of corporate headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region,[135] and is known as one of the Four Asian Tigers for its high growth rates and rapid development from the 1960s to the 1990s. Between 1961 and 1997 Hong Kong's gross domestic product grew 180 times while per-capita GDP increased 87 times over.[136][137][138]

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is the seventh largest in the world, with a market capitalisation of US$2.3 trillion as of December 2009.[139] In that year, Hong Kong raised 22 percent of worldwide initial public offering (IPO) capital, making it the largest centre of IPOs in the world [140] and the easiest place to raise capital.[141] Hong Kong's currency is the Hong Kong dollar, which has been pegged to the U.S. dollar since 1983.[142]

The Hong Kong Government has traditionally played a mostly passive role in the economy, with little by way of industrial policy and almost no import or export controls. Market forces and the private sector were allowed to determine practical development. Under the official policy of "positive non-interventionism", Hong Kong is often cited as an example of laissez-faire capitalism. Following the Second World War, Hong Kong industrialised rapidly as a manufacturing centre driven by exports, and then underwent a rapid transition to a service-based economy in the 1980s.[143] Since then, it has grown to become a leading center for management, financial, IT, business consultation and professional services.[141]

Hong Kong matured to become a financial centre in the 1990s, but was greatly affected by the Asian financial crisis in 1998, and again in 2003 by the SARS outbreak. A revival of external and domestic demand has led to a strong recovery, as cost decreases strengthened the competitiveness of Hong Kong exports and a long deflationary period ended.[144][145] Government intervention, initiated by the later colonial governments and continued since 1997, has steadily increased, with the introduction of export credit guarantees, acompulsory pension scheme, a minimum wage, anti-discrimination laws, and a state mortgage backer.[131]

The territory has little arable land and few natural resources, so it imports most of its food and raw materials. Agricultural activity—relatively unimportant to Hong Kong‘s economy and contributing just 0.1% of its GDP—primarily consists of growing premium food and flower varieties.[141] Hong Kong is the world's eleventh largest trading entity,[146] with the total value of imports and exports exceeding its gross domestic product. It is the world's largest re-export centre.[147] Much of Hong Kong's exports consist of re- exports,[148] which are products made outside of the territory, especially in mainland China, and distributed via Hong Kong. Its physical location has allowed the city to establish a transportation and logistics infrastructure that includes the world‘s second busiest container port and the world‘s busiest airport for international cargo.[141] Even before the transfer of sovereignty, Hong Kong had established extensive trade and investment ties with the mainland, which now enable it to serve as a point of entry for investment flowing into the mainland. At the end of 2007, there were 3.46 million people employed full- time, with the unemployment rate averaging 4.1% for the fourth straight year of decline.[149] Hong Kong's economy is dominated by the service sector, which accounts for over 90% of its GDP, while industry constitutes 9%. Inflation was at 2.5% in 2007.[150] Hong Kong's largest export markets are mainland China, the United States, and Japan.[3]

As of 2010 Hong Kong is the eighth most expensive city for expatriates, falling from fifth position in the previous year.[151] Hong Kong is ranked fourth in terms of the highest percentage of millionaire households, behind Switzerland, Qatar, and Singapore with 8.5 percent of all households owning at least one million US dollars.[152] In 2011, Hong Kong was ranked second in theEase of Doing Business Index, behind Singapore.[153] General principle No. 5 of the Basic Law of the SAR suggests that the CPC expects that it shall have brought the economic system of the Mainland and Hong Kong into harmony by 2047, by which time the Chinese economy is predicted by Businessweek to have been the largest by any measure of GDP for decades.[154] Demographics The territory's population is 7.03 million. In 2009 Hong Kong had a birth rate of 11.7 per 1,000 population and a fertility rate of 1,032 children per 1,000 women.[155] Residents from mainland China do not have the right of abode in Hong Kong, nor are they allowed to enter the territory freely.[94] However, the influx of immigrants from mainland China, approximating 45,000 per year, is a significant contributor to its population growth – a daily quota of 150 Mainland Chinese with family ties in Hong Kong are granted a "one way permit".[156] Life expectancy in Hong Kong is 79.16 years for males and 84.79 years for females as of 2009, making it one of the highest life expectancies in the world.[3]

About 95% of the people of Hong Kong are of Chinese descent,[11] the majority of whom are Taishanese, Chiu Chow, other Cantonese people, and Hakka. Hong Kong's Han majority originate mainly from the Guangzhou and Taishan regions in Guangdong province.[12] The remaining 5% of the population is composed of non-ethnic Chinese.[11] There is a South Asian population of Indians, Pakistanis and Nepalese; some Vietnamese refugees have become permanent residents of Hong Kong. There are also Europeans (mostly British), Americans, Canadians, Japanese, and Koreans working in the city's commercial and financial sector.[note 6] In 2008, there were an estimate of 252,500 foreign domestic helpers from Indonesia and the Philippines working in Hong Kong.[158]

Hong Kong's de facto official language is Cantonese, a Chinese language originating from Guangdong province to the north of Hong Kong.[159] English is also an official language, and according to a 1996 by- census is spoken by 3.1 percent of the population as an everyday language and by 34.9 percent of the population as a second language.[160] Signs displaying both Chinese and English are common throughout the territory. Since the 1997 handover, an increase in immigrants from mainland China and greater integration with the mainland economy have brought an increasing number of Mandarin speakers to Hong Kong.[161]

The Roman Catholic Cathedral on Hong Kong Island

A majority of residents of Hong Kong would claim no religious affiliation, professing a form of agnosticism or atheism.[162] According to the U.S Department of State only 43 percent of the population practices some form of religion.[163] Some figures put it higher, according to a Gallup poll, 64% of Hong Kong residents do not believe in any religion,[164][165] and possibly 80% of Hong Kong claim no religion.[166] In Hong Kong teaching evolution won out in curriculum dispute about whether to teach other explanations, and that creationism and intelligent design will form no part of the senior secondary biology curriculum.[167][168]

Bell tower of St. John's Cathedral in Central, Hong Kong (22 May 2007)

Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of religious freedom, guaranteed by the Basic Law. Hong Kong's main religions are Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism; a local religious scholar in contact with major denominations estimates there are approximately 1.5 million Buddhists and Taoists.[163] A Christian community of around 833,000 forms about 11.7% of the total population;[169] Protestants forms a larger number than Catholics at a rate of 4:3, although smaller Christian communities exist, including the Latter- Day Saints[170] and Jehovah's Witnesses.[171] The Anglican and Roman Catholic churches each freely appoint their own bishops, unlike in mainland China. There are also Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Bahá'ícommunities.[172] The practice of Falun Gong is tolerated.[173]

Statistically Hong Kong's income gap is the greatest in Asia Pacific. According to a report by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 2008, Hong Kong's Gini coefficient, at 0.53, was the highest in Asia and "relatively high by international standards".[174][175] However, the government has stressed that income disparity does not equate to worsening of the poverty situation, and that the Gini coefficient is not strictly comparable between regions. The government has named economic restructuring, changes in household sizes, and the increase of high-income jobs as factors that have skewed the Gini coefficient.[176][177][178] Education

Main article: Education in Hong Kong

A view over the University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong's education system used to roughly follow the system in England,[17] although international systems exist. The government maintains a policy of "mother tongue instruction" (Chinese: 母語教學) in which the medium of instruction is Cantonese,[179] with written Chinese and English. In secondary schools, 'biliterate and trilingual' proficiency is emphasised, and Mandarin-language education has been increasing.[180] The Programme for International Student Assessment ranked Hong Kong's education system as the second best in the world.[181] Hong Kong's public schools are operated by the Education Bureau. The system features a non-compulsory three-year kindergarten, followed by a compulsory six- year primary education, a compulsory three-year junior secondary education, a non-compulsory two-year senior secondary education leading to the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations and a two- year matriculation course leading to the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examinations.[182] The New Senior Secondary academic structure and curriculum was implemented in September 2009, which provides for all students to receive three years of compulsory junior and three years of compulsory senior secondary education.[18][183] Under the new curriculum, there is only one public examination, namely the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education.[184]

Most comprehensive schools in Hong Kong fall under three categories: the rarer public schools; the more common subsidised schools, including government aids-and-grant schools; and private schools, often run by Christian organisations and having admissions based on academic merit rather than on financial resources. Outside this system are the schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme and private international schools.[183]

There are nine public universities in Hong Kong, and a number of private higher institutions, offering various bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, other higher diplomas, and associate degree courses. The University of Hong Kong, the oldest institution of tertiary education in the territory, was described by Quacquarelli Symonds as a "world-class comprehensive research university"[185] and was ranked 24th on the 2009 THES - QS World University Rankings,[186] making it first in Asia.[187] The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology was ranked 35th in the world in 2009 and ranked second in Asia for 2010. The Chinese University of Hong Kong was ranked 46th in the world in 2009 and ranked fourth in Asia for 2010.[187] Based on the 2011 rankings published by career and education network QS, three of the top five Asian universities are in Hong Kong. They are the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong as first, second and fifth rank, respectively.[188] Healthcare This section does not cite anyreferences or sources. (April 2012)

There are 13 private hospitals and more than 50 public hospitals in Hong Kong. Among the widest range of healthcare services throughout the globe are on offer, and some of the SAR's private hospitals are rightly considered to be among the very best of their type in the world.

There are two medical schools in the SAR, one based at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the other at Hong Kong University. Both have strong links with public sector hospitals.

With respect to postgraduate education, traditionally many doctors in Hong Kong have looked overseas for further training, and many took British Royal College exams such as the MRCP(UK) and the MRCS(UK). However, Hong Kong has been developing its own postgraduate medical institutions, in particular the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and this is gradually taking over the responsibility for all postgraduate medical training in the SAR.

There are also strong public health systems in Hong Kong, and the Centre for Health Protection, founded after the SARS outbreak of 2003, is particularly worthy of mention.

By 2011, however, there have been growing concerns that mothers-to-be from Mainland China, in a bid to obtain the right of abode in Hong Kong and the benefits that come with it, have saturated the neonatal wards of the city's hospitals, both public and private sectors, which has led to outcries and protests from local pregnant women for the government to remedy the issue, as they have found difficulty securing a bed space for giving birth and arrange routine check-ups. Other concerns in the decade of 2001–2010 relate to the workload medical staff experience; and medical errors and mishaps, which are frequently highlighted in local news. Culture

Main article: Culture of Hong Kong

City lights of Kowloon: Mong Kok, Sai Yeung Choi Street South, at the corner with Nelson Street. (2011)

Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where "East meets West", reflecting the culture's mix of the territory's Chinese roots with influences from its time as a British colony.[16] Hong Kong balances a modernised way of life with traditional Chinese practices. Concepts like feng shui are taken very seriously, with expensive construction projects often hiring expert consultants, and are often believed to make or break a business.[189] Other objects like Ba gua mirrors are still regularly used to deflect evil spirits,[190] and buildings often lack any floor number that has a 4 in it,[191] due to its similarity to the word for "die" in Cantonese.[192] The fusion of east and west also characterises Hong Kong's cuisine, where dim sum, hot pot, and fast foodrestaurants coexist with haute cuisine.[193]

Hong Kong is a recognised global centre of trade, and calls itself an "entertainment hub".[194] Its martial arts film genre gained a high level of popularity in the late 1960s and 1970s. Several Hollywood performers, notable actors and martial artists have originated from Hong Kong cinema, notably Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Jet Li. A number of Hong Kong film-makers have achieved widespread fame in Hollywood, such as John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, and Stephen Chow.[194] Homegrown films such as Chungking Express, Infernal Affairs, Shaolin Soccer,Rumble in the Bronx, In the Mood for Love and Echoes of the Rainbow have gained international recognition. Hong Kong is the centre for Cantopopmusic, which draws its influence from other forms of Chinese music and Western genres, and has a multinational fanbase.[195]

A statue of Bruce Lee on the Avenue of Stars, a tribute to the city's martial arts

The Hong Kong government supports cultural institutions such as the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. The government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department subsidises and sponsors international performers brought to Hong Kong. Many international cultural activities are organised by the government, consulates, and privately.[196][197]

Hong Kong has two licensed terrestrial broadcasters – ATV and TVB. There are three local and a number of foreign suppliers of cable and satellite services.[198] The production of Hong Kong's soap dramas, comedy series, and variety shows reach audiences throughout the Chinese-speaking world. Magazine and newspaper publishers in Hong Kong distribute and print in both Chinese and English, with a focus on sensationalism and celebrity gossip.[199] The media in Hong Kong is relatively free from official interference compared to mainland China, although the Far Eastern Economic Reviewpoints to signs of self-censorship by journals whose owners have close ties to or business interests in the People's Republic of China and states that even Western media outlets are not immune to growing Chinese economic power.[200]

Hong Kong offers wide recreational and competitive sport opportunities despite its limited land area. It sends delegates to international competitions such as the Olympic Games and Asian Games, and played host to the equestrian events during the 2008 Summer Olympics.[201] There are major multipurpose venues like Hong Kong Coliseumand MacPherson Stadium. Hong Kong's steep terrain and extensive trail network with expansive views attracts hikers, and its rugged coastline provides many beaches for swimming.[202] Cityscape

A view from Victoria Peak, looking north over Central, Victoria A view from Victoria Peak, looking north over Central, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon (2011). Harbour and Kowloon at night (2011). Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Hong Kong

See also: List of tallest buildings in Hong Kong

According to Emporis, there are 1,223 skyscrapers in Hong Kong, which puts the city at the top of world rankings.[203] It has more buildings higher than 500 ft (or 150m) than any other city. The high density and tall skyline of Hong Kong's urban area is due to a lack of available sprawl space, with the average distance from the harbour front to the steep hills of Hong Kong Island at 1.3 km (0.81 mi),[204] much of it reclaimed land. This lack of space causes demand for dense, high-rise offices and housing. Thirty-six of the world's 100 tallest residential buildings are in Hong Kong.[205]More people in Hong Kong live or work above the 14th floor than anywhere else on Earth, making it the world's most vertical city.[29][30]

As a result of the lack of space and demand for construction, few older buildings remain, and the city is becoming a centre for modern architecture. The International Commerce Centre (ICC), at 484 m (1,588 ft) high, is the tallest building in Hong Kong and the third tallest in the world, by height to roof measurement.[206] The tallest building prior to the ICC is Two International Finance Centre, at 415 m (1,362 ft) high.[207] Other recognisable skyline features include the HSBC Headquarters Building, the triangular-topped Central Plaza with its pyramid-shaped spire, The Centerwith its night-time multi- coloured neon light show; A Symphony of Lights and I. M. Pei's Bank of China Tower with its sharp, angular façade. According to the Emporis website, the city skyline has the biggest visual impact of all world cities.[208] Also, Hong Kong's skyline is often regarded to be the best in the world,[209] with the surrounding mountains and Victoria Harbourcomplementing the skyscrapers.[210][211] Most of the oldest remaining historic structures, including the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, the Central Police Station, and the remains of Kowloon Walled City were constructed during the 19th and early 20th centuries.[212][213][214]

There are many development plans in place, including the construction of new government buildings,[215] waterfront redevelopment in Central,[216] and a series of projects in West Kowloon.[217]More high-rise development is set to take place on the other side of Victoria Harbour in Kowloon, as the 1998 closure of the nearby Kai Tak Airport lifted strict height restrictions.[218]

A panoramic view of the Hong Kong Island skyline at night Transport

Main article: Transport in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's transportation network is highly developed. Over 90% of daily travels (11 million) are on public transport,[31] the highest such percentage in the world.[32] Payment can be made using the Octopus card, a stored value system introduced by the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), which is widely accepted on railways, buses and ferries, and accepted like cash at other outlets.[219][220]

The city's main railway company (KCRC) was merged with the urban mass transit operator (MTR) in 2007, creating a comprehensive rail network for the whole territory (also called MTR).[221] This MTR rapid transit system has 152 stations, which serve 3.4 million people a day.[222] Hong Kong Tramways, which has served the territory since 1904, covers the northern parts of Hong Kong Island.[223]

A train at Tai Wai Station of Ship-Star-Cruises-Star-Pisces- A double-decker Kowloon Motor the Mass Transit Railway The Mass Transit Railway has Hong-Kong Bus in Hong Kong (MTR) East Rail Line. more than 150 stations in its network.

Hong Kong's bus service is franchised and run by private operators. Five privately owned companies provide franchised bus service across the territory, together operating more than 700 routes. The two largest, Kowloon Motor Bus provides 402 routes in Kowloon and New Territories; Citybus operates 154 routes on Hong Kong Island; both run cross-harbour services. Double-decker buses were introduced to Hong Kong in 1949, and are now almost exclusively used; single-decker buses remain in use for routes with lower demand or roads with lower load capacity. Public light buses serve most parts of Hong Kong, particularly areas where standard bus lines cannot reach or do not reach as frequently, quickly, or directly.[224]

The Hong Kong-Kowloon Ferry

The Star Ferry service, founded in 1888, operates four lines across Victoria Harbour and provides scenic views of Hong Kong's skyline for its 53,000 daily passengers.[225] It acquired iconic status following its use as a setting on The World of Suzie Wong. Travel writer Ryan Levitt considered the main Tsim Sha Tsui to Central crossing one of the most picturesque in the world.[226] Other ferry services are provided by operators serving outlying islands, new towns, Macau, and cities in mainland China. Hong Kong is famous for its junks traversing the harbour, and small kai-to ferries that serve remote coastal settlements.[227][228] The Port of Hong Kong is a busy deepwater port, specialising in container shipping.[229]

The Peak Tram of Hong Kong

Hong Kong Island's steep, hilly terrain was initially served by sedan chairs.[230] The Peak Tram, the first public transport system in Hong Kong, has provided vertical rail transport between Central and Victoria Peak since 1888.[231] In Central and Western district, there is an extensive system of escalators and moving pavements, including the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, the Mid- Levels escalator.[232]

Hong Kong International Airport is a leading air passenger gateway and logistics hub in Asia and one of the world's busiest airports in terms of international passenger and cargo movement, serving more than 47 million passengers and handling 3.74 million tonnes (4.12 million tons) of cargo in 2007.[233] It replaced the overcrowded Kai Tak Airport in Kowloon in 1998, and has been rated as the world's best airport in a number of surveys.[234] Over 85 airlines operate at the two-terminal airport and it is the primary hub of Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Air Hong Kong, Hong Kong Airlines, and Hong Kong Express.[233][235] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong

Japan

Introduction Japan Background: While retaining its time-honored culture, Japan rapidly absorbed Western technology during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After its devastating defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become the second most powerful economy in the world and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth.

Geography Japan

Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula Geographic 36 00 N, 138 00 E coordinates: Map references: Asia Area: total: 377,835 sq km note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami- jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto) water: 3,091 sq km land: 374,744 sq km Area - slightly smaller than California comparative: Land 0 km boundaries: Coastline: 29,751 km Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait exclusive economic zone: 200 NM Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous

Elevation lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m extremes: highest point: Fujiyama 3,776 m Natural negligible mineral resources, fish resources: Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 1% other: 87% (1998 est.) Irrigated land: 26,790 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

Environment - air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of current issues: lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere Environment - party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living international Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Geography - strategic location in northeast Asia note:

People Japan

Population: 126,974,628 (July 2002 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.5% (male 9,465,282; female 8,999,888) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 43,027,320; female 42,586,112) 65 years and over: 18% (male 9,664,112; female 13,231,914) (2002 est.) Population 0.15% (2002 est.) growth rate: Birth rate: 10.03 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) Death rate: 8.53 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) rate: Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.) Infant mortality 3.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) rate:

Life expectancy total population: 80.91 years at birth: female: 84.25 years (2002 est.) male: 77.73 years Total fertility 1.42 children born/woman (2002 est.) rate: HIV/AIDS - adult 0.02% (1999 est.) prevalence rate: HIV/AIDS - 10,000 (1999 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS - 150 (1999 est.) deaths: Nationality: noun: Japanese (singular and plural) adjective: Japanese Ethnic groups: Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 51,126, Chinese 24,424, Brazilian 18,223, Filipino 8,995, other 23,792) (2000) Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%) Languages: Japanese Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1970 est.) male: NA% female: NA%

Government Japan

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Japan Government constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government type: Capital: Tokyo

Administrative 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, divisions: Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi Independence: 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu) National holiday: Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933) Constitution: 3 May 1947 Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal Executive chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989) branch: note: following the resignation of Prime Minister Yoshiro MORI, Junichiro KOIZUMI was elected as the new president of the majority Liberal Democratic Party, and soon thereafter designated by the Diet to become the next prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the Diet designates the prime minister; the constitution requires that the prime minister must command a parliamentary majority, therefore, following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister head of government: Prime Minister Junichiro KOIZUMI (since 24 April 2001)

Legislative bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in branch: (247 seats - formerly 252; one-half of the members elected every three years - 73 seats of which are elected from the 47 multi-seat prefectural districts and 48 of which are elected from a single nationwide list; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - 180 of which are elected from 11 regional blocks on a proportional representation basis and 300 of which are elected from 300 single-seat districts; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LDP 110, DPJ 59, Komeito 23, JCP 20, SDP 8, Liberal Party 8, Conservative Party 5, independents 14; note - the distribution of seats as of January 2002 is: LDP 115, DPJ 60, Komeito 24, JCP 20, SDP 8, Liberal Party 8, independents 6, others 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LDP 233, DPJ 127, Komeito 31, Liberal Party 22, JCP 20, SDP 19, other 28; note - the distribution of seats as of January 2002 is: LDP 242, DPJ 126, Komeito 31, Liberal Party 22, JCP 20, SDP 19, NCP 7, other 13 elections: House of Councillors - last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held NA July 2004); House of Representatives - last held 25 June 2000 (next must be held by June 2004, but may occur sooner) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the cabinet)

Political parties Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Yukio HATOYAMA, leader, Naoto and leaders: KAN, secretary general]; Japan Communist Party or JCP [Tetsuzo FUWA, chairman, Tadayeshi ICHIDA, secretary general]; Komeito [Takenori KANZAKI, president, Tetsuzo FUYUSHIBA, secretary general]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Junichiro KOIZUMI, president, Taku YAMASAKI, secretary general]; Liberal Party [Ichiro OZAWA, president, Hirohisa FUJII, secretary general]; New Conservative Party or NCP [Takeshi NODA, president, Toshihiro NIKAI, secretary general]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Takako DOI, chairperson, Mizuho FUKUSHIMA, secretary general] Political NA pressure groups and leaders:

International AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), organization Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EBRD, participation: ESCAP, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO representation in FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187 the US: consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands) consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700

Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Howard H. BAKER, Jr. representation embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420 from the US: mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 205, APO AP 96337-5004 telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000 FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862 consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya Flag description: white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center

Economy Japan Economy - Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high overview: technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) have helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most technologically powerful economy in the world after the US and third largest economy in the world after the US and China. One notable characteristic of the economy is the working together of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely-knit groups called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades overall real economic growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s largely because of the aftereffects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts to revive economic growth have met with little success and were further hampered in 2000-01 by the slowing of the US and Asian economies. The crowding of habitable land area and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems. Robotics constitutes a key long-term economic strength, with Japan possessing 410,000 of the world's 720,000 "working robots". GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.45 trillion (2001 est.) GDP - real -0.3% (2001 est.) growth rate: GDP - per purchasing power parity - $27,200 (2001 est.) capita:

GDP - agriculture: 2% composition by industry: 36% sector: services: 62% (2000 est.) Population NA% below poverty line:

Household lowest 10%: 4.8% income or highest 10%: 21.7% (1993) consumption by percentage share: Distribution of 24.9 (1993) family income - Gini index: Inflation rate -0.6% (2001 est.) (consumer prices): Labor force: 67.7 million (December 2000) Labor force - by services 65%, industry 30%, agriculture 5% occupation: Unemployment 4.9% (2001) rate: Budget: revenues: $441 billion expenditures: $718 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $84 billion (FY01/02 est.) Industries: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods Industrial -8.3% (2001 est.) production growth rate: Electricity - 1.015 trillion kWh (2000) production:

Electricity - fossil fuel: 60.69% production by hydro: 8.54% source: other: 1.82% (2000) nuclear: 28.95% Electricity - 943.71 billion kWh (2000) consumption: Electricity - 0 kWh (2000) exports: Electricity - 0 kWh (2000) imports: Agriculture - rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish products: Exports: $404.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Exports - motor vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery, chemicals commodities:

Exports - US 29.7%, Taiwan 7.5%, South Korea 6.4%, China 6.3%, Hong Kong partners: 5.7% (2000 est.) Imports: $331.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.) Imports - fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, office machinery commodities:

Imports - US 19%, China 14.5%, South Korea 5.4%, Taiwan 4.7%, Indonesia 4.3%, partners: Australia 3.9% (2000 est.) Debt - external: $NA Economic aid - ODA, $9.1 billion (1999) donor: Currency: yen (JPY) Currency code: JPY Exchange rates: yen per US dollar - 132.66 (January 2002), 121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91 (1999), 130.91 (1998), 120.99 (1997) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications Japan

Telephones - 60.381 million (1997) main lines in use: Telephones - 63.88 million (2000) mobile cellular: Telephone general assessment: excellent domestic and international service system: domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)

Radio broadcast AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21 stations: (2001) Radios: 120.5 million (1997)

Television 211 plus 7,341 repeaters broadcast note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable stations: services (1999) Televisions: 86.5 million (1997) Internet country .jp code: Internet Service 73 (2000) Providers (ISPs): Internet users: 47.08 million (2001)

Transportation Japan

Railways: total: 23,654 km (15,895 km electrified) standard gauge: 3,059 km 1.435-m gauge (entirely electrified) narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (entirely electrified); 20,491 km 1.067-m gauge (12,732 km electrified); 27 km 0.762-m gauge (entirely electrified) (2000) Highways: total: 1,152,207 km paved: 863,003 km (including 6,114 km of expressways) unpaved: 289,204 km (1997 est.) Waterways: 1,770 km approximately note: seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas Pipelines: crude oil 84 km; petroleum products 322 km; natural gas 1,800 km

Ports and Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate, Higashi-Harima, Himeji, harbors: Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai

Merchant total: 615 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,995,839 GRT/14,405,159 marine: DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: China 1, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 133, cargo 48, chemical tanker 17, combination bulk 24, combination ore/oil 3, container 19, liquefied gas 50, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 189, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 48, short-sea passenger 6, vehicle carrier 54 Airports: 173 (2001)

Airports - with total: 142 paved runways: over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 37 914 to 1,523 m: 30 under 914 m: 31 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 37

Airports - with total: 31 unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 27 (2001) Heliports: 16 (2001)

Military Japan

Military Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense branches: Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force), Japanese Coast Guard Military 18 years of age (2002 est.) manpower - military age: Military males age 15-49: 29,644,498 (2002 est.) manpower - availability: Military males age 15-49: 25,637,387 (2002 est.) manpower - fit for military service: Military males: 765,817 (2002 est.) manpower - reaching military age annually: Military $40,774,300,000 (FY01) expenditures - dollar figure: Military 1% (FY01) expenditures - percent of GDP:

Transnational Japan Issues

Disputes - islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group international: occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) disputed with South Korea; Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan

Fast Facts

Your hotel concierge or guest relations manager is usually a valuable source of information. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is also well equipped and eager to help visitors and answer their questions.

Area Codes -- The area code for Hong Kong is 852. The area code for Macau is 853.

Business Hours -- Although open hours can vary, banking hours are generally Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30pm and Saturday from 9am to 12:30pm. Keep in mind, however, that some banks stop their transactions -- including foreign currency exchange -- an hour before closing time.

Most business offices are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, with lunch hour from 1 to 2pm; for those that have them (civil servants adopted a 5-day work week in 2006), Saturday business hours are generally 9am to 1pm.

Most shops are open 7 days a week. Shops in the Central District in Hong Kong are generally open from 10am to 7:30pm; in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai, 10am to 9:30pm; and in Tsim Sha Tsui, 10am to 9 or 10pm (and some even later than that). As for bars, most stay open until at least 2am; some stay open until the crack of dawn.

Dentists & Doctors -- Many first-class hotels have medical clinics with registered nurses, as well as doctors, on duty at specified hours or on call 24 hours for emergencies. Otherwise, the concierge can refer you to a doctor or dentist. The U.S. consulate (see "Embassies & Consulates") can also provide information on English-speaking doctors. If it's an emergency, dial tel. 999 (a free call) in both Hong Kong and Macau.

Drinking Laws -- The legal age for purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages (and tobacco) in Hong Kong and Macau is 18. Open hours for bars vary according to the district, though those around Lan Kwai Fong and Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong stay open the longest, often until dawn. In Macau, most every casino has at least one bar that is open 24 hours. Beer is available at convenience stores, including 7-Eleven, while a larger selection of beer, wine, and liquor is available from the basement food emporiums of department stores.

Drugstores -- Hong Kong does not have any 24-hour drugstores, so if you need something urgently in the middle of the night, you should contact one of the hospitals listed below. One of the best-known pharmacies in Hong Kong is Watson's, which dates back to the 1880s. Today, more than 100 Watson's are spread throughout Hong Kong, most of them open from 9am to 10pm. Ask the concierge at your hotel for the location of a Watson's or drugstore nearest you (only about half the Watson's dispense medicine; the rest deal only in cosmetics and toiletries). Note, however, that prescriptions can be filled only when ordered by a local doctor.

Macau also does not have 24-hour drugstores. Look for signs that say DROGARIA or FARMACIA, or ask your concierge for the location of the nearest drugstore.

Electricity -- The electricity used in both Hong Kong and Macau is 220 volts, alternating current (AC), 50 cycles (in the U.S. and Canada it's 110 volts and 60 cycles). Most laptop computers nowadays are equipped to deal with both 110 and 220 volts. Outlets are the British-style three-pin, rectangular plugs. Most hotels are equipped to fit shavers of different plugs and voltages, and higher-end hotels also have outlets with built-in plug adapters to fit foreign prongs. For cheaper hotels, ask your hotel whether it has a plug adapter you can use -- many often do, for free -- or bring your own.

Embassies & Consulates -- The following consulates are in Hong Kong. If you need to contact a consulate about an application for a visa, a lost passport, tourist information, or an emergency, telephone first to find out the hours of the various sections. The visa section, for example, may be open only during certain hours of the day. In addition, consulates are usually closed for their own national holidays and often for Hong Kong holidays as well.

The American Consulate, 26 Garden Rd., Central District (tel. 852/2523 9011; 852/2841 2211 for the American Citizens Service; http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov), is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5:30pm; its hours of service for American citizens is Monday to Friday 8:30am to noon and 1:30 to 4pm (closed Wed afternoon).

The Canadian Consulate, 12th-14th floors of Tower One, Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central District (tel. 852/3719 4700; www.canadainternational.gc.ca/hong_kong), is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 1:30pm.

The British Consulate, at 1 Supreme Court Rd., Central District (tel. 852/2901 3000;http://ukinhongkong.fco.gov.uk/en), is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:15pm.

The Australian Consulate is on the 23rd floor of Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai (tel. 852/2827 8881; www.hongkong.china.embassy.gov.au), and is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

The New Zealand Consulate is on the 65th floor of Central Plaza, 18 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai (tel. 852/2525 5044; www.nzembassy.com/hong-kong), and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm. For information on visa applications to mainland China, contact a tour operator such as China Travel Service.

Emergencies -- All emergency calls in Hong Kong and Macau are free -- just dial tel. 999 for police, fire, or ambulance.

Holidays -- Most Chinese festival holidays are determined by the lunar calendar, which changes each year, while national and Christian religious holidays, such as Labour Day, Easter, or National Day, are the same each year. Note, however, that if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, Monday becomes a holiday.

Public holidays for 2011 are New Year's Day (Jan 1); Lunar New Year (Feb 3-5); Ching Ming Festival (Apr 5); Easter (Good Friday through Easter Monday, Apr 22-25); Labour Day (May 2); Buddha's Birthday (May 10); Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival, June 6); Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (Hong Kong's return to China, July 1); Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (Sept 13); National Day (Oct 1); Chung Yeung Festival (Oct 5); and Christmas (Dec 25-27). For 2012 lunar holidays, which had not yet been announced at press time, go to www.info.gov.hk/about/abouthk/holiday.

Hospitals -- Hong Kong has more than 40 public hospitals. The following can help you round the clock: Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Rd., Hong Kong Island (tel. 852/2855 3838;www3.ha.org.hk/qmh/index.htm); and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Rd., Kowloon (tel. 852/2958 8888; www3.ha.org.hk/qeh/index.htm).

Insurance -- For information on traveler's insurance, trip cancelation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling, please visit www.frommers.com/tips.

Languages -- Before the 1997 handover, English and Cantonese were Hong Kong's two official languages. Now, however, English and "Chinese" are listed as the two official languages. However, there is no one Chinese language. Most Hong Kong and Macau Chinese speak Cantonese, but in Beijing, where the official language is Mandarin (Putonghua), Cantonese is a foreign language. In reality, Mandarin has also become the official language of the SAR and is being taught in Hong Kong schools. At any rate, while Mandarin and Cantonese differ widely, they use the same characters for writing. Therefore, while a Hong Kong Chinese and a mainland Chinese may not be able to communicate orally, they can read each other's newspapers. Chinese characters number in the tens of thousands; knowledge of at least 2,500 characters is necessary to read a newspaper. Chinese is difficult to learn primarily because of the tonal variations. Western ears may find these differences in pronunciation almost impossible to detect, but a slight change in tone changes the whole meaning. One thing you'll notice, however, is that Chinese is spoken loudly -- whispering does not seem to be part of the language.

Despite the fact that English is an official language and is spoken in hotels and tourist shops, few Chinese outside these areas understand it. Bus drivers, taxi drivers, and waiters in many Chinese restaurants do not speak English and will simply shrug their shoulders to your query. To avoid confusion, have someone in your hotel write out your destination in Chinese so that you can show it to your taxi or bus driver (and don't forget to pick up your hotel's card in case you need to show it to a taxi driver for your return). Most Chinese restaurants in tourist areas -- and almost all those listed in this guide -- have English menus. If you need assistance, try asking younger Chinese, since it's more likely that they will have studied English in school. If you'd like to learn some basic Cantonese before your trip, good choices are Conversational Cantonese Chinese (Pimsleur, 2006) and Berlitz Cantonese Chinese CD Travel Pack (Berlitz, 2003), since both include a CD so you can listen to the tonal differences. Or, to listen to a few key Cantonese phrases, go to HKTB's website at www.discoverhongkong.com and click "Plan Your Trip," then "About Hong Kong," and then "Languages."

Laundromats -- Hotels provide laundry service, though it's expensive. Only a few modestly priced accommodations catering to families have coin-operated washers and dryers. Otherwise, laundromats in Hong Kong and Macau are generally not self-service. Rather, you drop off your laundry and come back a few hours later to fetch your clothes neatly folded. If that's what you need, ask the concierge for the closest one. Clean Living (tel. 852/2333 0141; www.cleanliving.com.hk) is Hong Kong's largest laundry-service provider, with more than 30 branches open daily.

Legal Aid -- Contact your embassy if you find yourself in legal trouble. If you can't afford a solicitor (attorney), contact the Hong Kong government's Legal Aid Department, 24th to 27th floors of the Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway (tel. 852/2537 7677;www.lad.gov.hk), which provides legal aid to both residents and nonresidents who become involved in court proceedings, with fees based on a sliding scale according to the client's ability to pay. In addition, the Community Legal Information Centre provides useful information and legal advice on its website, www.hkclic.org, from how to obtain free legal advice to how to find a lawyer.

Lost & Found -- To report stolen or lost property, call the police: tel. 852/2527 7177 in Hong Kong; tel. 853/2857 3333 in Macau, or go to the nearest police station. If you've lost your passport, make a police report at the nearest station and then contact your embassy or consulate for a replacement. The minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen, alert all of your credit card companies and file a report at the nearest police station. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Visa's Hong Kong emergency number is tel. 800/900 782. American Express cardholders and traveler's check holders should call tel. 852/2811 6122. MasterCard holders should call tel. 800/966 677.

Luggage & Storage Lockers -- The best and most convenient place to store luggage is at your hotel, even if you plan on traveling to Macau or China for a couple of days. Otherwise, there are luggage-checking services ("left-luggage") at Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Station, Kowloon Station, the Macau Ferry Terminal on Hong Kong Island, and the China Hong Kong Terminal on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Mail -- Postal service is cheap and reliable. Most hotels have stamps and can mail your letters for you. Otherwise, there are plenty of post offices throughout the SAR. Most are open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 5pm and Saturday from 9:30am to 1pm. The main post office is on Hong Kong Island at 2 Connaught Place, in the Central District (tel. 852/2921 2222), where you'll find stamps sold on the first floor (what those from the U.S. would call the second floor). If you don't know where you'll be staying in Hong Kong, you can have your mail sent to the main post office above as "Poste Restante," where it will be held for 2 months; when you come to collect it, be sure to bring your passport for identification. On the Kowloon side, the main post office is at 10 Middle Rd., which is 1 block north of Salisbury Road (tel.852/2366 4111). Both are open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 6pm; in addition, the Central post office is open Sunday and holidays from 9am to 5pm, while the Tsim Sha Tsui post office is open Sunday from 9am to 2pm (closed holidays).

Mailboxes are green in Hong Kong. Airmail letters up to 20 grams and postcards cost HK$3 to the United States, Europe, or Australia. You can count on airmail letters to take about 5 to 7 days, sometimes longer, to reach the United States.

Prices for mailing packages vary as follows: Australia surface 5kg HK$181, 10kg HK$213, air 5kg HK$355, 10kg HK$645; U.K. surface 5kg HK$233, 10kg HK$271, air 5kg HK$454, 10kg HK$784; U.S. surface 5kg (11 lb.) HK$251, 10kg (22 lb.) HK$441, air 5kg HK$419, 10kg HK$799. For general inquiries, call tel. 852/2921 2222 or check www.hongkongpost.com/eng/index.htm.

Police -- You can reach the police for an emergency by dialing tel. 999, the same number as for a fire or an ambulance in Hong Kong and Macau. This is a free call. There's also a 24- hour crime hot line in Hong Kong (tel. 852/2527 7177).

Smoking -- Hong Kong is mostly smoke-free, rare in Asia. Smoking is prohibited in virtually all public places, including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, workplaces, shopping malls, and most outdoor areas like public beaches and large swaths of public parks. The fine if you're caught smoking is HK$1,500.

Though there's movement underfoot to ban smoking in Macau, it's currently permitted in public places.

Taxes -- Hong Kong is a duty-free port. In addition, since 2008 the 3% government tax has been waived for hotels and restaurants. A 10% service charge, however, is automatically added to bills for hotels, restaurants, and bars.

In Macau, also a duty-free port, hotels levy a 5% government tax and a 10% service charge on room rates. Restaurants also levy a 10% service charge, but government tax has been waived on the consumption of food and beverages.

Time -- Hong Kong and Macau are 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, 13 hours ahead of New York, 14 hours ahead of Chicago, 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles, and 2 hours ahead of Sydney. Because Hong Kong does not have a daylight saving time, subtract 1 hour from the above times if you're calling the United States in the summer. Because Hong Kong is on the other side of the international date line, you lose 1 day when traveling from North America to Asia. Don't worry -- you gain it back when you return, which means that you arrive back home the same day you left Hong Kong.

Tipping -- Even though restaurants and bars will automatically add a 10% service charge to your bill, you're still expected to leave small change for the waiter (who may never see any of that automatic 10% service charge). A general rule of thumb is to leave 5%, but in most Chinese restaurants where meals are usually inexpensive (less than HK$100), it's acceptable to leave change up to HK$5. In the finest restaurants, you should leave 10%. If you're paying by credit card, pay a cash tip, because a gratuity put on a credit card is likely to go to the restaurant and not the staff. You're also expected to tip taxi drivers, bellhops, barbers, and beauticians. For taxi drivers, add up to the nearest HK$1, or, for longer hauls, round up to the nearest HK$5; for a HK$23 fare, for example, round up to HK$25. Tip people who cut your hair 5% or 10%, and give bellhops HK$10 to HK$20, depending on the number of your bags. Chambermaids and room attendants are usually given about 2% of the room charge.

Toilets -- The best places to track down public facilities in Hong Kong and Macau are its many hotels, fast-food restaurants, and shopping malls. Attendants on duty nowadays rarely expect tips, but if you encounter one who does, HK$2 is sufficient. Note that the MTR subway stations do not have public facilities. Hotels and tourist sites usually have Western toilets, but you may encounter Chinese toilets on ferries and in rural areas. To use them, squat facing the hood. Since some public facilities may not have toilet paper, be sure to carry tissue (in rural areas, a communal roll of toilet paper may be hanging outside the stalls).

Useful Phone Numbers & Websites -- The Hong Kong Tourism Board's hot line is tel.852/2508 1234, with service available daily from 9am to 6pm. The Police Crime Hotline is tel.852/2527 7177. Other useful numbers and websites are:

 Hong Kong's Department of Health tel. 852/2961 8989; www.dh.gov.hk  Hong Kong Telephone Directory Enquiries tel. 1081 for local numbers, tel. 10013 for international numbers  Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government www.gov.hk

Visas -- No visas are required for citizens of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, or Australia. For more information, go to www.gov.hk/en/nonresidents.

Water -- It's considered safe to drink urban tap water in Hong Kong and Macau, though most people prefer bottled water, which is widely available. In summer it's wise to carry bottled water with you. Some hotels have their own purification systems; many more provide a free bottle of water in their rooms. I always drink the water and have never gotten ill. If you travel into rural Hong Kong or China, however, drink only bottled water.

Weather -- If you want to check the day's temperature and humidity level in Hong Kong or the 2-day forecast, dial tel. 187 8200 for a free weather report in English. Otherwise, if a storm is brewing and you're worried about a typhoon, tune in to one of Hong Kong's English-language TV channels, either TVB Pearl or ATV World, or go to the Hong Kong Observatory's website at www.hko.gov.hk.

Back to Top

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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Fun and interesting facts about Hong Kong By Genelia Smith on March 24, 2010 | From worldtravel360.net

Hong Kong, located to the southeastern China, is a special administrative province of the People‘s Republic of China (PRC). Since 1842, it was a colony of the British Empire and got its independence in 1997. The power was handed over to the PRC. Hong Kong has become a renowned tourist destination and has marks itself in the best vacation destination. The fast-paced nightlife, never ending shopping, mouth-watering local as well as international cuisines, everything about the Hong Kong and many other facts about Hong Kong that allures tourist from all over the world. The beaches are other attractions that no tourist can overlook. Read further for more interesting and fun facts of Hong Kong.

Fun & Interesting Facts about Hong Kong

 Officially, Hong Kong was announced as ‗Hong Kong Special Administrative Region‘ of China on 1 July 1997.  Hong Kong measures more than 1,092 sq km, and includes the New Territories, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, and many other small isles.  A dialect of Chinese known as Cantonese is an official language of Hong Kong and English is the second language spoken.  It is not only a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, but also has its own mini- establishment i.e. the Basic Law.  The union allegory of Hong Kong and China is Sousa Chinensis i.e. the Chinese White Dolphin.

 ‗Hong Kong‘ in English means ‗Fragrant Harbor‘.  At the Pearl River foot, to the southeast of China is situated Hong Kong.  Hong Kong is surrounded by South China Sea from east, west and south sides and to the north is Guangdong province.  After the victory over the Chinese in the 1842 Opium War, British took over the Hong Kong.  The topography of Hong Kong is nice-looking hilly region as well as outdoor escalators are also provided so tourists can have a better look over the natural surrounding Hong Kong.  Hong Kong is among the most populated province in the world.  Feng Shui plays an important role in the Hong Kong culture, even before building a building, Feng Shui is considered.  Eat noodles on your birthday is believed to extend your life in Hong Kong.  Private firework parties are prohibited in Hong Kong.  In Hong Kong, a couple has two wedding ceremonies. The first ceremony is an officially signing the marriage register and second is followed by banquet.

These are few interesting and fun facts about Hong Kong. If you have any other facts about Hong Kong, feel free to leave a comment below.

http://www.zimbio.com/Hong+Kong/articles/yDmf2l9YTFt/Fun+interesting+facts+Hong+Kong Japan profile

 Overview

 Facts  Leaders  Media

 Timeline

Japan has the world's third-largest economy, having achieved remarkable growth in the second half of the 20th Century after the devastation of World War II.

Its role in the international community is considerable. It is a major aid donor and a source of global capital and credit.

More than three quarters of the population live in sprawling cities on the coastal fringes of Japan's four mountainous, heavily-wooded islands.

Japan's rapid post-war expansion - propelled by highly successful car and consumer electronics industries - ran out of steam by the 1990s under a mounting debt burden.

The 1997 Asian financial crisis, and bouts of recession, precipitated major banking, public spending and private sector reforms.

Japan remains a traditional society with strong social and employment hierarchies - Japanese men have tended to work for the same employer throughout their working lives.

Continue reading the main story

AT-A-GLANCE

 Politics: The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was in power for much of the country's post-war history. It was ousted in 2009 by the Democratic Party  Economy: Japan has the world's third-largest economy; its multinationals are household names  International: There has been tension with China and South Korea over Japan's wartime past, and with North Korea over the latter's nuclear ambitions Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring But this and other traditions are under pressure as a young generation more inclined towards Western culture and ideas grows up. On the other hand, one of the biggest challenges that successive Japanese governments have faced is how to meet the huge social security costs engendered by an ageing society. Measures to increase sales tax to this end threatened to split the governing Democratic Party in 2012.

Japan's relations with its neighbours are still heavily influenced by the legacy of Japanese actions before and during World War II. Japan has found it difficult to accept and atone for its treatment of the citizens of countries it occupied.

A Japanese court caused outrage by overturning a compensation order for Korean women forced to work as sex slaves.

South Korea and China have also protested that Japanese school history books gloss over atrocities committed by the Japanese military. Japan has said China promotes an anti-Japanese view of history.

Following World War II, lawmakers forged a pacifist constitution. This seemed inviolable for more than half a century, but since the beginning of the twenty-first century it has been subjected to some reinterpretation.

In the last decade, some Japanese politicians have called for the constitution to be revised so as to enable the country to play a more active role on the world stage, and in particular to allow its military to take part in peacekeeping missions abroad.

Twenty percent of the world's earthquakes take place in Japan, which sits on the boundaries of at least three tectonic plates. Schools and office workers regularly take part in earthquake drills, and waiting for "the big one" is deeply engrained in the national psyche.

The March 2011 earthquake unleashed a devastating tsunami, and Japan is still coming to terms with its impact - not least the question of whether to restart its nuclear energy programme after the closure of the crippled Fukushima plant. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14918801

FAST FACTS Area 145,834 square miles Tokyo is the capital and largest city in Japan. About 1,500 seismic events (mostly tremors) occur every year. Population 127,000,000 (U.S. is 308.7 million). 67% of the population live in cities. Language Japanese Main Exports Motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods Religion(s) Shinto; Buddhism Life Expectancy On average, men live to be 78 years old, and women live to be 85. (The current world average is 67.) DETAILED BACKGROUND Japan is an island nation of East Asia. It is composed of four large islands and many smaller ones, which extend in a narrow arc, northeast to southwest, for a distance of about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) off the eastern coast of Asia. The four main islands are Honshu (the largest and most populous), Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku.

Japan's culture is a blend of traditional Japanese values and modern Western ideas. Japan is the world's oldest monarchy. Its emperors traced their descent from Jimmu. Jimmu, according to mythical tradition, unified Japan and became its first emperor more than 2,500 years ago. Modern Japan, however, is a constitutional monarchy. The emperor is the symbol of the nation, with little political power.

Until slightly more than a century ago, Japan, by its own choice, was almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. It reluctantly opened to Western countries in the mid-1800's. It adopted modern technology and quickly became an industrial and military power. Following the destruction of World War II, Japan rebuilt its economy and now ranks among the world's leading industrialized nations.

People

The islands of Japan were probably settled by peoples migrating from the mainland of Asia. Over a period of many centuries they developed into a distinctive people, the Japanese. The Ainu, a people quite different from the Japanese, are the descendants of the earliest settlers of the islands. Only a few thousand have survived. Most Ainu now live on the northern island of Hokkaido.

Japan is one of the world's most densely populated countries. It has about half the population of the United States. But in area it is smaller than the state of California. Nearly two-thirds of the Japanese are city dwellers. And the number is increasing.

Religion

Shinto and Buddhism are the major religions of Japan. A very small minority of Japanese are Christians.

Shinto, meaning "the way of the gods," is a native Japanese religion. Its followers worship the forces of nature and emphasize cleanliness. Its gods, like those of ancient Greece, often personify the forces of nature. Shinto came under the influence of Buddhism, which was introduced from China. Buddhism brought a new faith and a new philosophy to Japan. Today, most Japanese see no contradiction in participating in both Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies. In fact, the typical Japanese marriage ceremony is performed according to Shinto rites, while the funeral service is Buddhist.

Way of Life

Dwellings. A traditional Japanese house is small. It is made of wood and has a tiled roof. Most houses are surrounded by a bamboo fence or hedge. Because Japan is such a densely populated country and space is limited, Japanese gardens are small. They usually contain some shrubbery and perhaps a group of carefully arranged rocks, all designed to give a feeling of peace and quiet.

On entering a Japanese house one takes off one's shoes. The floors in the inner rooms are covered with tatami, or rush matting. Sliding doors made of wood and paper enclose the rooms. Ideally, the Japanese house is sparsely furnished. But because of limited space, the average house tends to be cluttered. To one side of the main room is the tokonoma, an alcove (a small separate area) decorated with a hanging scroll. The scroll is usually a painting or a poem beautifully written with a brush. Next to the scroll is a flower arrangement of simple beauty and perhaps one or two art objects. A low, wide table is used for eating and writing. Japanese traditionally sit on zabuton, or cushions, instead of chairs. Bedding, called futon, is laid out at night on the tatami and put away in closets during the day.

This traditional style of living is rapidly changing, particularly in the cities. Apartment houses are replacing the small homes. Western-style furniture, electrical appliances, and modern kitchen equipment are now common in Japanese homes.

Few homes have central heating, however, even in the cities. Portable kerosene stoves provide the main source of heat. Many houses also contain a kotatsu. This is a sunken area heated by an electric coil under a table. The kotatsu is usually located in the main room. When a quilt is placed over the table, family members can tuck their feet into the sunken area and sit in comfort or eat a meal, even in the cold of winter.

The Traditional Bath. Many new homes and apartments have Western-style baths and showers. But the majority of Japanese still prefer the traditional Japanese bath. The bathtub is made of wood. It is quite deep and large enough to accommodate several people. The custom is to wash oneself thoroughly with soap and water before getting into the tub to soak. For this reason, the floors of the bathrooms are built to allow water to drain. One takes a bath to relax in the hot water, not just to get clean.

Marriage. The once-usual custom of arranged marriages is rapidly changing. But even when a man and woman have independently chosen each other, they still favor a traditional marriage ceremony. A Japanese bride wears an ancient hairstyle, now usually a wig rented for the occasion. A white band is tied around the top of her hair to hide the "horns of jealousy" that every woman is believed to possess. The bride's ceremonial kimono, or robe, is black or white, with a colorful design at the hem. Her obi (a sash used to fasten the kimono) is tied at the back in a butterfly knot--the symbol of a young, unmarried woman. If she wears traditional dress after she is married, she will tie the obi in a drum knot. It is fashionable for the groom to wear Western-style attire, rather than the formal men's kimono with a pleated overskirt called hakama.

Dining and Etiquette. An invitation for dinner to a Japanese home is considered a great honor. Japanese etiquette, or prescribed behavior, is quite different from that of Western countries. At a family-style dinner, the dishes are placed in the center of the table. Everyone reaches for the food with chopsticks. For more formal dinners, the guests are provided with individual serving trays. The plates and bowls are often purposely unmatched. They are chosen to enhance the food, which is artistically arranged. A typical dinner might consist of steamed rice, pickled vegetables, and a main dish of tempura--fish or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried in oil. Or the main dish might be sukiyaki. This is a combination of sliced beef or chicken with an assortment of vegetables. It is cooked at the table.

The Japanese language has many polite phrases appropriate for different social situations. It would be considered rude if a guest, or even members of the family, started to eat without first bowing and saying, "Ita-dakimasu [I gratefully receive this food]." After the meal is over, one bows again and says, "Gochiso-sama [Thank you for the delicious meal]." Formal bows are once again exchanged when the guest is ready to leave. The guest says, "Arigato gozaimasu [Thank you]" and "Sayonara [Good-bye]," and the host tells the guest repeatedly, "Mata dozo [Please come again]."

The Tea Ceremony. Tea is the favorite beverage of the Japanese and an ever-present part of daily life. A cup of tea is always offered to a guest. The formal tea ceremony, during which the tea is brewed and served, requires quiet concentration and the strict observance of rules. The ceremony is filled with spiritual meaning. Its correct performance was once considered one of the necessary social graces of Japanese women.

Business Practices. The business world of Japan has become completely Westernized. But some traditional customs remain. Checks and documents are stamped with the seal of a person's name or of a company, instead of being signed. People in business exchange name cards when they first meet. Japanese surnames, or last names, come before the given name. For instance, Yukio (given name) Ogawa (surname) is addressed as Ogawa Yukio-san. (San is used for Mr., Mrs., and Miss.)

One's rank is strictly observed in business. At New Year's and mid-summer, gifts are sent to clients and superiors. In small offices and shops, the soroban, or abacus (an ancient but rapid calculating device), is used. However, most business establishments in Japan, as in the United States or Europe, have the latest electronic equipment.

Language

The Japanese language is thought to be related to Korean, Manchurian, and Mongolian, and more distantly to Finnish and Hungarian. But these connections lie in the remote past. Until the 400's or 500's A.D., when Chinese characters were introduced, the Japanese had no writing system. Thereafter, a system was developed for writing Japanese using Chinese characters (kanji). Using kanji as a base, the Japanese devised two syllabic alphabets-- hiragana and katakana. Each represents the same 47 syllables. The alphabets are used together with kanji in writing modern Japanese.

Children first learn hiragana and katakana and are gradually introduced to kanji. There are more than 60,000 kanji. But most people have a general knowledge of from 3,000 to 4,000 kanji. To simplify matters, most books and newspapers use only 1,850 kanji. This is the same number that high school graduates are expected to master. There is also a method of writing Japanese--called romaji--using the Roman alphabet.

Japanese is traditionally written from top to bottom, beginning at the right-hand side of the page. In modern books, especially those dealing with scientific subjects, the text appears in Western style--straight across from left to right. Children do their homework with a pen or pencil. But, because the art of beautiful writing, or calligraphy, is much esteemed, they also learn to write Japanese using a brush and black ink.

Education

The Japanese place a high value on education. Modern schools began in Japan more than a century ago. After World War II, Japanese schools adopted a system similar to that of the United States. Nine years of schooling (six of primary school and three of middle school) are compulsory for Japanese children. Nearly all continue on to high school for three additional years. Higher education also resembles the four-year college system of the United States. There are more than 450 colleges and universities in Japan. There are also many specialized schools and junior colleges.

Holidays and Festivals

The four seasons bring welcome changes to the nature-loving Japanese. Numerous holidays and festivals are celebrated throughout the year. They honor nature, children, and the Shinto and Buddhist religions.

New Year. By far the most important holiday is New Year's Day. At year's end people rush about paying debts and preparing for the festivities, which last a week. At midnight on December 31, the temple bells announce the passing of the old year and the arrival of the new. It is customary to eat long noodles called soba as the last meal of the year. Decorations of bamboo and pine, which stand for strength, devotion, and faithfulness, are placed at the front gate of each house.

On New Year's Day itself, everyone eats mochi. These are little dumplings made of pounded boiled rice. Temples and shrines are filled with people. Many of them dress in colorful kimonos. New Year's Day is also one of the two occasions in the year when the gates of the emperor's palace grounds are open to the people. The emperor and empress appear on the palace balcony. They greet the throngs of people who have come to wish them "Banzai." This means "ten thousand years." It is their way of saying "Long may you live." At home, boys fly kites, while girls play a game much like badminton.

Girls' Day. March 3 is celebrated as Girls' Day. It is also known as the Festival of Dolls. Because it is the time that peach blossoms are in full bloom, it is also called the Peach Festival. Young girls wear their best kimonos and visit each other to admire their dolls.

Cherry Blossom Viewing. By early April the cherry blossoms are at their peak. There is no formal festival as such. But it is customary for families to go on picnics at this time to enjoy the flower most loved by the Japanese.

Iris Festival. Traditionally, May 5 was observed as Boys' Day or the Iris Festival. The long, bladelike leaves of the Japanese iris were placed in a boy's bath to give him a martial, or fighting, spirit. The festival is now celebrated by all children. But the symbols of courage and strength honor boys especially. Brightly colored paper or cloth carp--a fish known for its courage--are flown from tall bamboo poles. The poles are set up in front of every home where there is a boy.

Star Festival. Held on July 7, the Star Festival commemorates a romantic legend about the Princess Weaver Star. She falls in love with a cowherd star on the banks of the Heavenly River (the Milky Way). But she is fated to meet him only once a year.

Feast of the Lanterns. The Buddhist Feast of the Lanterns, or Obon, is held on July 15 in some areas and on August 15 in others. It honors the spirits of one's ancestors. Ancestors are believed to return once a year to visit their families. During the day families visit the graves of their ancestors. In the evening the streets are decorated with brightly colored lanterns to light the way for the visiting spirits. A communal dance, the bon odori, is performed energetically. After the celebration the spirits are escorted to a river or lake if there is one nearby. They are sent off in miniature straw boats filled with food and incense.

Harvest Thanksgiving Festival. This festival is celebrated in October. Farmers express their gratitude to the Shinto gods of the harvest by offering them the first fruits of the field.

Shichi-Go-San. November 15 is a day of much excitement for girls of 7, boys of 5, and all children of 3. This festival is called Shichi-Go-San ("7-5-3"). It is a day when the children receive presents. They also visit shrines with their parents to pray to the Shinto gods for health and happiness.

Apart from these traditional holidays, in recent years Christmas has become popular in Japan, even though Christians are only a tiny minority. It is not unusual for young Japanese to exchange presents or to visit a department store to see a huge Christmas tree or Santa Claus on display. However, New Year's remains the customary time for Japanese families to gather for a reunion.

Entertainment and Sports

Noh and Kabuki. Entertainment in Japan is rich and varied. It ranges from ancient stage dramas to the types of modern drama performed in Western countries.

In the classical theaters of Noh and Kabuki, the actors are all men, who play the roles of beautiful women, villains, and heroes. The older Noh plays are slow moving and simple in plot. Actors wear masks and move with studied gestures, which have deep symbolic meaning. In the more lively Kabuki plays there are many thrilling moments. When a popular actor makes his entrance on the "flower walk," a narrow platform leading from the back of the theater to the stage, devoted fans shout words of praise and applaud him as he walks by. Kabuki actors do not wear masks. Instead, their faces are elaborately painted to show the characters they play.

Bunraku. Another ancient and popular theatrical art is Bunraku, a puppet play. The puppets are much larger than Western ones and are themselves works of art. Each puppet is guided by three puppet players. The players are dressed entirely in black so as to remain unseen by the audience. The master player controls the head and right hand; a senior assistant, the left hand; and a junior assistant, the body and legs. As the puppets dance, laugh, cry, and do battle, they look almost human.

Geishas. Geishas provide yet another form of entertainment, mainly for men. A geisha is a female entertainer who has been trained from her youth to move and speak with grace. She also learns to sing, dance, and play musical instruments--all of the traditional kind. And she becomes expert in the art of flower arrangement and the tea ceremony. Geishas are expected to dress with taste and elegance. Hiring geishas for an evening's entertainment can be very expensive. It is usually reserved for business affairs.

Movies. Movies and television are the chief sources of popular entertainment today. Japanese have won awards at international film festivals for pictures such as Rashomon and Gate of Hell. Other acclaimed Japanese films are The Seven Samurai and Ran. Young Japanese are also fond of American movies, jazz, and rock music.

Sports. Japan is a sports-minded nation. Baseball, tennis, golf, and skiing are all popular. Indeed, baseball is almost the national sport, and professional and amateur teams are followed with wild enthusiasm. One traditional Japanese sport is sumo, an ancient form of wrestling. Sumo wrestlers are generally very big and heavy. A wrestler's hair is tied up in a coiled knot on top of his head. He wears a type of loincloth so that the audience can see every muscle in his body. The match is lost by the wrestler who first steps outside the ring or touches the ground with anything but the soles of his feet. Two other traditional sports are karate and judo, which are also useful for self-defense. In karate, one uses the hand, either open or closed; the elbows; and the feet. In judo, the student is trained to use the movements of an opponent to achieve the momentum needed for a throw.

Land

About 200 million years ago the continental shelf of the Asian mainland rose up to form a long crest of islands, of which Japan is a part. The islands are actually the peaks of submerged mountain ranges. Like all the lands along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, Japan has many active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Most earthquakes are minor and cause little or no damage. But some have been violently destructive. The worst earthquake in Japan's history struck the area around Tokyo, the capital, in 1923, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people.

The major bodies of water surrounding Japan are the Pacific Ocean in the east, the Philippine and East China seas in the south, and the East Sea (Sea of Japan) in the west. Japan faces three nations on the Asian mainland. They are China, Korea, and the Russian Federation.

Mountains and Forests

Almost 75 percent of Japan's land is mountainous, and about two-thirds of it is forested. Japan's most famous mountain and the highest in elevation is Mount Fuji. It rises to 12,388 feet (3,776 meters). Located on the island of Honshu, Fuji is a dormant (inactive) volcano, which the Japanese regard as sacred. Its graceful, snowcapped form has long inspired poets and artists.

Rivers

Japan has no long rivers. The largest river, the Shinano, has a length of only about 230 miles (370 kilometers). Most of the others are too short and swift-flowing to be suitable for transportation. They are, however, important as sources of hydroelectric power.

The Inland Sea

The Inland Sea is a picturesque waterway dotted with about 700 islets. It is partly enclosed by the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kiyushu. Ships and fishing boats travel between its coastal ports. The beauty of the sea has been depicted in traditional Japanese paintings.

Climate

The country's climate is affected by two ocean currents. The warm Japan Current flows northward from the Philippines along Japan's eastern, or Pacific, coast. This area, as a result, has a milder climate than the western coast. The cold Oyashio Current originates in the Bering Sea off the coast of Siberia. It flows southward along the eastern coast of Hokkaido, producing a much cooler climate in this region. Japan's location also makes it vulnerable to typhoons (hurricanes that occur in the western Pacific Ocean) and the mudslides that result from these violent storms. In 2004, Japan suffered the worst typhoon season in more than twenty years.

Japan has abundant rainfall, ranging from about 40 to 100 inches (1,000 to 2,500 millimeters) annually. Because of this, much of Japan is covered with green foliage. The year falls into four distinct seasons. They are pleasant springs; generally hot and humid summers; clear, bright autumns; and cool to cold winters, with frequent snowfall in some areas.

Mineral Resources

Japan does not have an abundance of mineral resources. It has many kinds of minerals, but except for some coal, copper, and lead, none exist in any quantity.

The Main Islands

Japan is made up of thousands of islands. But most of them are quite small. The four main islands make up almost all of Japan's land area. They are home to virtually all of its people.

Honshu. This largest and most populous of the four main islands has about 60 percent of Japan's total land area. It contains many of the largest cities and has about 80 percent of the country's population. The Kanto Plain, situated in the eastern part of the island, is a major agricultural and industrial region and the site of the capital, Tokyo. Other chief cities of Honshu are Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto. Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located near Kyoto.

Hokkaido. The northernmost island, Hokkaido is second largest in area but only third in population. It is a rugged land, without the quiet beauty of the other islands. Because of its climate--cold and bleak for much of the year with heavy snowfall--Hokkaido was, until about a century ago, regarded as an outpost. It now has large cities and flourishing industries. It is a popular resort area for winter sports. The chief city is Sapporo.

Kyushu. The most southerly of the main islands, Kyushu is second in population after Honshu and third in area after Hokkaido. Because of its relatively small size, it is the most densely populated of the islands. Its major cities include Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, and Nagasaki.

Shikoku. Shikoku is the smallest of the main islands, both in area and population. Until the recent completion of a bridge linking it to Hiroshima on the island of Honshu, Shikoku was fairly isolated from the rest of the country. Its largest city is Matsuyama.

Other islands of importance are the Ryukyus and Bonins. The Ryukyus are a chain of more than 100 mountainous islands situated south of Kyushu. Okinawa is the largest and most important of the Ryukyus. The lightly populated Bonins lie about 600 miles (970 kilometers) southeast of the main islands.

Major Cities

The Japanese are chiefly a nation of city dwellers. Cities are scattered throughout the islands, although most of the largest are on Honshu. Twelve Japanese cities have populations of 1 million or more. They are Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Saitima, Sendai, Tokyo, and Yokohama (all on Honshu), Fukuoka (on Kyushu), and Sapporo (on Hokkaido). Hiroshima is perhaps best known internationally. This is because of its devastation by an atomic bomb in 1945, during World War II.

Tokyo

Tokyo, the capital, is one of the world's largest cities. Formerly called Edo, it was renamed when it became the imperial capital in 1868. It was given the name Tokyo ("eastern capital") to distinguish it from the former capital, Kyoto, in western Honshu. Tokyo is not only the center of government, but of industry, commerce, finance, and education as well. The city is described in greater detail in the article Tokyo.

Yokohama

Located just south of Tokyo, Yokohama is Japan's second largest city and its largest port. It is a center of heavy industry, including steelmaking, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of trucks and other motor vehicles. Originally a small fishing village, Yokohama grew rapidly after it was opened to foreign trade in 1858. The city was heavily damaged by bombing in World War II but has been rebuilt with wide boulevards and modern buildings.

Osaka

Situated on Osaka Bay, the eastern arm of the Inland Sea, Osaka is one of Japan's leading seaports, along with Yokohama and Kobe. Often likened to the U.S. city of Chicago, Osaka is one of Japan's most industrialized cities. It is the subject of a separate article in this encyclopedia.

Kyoto

Kyoto was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years, until the seat of government was moved to Tokyo in 1868. The city is still the center of religion and of traditional Japanese arts. Kyoto and its places of interest are described further in this encyclopedia.

Nagoya

Nagoya is situated almost in the center of Honshu. Located on Ise Bay, it has an excellent harbor. It is the heart of Japan's automobile industry. It is also noted for its fine pottery, porcelain, and enamelware.

Sapporo

The capital of Hokkaido, Sapporo is a rapidly growing city. Its major industries include food processing, machinery repair, printing, construction, and mining. It was host to the 1972 Winter Olympic Games.

Kobe

Located in western Honshu on Osaka Bay, across from the city of Osaka, Kobe is Japan's second most important seaport. It is an industrial city as well, producing ships, iron and steel, and textiles.

Economy

In the middle of the 1800's, Japan was still a predominantly agricultural country. Within two generations, the Japanese created an industrial and commercial power of international importance. Despite the enormous destruction of World War II (1939-45), Japan quickly rebuilt its economy. It did this with a combination of government leadership and private enterprise.

The Japanese economy expanded in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, but slowed greatly in the 1990s. The economic decline continued into the 21st century. In 2009, the nation's industrial production decreased by 17 percent. And in 2010, fast-growing China replaced Japan as the world's second largest economy, after the United States.

Services

The services sector contributes over 75 percent to GDP, or gross domestic product. (GDP is the total amount of goods and services produced by an economy in one year.) Advertising, tourism, and financial services are important to Japan's economy, as are government services.

Manufacturing

Industry accounts for about 22 percent of Japan's GDP and employs a slightly higher percentage of its workforce.

Japan is among the world's largest and technologically advanced providers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, ships, chemicals, and processed foods. Shipbuilding and iron and steel production, however, are declining in importance. Japan is also moving rapidly to leadership in the field of biotechnology. Biotechnology involves the design and manufacture of artificial body parts. It also includes creation, in the laboratory, of new genetic materials and methods of fighting disease.

Today Japan's industries face growing competition from other countries such as China and South Korea. Many products once made in Japan are now being made elsewhere in Asia.

Agriculture

Agriculture contributes just over 1.5 percent to GDP and employs 4 percent of the Japanese workforce. Because so much of Japan is mountainous and forested, only about 15 percent of its total land area can be used for farming. Every bit of usable land is valuable, and Japanese farmers grow crops on plots of land that often seem too small or too steep to be cultivated. Even so, Japan must import a large portion of its food to feed its people.

Rice is the staple food of Japan. In fact, the term for "boiled rice" has the same meaning as "meal." Small, neat patches of green rice paddies dot the countryside. Rice seedlings are planted during the rainy season, which begins in early June. The rice is harvested in September.

After rice, the leading food crops include sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, and tea. Silkworms are grown for their silk. Japan grows all the rice it needs, but among the foods it must import are soybeans, which form an important part of the Japanese diet.

As eating habits have changed, livestock raising has become increasingly important. Shortage of good pastureland, however, limits the raising of cattle. Much of Japan's meat and dairy products come from Hokkaido or abroad.

Fishing

Japan is one of the world's foremost fishing nations. Fish and shellfish are a basic food of the Japanese. The waters surrounding Japan are rich in a variety of fish. These include sardines, mackerel, and yellowfin tuna. Octopus, cuttlefish, and eels are other delicacies. Seaweed is also harvested for food. Japanese fishing fleets also regularly travel the waters of the world with factory ships equipped to process the catch at sea.

Cultured Pearls

The cultured-pearl industry is distinctive to Japan. In the late 1800's the Japanese Mikimoto Kokichi created the modern cultured-pearl industry. He devised a practical method of producing pearls artificially by injecting an irritant into the oyster. Some of the largest pearl farms are located at Pearl Island in Ago Bay. There the water temperature and other conditions are ideal for the oysters.

Foreign Trade

Among Japan's major exports are transportation equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, and chemicals. Its major export partners are China, the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Japan imports machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, and raw materials. Its major import partners are China, the United States, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Energy

Japan is heavily dependent on imported fuels. The country's major energy sources are water power, imported petroleum and natural gas, and nuclear energy. Production of coal has declined steadily, and many Japanese mines have been closed. Nuclear energy now supplies about one-third of Japan's electric power.

Transportation

Japan has a very modern transportation network. It ranks relatively high among the nations of the world in air transportation. It ranks very high with respect to its railroads and roadways. Japan is known for its large fleet of commercial ships and its modern and well-equipped ports and trade terminals.

Communication

Japan has an excellent domestic and international telephone service. It has hundreds of radio and television stations. About 96 million Japanese access the Internet.

Government

Japan is governed under a constitution that went into effect in 1947. The lawmaking body is the National Diet, which is composed of two houses, the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The House of Representatives, made up of 500 members, is elected for a term of four years. The House of Councillors, made up of 252 members, is elected for six years, with one half of its membership elected every three years.

The head of government is the prime minister, who is chosen by the Diet. The prime minister, in turn, appoints the other ministers of the cabinet, all of whom are responsible to the Diet. The Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP), a conservative political party, governed Japan from its founding in 1955 until 1993, when it fell from power after a series of scandals and charges of corruption. Three prime ministers (including Japan's first socialist leader since 1946) successively led opposition coalition governments before the LDP regained the prime ministership in 1996.

The emperor, who formerly held great power, now serves as the symbolic head of state under the present constitution. He now has only ceremonial duties.

The judicial branch of the government consists of the various courts, headed by the Supreme Court, which has a chief justice and 14 other justices.

Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, each of which is administered by an elected governor.

History

Japan's geographical location has played an important role in its history. Japan lies close enough to the mainland of Asia to have been strongly influenced by China. At the same time, the waters surrounding the Japanese islands long served as a barrier against invasion. After the first migrations of peoples from the mainland in the far distant past, Japan successfully resisted attempts at invasion until its defeat in World War II. This water barrier also encouraged the isolation that marks periods of Japanese history.

Legend of the Sun Goddess

The Japanese call their country Nippon or Nihon. It means "base of the sun," suggesting that Japan, the easternmost country of Asia, is the land where the sun rises. The national flag depicts the sun --a red ball--against a white background. The Japanese emperors traced their ancestry to a sun goddess, who in turn was descended from the god Izanagi. A myth tells how the Japanese islands were created:

One day long, long ago the heavenly being Izanagi dipped his jeweled spear into the deep waters, and the shining crystal drops that scattered formed the islands of Japan. Izanagi had made the sun goddess, Amaterasu, the ruler of the heavenly kingdom. She loved the beautiful islands that sparkled in the blue waters below and proclaimed that they should always be ruled by her descendants. "You, my grandson," she told Prince Ninigi, "go, and govern these islands, and may the prosperity of the imperial house be as everlasting as that of heaven and earth." The prince descended over the floating bridge of heaven to the Japanese islands.

For many hundreds of years the legend of the Sun Goddess was accepted as history by the Japanese. The goddess is worshipped at the Grand Shrine of Ise, in western Honshu. It is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan and is also the family shrine of the emperor.

According to the 700's text Kojiki ("Record of Ancient Matters"), which is Japan's earliest written history, Jimmu, the great- grandson of Prince Ninigi, became Japan's first emperor in 660 B.C. This document also stated that all succeeding emperors were to be regarded as sons of heaven--an idea that originated in China. The mythical origins of the imperial family have since been rejected by the Japanese, and the emperor is no longer looked upon as divine. However, the emperor and his family are still regarded with affection and respect by most Japanese, especially those of the older generation.

Early Settlers

The earliest settlers of Japan about whom much is known were the Jomon people, who came from the Asian mainland. They fashioned pottery, used tools and weapons made of stone, and lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering nuts and fruits. They lived in Japan from about 8000 B.C. to 300 B.C.

They were followed by waves of new settlers, who migrated to Japan from northeastern Asia by way of the Korean peninsula. They landed in Kyushu and pushed northward. It is these new settlers, in the main, who are considered the ancestors of the Japanese. Some of the Jomon people were killed. Some mingled with the new immigrants, while others fled to the northernmost island. It is thought that the Ainu are in part the descendants of the Jomon people.

Ainu Customs

The customs of the Ainu were quite different from those of the Japanese. Their chief deity (a god or goddess) was the goddess of fire. The bear held an important place in Ainu customs. A cub was raised, sacrificed, and eaten with great ceremony in a religious ritual. This feast of thanksgiving, called the Bear Festival, was held to bid farewell to the god of the mountains, who was said to visit the earth in bearskins and bring gifts of bear meat for the people.

The Yamato State: Chinese Influence

The new settlers in Japan were organized in clans, or large social groups related through a common ancestor. Gradually, regional states were formed. One of these, known as the Yamato state, unified Japan politically sometime in the 300's or 400's A.D. Its leader became the emperor, and its gods became the gods of Japan.

Japan first came under the influence of China in the 200's or 300's A.D. The development of the Yamato state would have been very different without the influence of this powerful, highly civilized neighbor. China at the time had a written language, a sophisticated tradition of philosophy and literature, the Buddhist religion, and an advanced system of bureaucratic government. Between the 500's and 600's these Chinese elements began to enter Japan in increasing volume. The Japanese adopted the Chinese writing system. They learned Chinese arts and crafts, including how to cast bronze and make fine pottery and porcelain, and how to grow tea, raise silkworms, and weave silk. Buddhism, too, was adopted by the Japanese, and while it did not replace Shinto, it soon became the major religion. The first capital, built in 710 at Nara on Honshu, was designed in the Chinese style.

Fujiwara Rule

From the end of the 700's until the 1100's, Japan was governed by the imperial and other aristocratic clans. Only those born within these clans could hold offices at the emperor's court. The most important clan was the Fujiwara, who held the highest offices. Fujiwara daughters became the wives of emperors. The emperors themselves often ruled only as ceremonial figureheads, while the Fujiwara held real power.

During the centuries of Fujiwara rule, life in the countryside was backward. The people were poor and heavily taxed. In contrast, Kyoto, which had become the new capital in 794, was filled with magnificent palaces and temples. Masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and literature were created by the Kyoto nobility. The noblemen wrote in Chinese. However, it was the women, writing in Japanese, who created the classics that are still read today. One, The Tale of Genji, is the story of the life and loves of Genji, the "shining prince." Another, The Pillow Book, is filled with descriptions, often amusing, of the court.

Samurai

While aristocratic life flourished in Kyoto, new forces were emerging in more distant regions of Japan. To maintain law and order and to protect their rice fields, a new class of mounted warriors arose. They were called samurai, which means "those who serve." The samurai fought with bows and arrows and with swords. They were very much like the European knights of the Middle Ages. At first these warriors held only local power in the countryside, where they co- operated with governors sent out from the imperial court. But eventually the samurai became more powerful, and from the 1100's to the 1800's, they were the rulers of Japan.

Kamakura Rulers: The First Shoguns

The first military government was established in Kamakura in eastern Honshu in 1185. Its founder took the title of "Barbarian-Conquering-General"--whose shortened form in Japanese is shogun. He claimed to be merely the military ruler, while the emperor ruled over the civil government in Kyoto. But, in fact, he gradually gathered all power into his own hands and those of his samurai followers, leaving the emperor more powerless than ever.

The "Divine Wind"

During the 13th century, the Mongol emperor of China, Kublai Khan, sent emissaries to Japan with the demand that it submit to his rule. The shogun in Kamakura ignored the demand and beheaded the emissaries. Kublai Khan was so angered that he sent thousands of ships to invade Japan. The first attack was inconclusive, but during the second, a great storm appeared that destroyed many of the enemy ships. The rest of the ships were forced to retreat. The Japanese called this storm kamikaze, or "divine wind," in the belief that it had saved them from foreign invasion.

Kyoto Shogunate: The Ashikaga

The second period of military rule began in the early 14th century. The samurai had become so numerous and so overly ambitious that the rulers in Kamakura could no longer control them. After rebellions broke out, a new military government took power, headed by the Ashikaga clan. The new shogun settled in Kyoto, where he built himself a magnificent palace. The emperor still resided in Kyoto. But a separate civil government no longer existed, except on paper.

The Ashikaga shoguns built great temples and gardens, which still can be seen today. Several, like the Silver Pavilion, are national treasures. It was the great age of Zen Buddhism. The Ashikaga were patrons of monasteries and of painters, poets, and writers.

The Dark Age

As Ashikaga rule began to decline in the middle of the 1400's, Japan was plunged into a dark age of constant warfare, which was to last for nearly a century. Feudal lords, called daimyo, each with his fortified castle and army of samurai, arose in every part of Japan. Hundreds of such daimyo competed for power, drafting foot soldiers from among the peasants to enlarge their armies.

The First Europeans

Just at this time the first Europeans arrived in Japan. In 1543 three Portuguese traders who had been sailing along the China coast were blown out to sea and eventually landed on an island south of Kyushu. They were treated hospitably. Their firearms, in particular, aroused much excitement among the samurai, who quickly copied them and used them to advantage in their wars.

News of the coming of the foreigners and of their unusual possessions spread throughout the country. The Portuguese themselves, on hearing of the discovery of Japan, at once fitted out expeditions to trade in this new market. Within a few years the traders were followed by missionaries. Other foreign expeditions also made their way to the Japanese islands. During the short but successful mission of the Spanish Jesuit Saint Francis Xavier, the first Christian church was built in Japan, and hundreds of Japanese were converted to the Roman Catholic religion.

Three Leaders of the 1500's

Three men--Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu--were destined to play important roles in the history of Japan in the 1500's. A well-known story compares the characters of the three.

Nobunaga says: "Nightingale, if you do not sing, I shall kill you."

Hideyoshi says: "Nightingale, if you do not sing, I shall make you."

Ieyasu says: "Nightingale, if you do not sing now, I shall wait until you do."

Oda Nobunaga was the first to gain power. After ousting the weakened Ashikaga shogun from Kyoto, he eliminated all of his rivals, successfully using the new firearms in a decisive battle. But the ruthless Nobunaga was not popular. In 1582, after a brief rule of nine years, he was killed by one of his own men. He was succeeded by Hideyoshi.

Many stories are told about Hideyoshi. Beginning as a common soldier, who could neither read nor write, he became Japan's greatest warrior. He was an ugly man--his nickname as a child had been Kozaru, or "Little Monkey." After several years at a monastery, to which his despairing parents had sent him, he entered the service of a daimyo. He then joined Nobunaga's army, where he quickly rose to become his chief general.

By 1590, Hideyoshi had brought all of Japan under his control. But the arrogant and boastful warrior had an even greater ambition: He dreamed of conquering China. The armies he sent to the mainland, however, suffered severe losses in Korea, and they were withdrawn soon after Hideyoshi's death in 1598.

Tokugawa Ieyasu was a clever politician as well as a brilliant general. He was known for his patience and his sense of justice. After defeating all of his opponents in battle in 1600, he established a military government that lasted until the middle of the 1800's. Under the Tokugawa shoguns, Japan enjoyed two and a half centuries of peace.

The Tokugawa Shogunate

Following the example of the first Kamakura shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu established his shogunate, or military government, in eastern Japan, at Edo (the future Tokyo). Originally a small village, within a century it was to grow into a city of a million inhabitants.

Ieyasu took direct control of one third of Japan, settling his own soldiers in Edo. The rest of the land he distributed to other lords, especially favoring those who had proved their loyalty to him in battle. Those he trusted most were settled, along with their thousands of samurai, on lands bordering his own. Those he least trusted were sent to distant regions in Kyushu or Shikoku. Ieyasu also formed a council of the most trustworthy lords as his advisers. When later shoguns were too young or too weak to rule effectively, the council took over and governed Japan.

Some Important Events Under the Tokugawa

In the 1630's, under the third shogun, Christianity was banned in Japan. Fearing that the Japanese lords who had converted to Christianity would not remain loyal to his government, the shogun ordered all foreigners to leave Japan and all Christian converts to give up their new religion. Anyone who refused to obey the order was sentenced to death. Many Japanese did renounce Christianity, but others died for their faith.

Beginning in the mid-1600's, not only were foreigners forbidden to enter Japan, the Japanese themselves were forbidden to travel outside the country. Any who did so were liable to execution on returning. The reason for this harsh law, like the one banning Christianity, was to ensure the security of Japan. The one exception to the order against foreigners was in the port city of Nagasaki on Kyushu, far from the capital at Edo, where a handful of Dutch, Chinese, and Korean merchants were permitted to trade. For two centuries, Nagasaki remained Japan's only outlet to the rest of the world, through which a few books on Western science entered.

Commerce grew within Japan as peace and a more stable society brought economic expansion. Art, literature, and drama reached new heights of expression. The Kabuki play--more realistic than the earlier NÅÂÂÂ drama--became popular among the emerging middle classes in the cities. While some literature was serious and dealt with heroes and military virtue, most city people preferred romances and comic sketches of ordinary folk.

The function of the samurai changed. After many years of peace, they became a class of hereditary government officials rather than warriors. They still wore swords and trained in the military arts. But education and learning had now become more important.

Arrival of Perry: Fall of the Tokugawa

In 1853, Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the United States Navy arrived in Japan with four warships. He carried a letter from U.S. president Millard C. Fillmore. It requested Japan to open its ports to trade and to give better treatment to American sailors shipwrecked on Japanese shores. Perry returned the following year with additional ships. The Tokugawa government was aware that China had been defeated by the British in the Opium War of 1841. And it was fearful of the guns of Perry's warships. So it agreed to his demands for a treaty. The Treaty of Kanagawa granted the United States trading rights at two ports and permitted an American diplomat to reside in the country. A more extensive commercial treaty was signed in 1858. Japan signed similar treaties with other Western nations. These outside contacts upset the political balance within Japan. In 1868 the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown and a new government took its place.

Modernization of Japan: Meiji Period

In theory the new government was a return to power by the emperor, who left Kyoto and settled in Edo, which was renamed Tokyo. The period in Japanese history that followed is known as the Meiji Period, after the Emperor Mutsuhito (1852-1912). He took the name Meiji, meaning "Enlightened Rule." In practice, however, the new government was controlled by a very capable and tough-minded group of young samurai. They were determined to make Japan a strong, modern nation, on the model of Western nations.

They built railroads, factories, and dockyards, laid telegraph lines, and established banks--all that was necessary, in fact, to the economy of a modern nation of the time. They also created a new army and navy, equipped with the latest weapons and powerful warships. With these Japan defeated China in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), thus establishing itself in the eyes of the world as a power to be taken seriously.

More important, Japan's leaders created a new school system and modern universities. By about 1900, nearly all Japanese, rich and poor, could read and write. Young people were also sent abroad to study, and foreigners were invited to Japan to advise the government. In 1889 a constitution was proclaimed. It was not fully democratic, but it did provide for elections. Political parties were gradually formed, and the people began to have a voice in the government.

Imperial Expansion

As a result of its victories over China and Russia, Japan acquired Taiwan, southern Sakhalin Island, and the Liaotung Peninsula on the Chinese mainland. It gained a foothold in China's northern region of Manchuria and control of Korea, which it formally annexed in 1910. Like the Western powers on which it had modeled itself, Japan had become not only a highly industrialized nation, but one with imperialist ambitions and colonies of its own.

During World War I (1914-18), Japan sided with the Allied Powers, which included Britain, France, and, from 1917, the United States. Although Japan saw little fighting, it won additional territory in China as well as island colonies in the Pacific. These had formerly belonged to Germany, the defeated leader of the Central Powers.

Rise of the Militarists

The decade following the end of the war was a period of prosperity and relative political freedom for Japan. In the late 1920's and early 1930's, however, there was a growing worldwide economic depression. Military extremists began to exert growing pressure on the government. In 1931, Japanese military officers in Manchuria used the pretext of a bombing by Chinese of a Japanese-owned railroad (the Mukden Incident) to occupy all of Manchuria, which became a puppet state of Japan. Soon after, the civilian government of Japan was replaced by one dominated by military leaders. In 1937, following a clash between Chinese and Japanese troops at the Marco Polo Bridge near Peking, Japan began a full-scale invasion of China. By 1938, Japanese forces had gained control of the eastern part of the country.

World War II

World War II began in Europe with Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939. In 1940, Japan formed an alliance with Germany and Italy as an Axis Power.

Japan's policy of expansion in Asia led to increasing tension with the United States. When Japanese troops moved into French Indochina (now Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) in 1940-41, the United States cut off all trade with Japan. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese navy launched a surprise attack against the U.S. naval and military bases at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack brought the United States into the war against Japan and Germany on the side of the Allies. In the early stages of the war in Asia, the Japanese won dramatic victories. They occupied Malaya (now Malaysia), Singapore, the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia), Burma (now Myanmar), the Philippines, and many Pacific islands.

Defeat of Japan

Eventually the superior economic strength of the United States and its increasing military and naval power began to tell. The Japanese forces were slowly pushed back from their initial territorial gains. By 1945, they were fighting for the survival of their own home islands. Japan had suffered millions of battlefield casualties, the collapse of its economy, and the devastation of many of its cities by bombing. When Japan's leaders ignored calls for surrender, U.S. President Harry S. Truman reluctantly ordered the dropping of the newly developed atomic bomb. The bomb, dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killed or injured more than half the city's population. Two days later, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and sent its troops into Manchuria. A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9.

On August 14, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan. The official surrender document was signed on board the battleship USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay, on September 2, 1945. For more information on World War II, see the article World War II.

Postwar Period: A Changing Society

An Allied army, under U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and composed mainly of American forces, remained in Japan until 1952. Under MacArthur's administration, political, social, and economic reforms were introduced that greatly changed Japanese society.

In 1945, Emperor Hirohito, in a nationwide broadcast, told the Japanese people that he was not divine. Later, the crown prince, Akihito, the heir to the throne, broke an ancient tradition by marrying a commoner. (A commoner is a person who does not belong to a noble family.)

In 1947 a new, democratic constitution came into force. It established a parliamentary system. Women were permitted to vote and to own property for the first time. And Japan renounced war forever.

Other changes included the distribution of land among the farmers who worked it. Schools were reorganized and textbooks were rewritten to give more accurate accounts of Japan's historical beginnings.

In 1989, Akihito succeeded his father, Hirohito, as emperor.

Japan Today

Young Japanese are growing up in a Japan far different from the one their parents and grandparents knew. Young men and women now have a more relaxed attitude toward each other. And there is more respect for individual rights. A higher standard of living and a more varied diet have increased the average Japanese life span to more than 82 years, the third highest in the world.

The Japanese have made enormous strides in science, industry, and technology. These have challenged Japan's traditional ways of doing business. And despite its economic decline in the 1990's and 2000's, the country is still the world's third largest economy.

In 2001, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) swept the general elections, and party leader Junichiro Koizumi became prime minister. The LDP also won a majority in the elections of 2003 and 2005. In 2006, Koizumi resigned as leader of the LDP. His successor as LDP leader, Shinzo Abe, was named prime minister. The LDP's Yasuo Fukuda was made prime minister in September 2007 after the resignation of Abe, whose short time in office was filled with political scandals.

In September 2008, Prime Minister Fukuda announced his resignation and was succeeded by LDP party leader Taro Aso. In August 2009, however, the LDP, which had ruled Japan for almost 54 years (except for 11 months in 1993- 94), was defeated in parliamentary elections. The left-of-center Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was the victor. The DPJ leader, Yukio Hatoyama, became prime minister in September.

U.S. president Barack Obama visited Japan in November 2009 and met with Hatoyama. There were signs that the once-close U.S.-Japanese ties were loosening. A major point of contention between the two countries was a U.S. Marine air base on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The people of Okinawa have long demanded that the air base be removed. U.S. bases occupy almost one-fifth of Okinawa. Okinawans complain about the noise and air pollution from airplanes and about crime.

Hatoyama resigned in June 2010, after only eight months in office. He was the fourth prime minister to step down in four years. A major reason for his resignation was his failure to resolve the Okinawa issue. He was also criticized for his inability to halt the decline of Japan's economy.

Naoto Kan, the finance minister, was elected leader of the DPJ and replaced Hatoyama as prime minister. He promised to end Japan's economic stagnation and reduce its huge government debt. He also said that the Marine air base would be allowed to stay on Okinawa, but that it would be moved to a less populated area of the island. The United States had already agreed to this.

In late 2010, Japan's economy showed a few signs of improvement. With the worldwide recession seeming to end, Japan's industrial production and exports began to rise. And some companies began to hire more workers. But it was feared that Japan's economy would not have a strong recovery. One reason was the huge government debt. Another was that many Japanese held on to their money--they did not spend or invest it.

Also in 2010, tensions increased between Japan and China. In September, the Japanese navy detained the captain of a Chinese fishing boat. The Japanese said that the ship had rammed two Japanese ships in the East China Sea. Japan soon released the captain, but China demanded an apology. China also temporarily halted the export of rare earth minerals to Japan. These minerals are vital in certain industrial processes, and China mines almost all of the world's supply.

Reviewed by Albert M. Craig Harvard University Editor, Japan: A Comparative Perspective http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/fast-facts-japan asic facts about Japan

www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-18 13:14:33 Print

National Flag of Japan

National Emblem of Japan

An archipelago in the Pacific, Japan is separated from the east coast of Asia by the Sea of Japan. It is approximately the size of Montana. Japan's four main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku.

Emperor: Akihito (1989)

Prime Minister: Taro Aso (2008) Capital and largest city: Tokyo

Other large cities: Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka,

Monetary unit: Yen

Language: Japanese

National Holiday: Birthday of Emperor Akihito, December 23

Sino-Japan relations >>>

Chinese premier meets Japanese foreign minister

BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met here Sunday with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone.

This was Nakasone's first official visit to China since he took office as foreign minister last September.

Wen expressed appreciation for the efforts made by Hirofumi Nakasone to the development of China-Japan friendship. Full story

::: In pictures :::

A Japanese white-eye perches on a branch to sip nectar from cheery blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo February 21, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Japan's bullet train, or the "shinkansen", speeds past Mount Fuji in Fuji city, west of Tokyo in this undated handout file photo. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

People share dishes at a traditional Japanese "Izakaya" pub named Saiki in Tokyo April 7, 2008. Izakaya food fits into a global trend towards fine dining in a casual, late-night setting. More varied than standard gastro pub fare, cheaper than sushi at a restaurant, the small dishes served in Tokyo's pubs take punters on a little tour of Japanese cuisine. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Japan Quick Facts

Flag: Government: Parliamentary with constitutional monarchy Prime Minister: Yoshihiko Noda (elected Aug 2011) Capital: Tokyo Population: 127,078,679 (July 2009 est.) Population Growth Rate: -0.191% (2009 est.), World Rank: 219th GDP: 4.34 Trillion (2008) Electric Power Generation: Conventional thermal (coal, oil, natural gas) 60%, Nuclear 29%, Hydroelectric 9%, Renewables 2% Industries: Consumer electronics, motor vehicles, machine tools, steel, and nonferrous metals Exports: Motor vehicles, semiconductors, and office machinery Agriculture: Rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, pork, fish Currency: Yen Life Expectancy: Average: 82, Male: 78.8, Female: 85.6 GDP per Capita: $33,800 Literacy Rate: 99% Unemployment Rate: 4% Oil imports: 5.425 million bbl/day Internet Users: 87.5 million Environmental Issues: Acid rain; Japan is the largest consumer of Amazon rainforest timber

Geography

Japan is located in the North Pacific off the coast of Russia and the Korean peninsula. The area of Japan is 377,873km², which makes it slightly smaller in land mass than California. Japan consists of four main larger islands and more than 4000 smaller islands. The main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Honshu is the largest with an area of 231,000km². A modern railroad system connects the major islands with Japan's high-speed Shinkansen connecting major urban areas.

Japan is over 70% mountainous terrain with approximately 18% of the land mass suitable for settlement. Japanese cities are typically sprawling and densely populated. Tokyo, a megalopolis and capital of Japan, is located on Honshu island. Central Tokyo has a population of 12 million people, with the population of the Greater Tokyo Area estimated at over 35 million people.

The islands of Japan are located in an area known as The Ring of Fire in the Pacific. This is an area with many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Japan is very seismically active with over 1,500 earthquakes per year. In 1923 the Great Kanto Earthquake killed more than 143,000 people in the Tokyo area. Tsunamis and volcanic eruptions are other natural destructive forces in Japan. In 1896 in Sanriku, Japan, 27,000 people were killed by a Tsunami caused by an earthquake.

Population

There are over 127,078,679 (July 2009 est.) people living in Japan. For most of Japan's history its borders were closed to foreigners. As a result, Japan's society is very homogeneous, composed of 98.5% ethnic Japanese. The remaining 1.5 percent are mostly Korean, who number around 1 million. There are also considerable numbers of Brazilians, Chinese, and Filipinos residing in Japan. There is also an ethnic minority of indigenous people, called Ainu, who live mostly in northern Hokkaido. Language

Japanese is the official language of Japan. Many Japanese also have some ability in writing and speaking English as it is a mandatory part of the curriculum in the Japanese educational system. Japanese uses four different writing systems; Kanji (Chinese characters), Hiragana (phonetic alphabet for native words), Katakana (phonetic alphabet for foreign words), and Romaji (western alphabet used to write Japanese). Japanese vocabulary has been strongly influenced by loanwords from other languages, with most loanwords coming from Chinese and English.

Climate

The climate of Japan varies considerably depending on the region and season. Summer is usually very hot and humid, known to the Japanese as "mushiatsui". From mid June there is a rainy season which lasts around one month. Winters are usually mild, with the northern areas of Japan receiving more snow. Spring and autumn are usually sunny with mild temperatures.

Religion

The two major religions in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism. Religion does not play a major role in the life of the average Japanese, but people usually have religious ceremonies at births, weddings, and funerals. On New Year's Day visiting a temple or shrine is also a common custom. About 1% of the population follow Christianity, which was heavily persecuted in Japan prior to the Meiji Restoration in 1873. http://www.facts-about-japan.com/

Raw horse meat is a popular food in Japan.

2. Sometimes the trains are so crowded railway staff are employed to cram passengers inside.

3. For many Japanese couples Christmas is celebrated like Valentine's Day in the western world.

4. Poorly written English can be found everywhere, including T-shirts and other fashion items.

5. More than 70% of Japan consists of mountains, including more than 200 volcanoes.

6. Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, is an active volcano.

7. Religion does not play a big role in the lives of most Japanese and many do not understand the difference between Shintoism and Buddhism.

8. A nice musk melon, similar to a cantaloupe, may sell for over $300US.

9. There are four different writing systems in Japan, romaji, katakana, hiragana, and kanji.

10. Coffee is very popular and Japan imports approximately 85% of Jamaica's annual coffee production.

11. Japan's literacy rate is almost 100%.

12. Sumo is Japan's national sport, although baseball is also very popular. 13. Sumo wrestlers eat a stew called Chankonabe to fatten up. Many restaurants in the Ryogoku district of Tokyo serve this nabe (Japanese word for stew).

14. Many of the western style toilets in Japan have a built-in bidet system for spraying your backside.

15. When you use the restroom in some one's home, you may need to put on special bathroom slippers so as not to contaminate the rest of the home.

16. Noodles, especially soba (buckwheat), are slurped loudly when eaten. It is often said slurping symbolizes the food is delicious, but the slurping also serves to cool down the hot noodles for eating.

17. Japan is the world’s largest consumer of Amazon rain forest timber.

18. Vending machines in Japan sell beer, hot and cold canned coffee, cigarettes, and other items.

19. When moving into an apartment it is often required to give the landlord a "gift" of money equal to two months' rent.

20. There are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan.

21. In Japan it is not uncommon to eat rice at every meal, including breakfast.

22. Average life expectancy in Japan is one of the highest in the world. Japanese people live an average of 4 years longer than Americans.

23. Japan is the largest automobile producer in the world.

24. The Japanese language has thousands of foreign loan words, known as gairaigo. These words are often truncated, e.g. personal computer = paso kon. The number of foreign loan words is steadily increasing.

25. Tsukiji market in Tokyo is the world's largest fish market.

26. Although whaling is banned by the IWC, Japan still hunts whales under the premise of research. The harvested whale meat ends up in restaurants and supermarkets.

27. In the past men might shave their heads to apologize.

28. In the past women in Japan might cut their hair after breaking up with a boyfriend.

29. Tokyo has had 24 recorded instances of people either killed or receiving serious skull fractures while bowing to each other with the traditional Japanese greeting.

30. The first novel, The Tale of Genji, was written in 1007 by a Japanese noble woman, Murasaki Shikibu.

31. The term karaoke means "empty orchestra" in Japanese.

32. In a Sumo training "stable" the junior rikishi Sumo wrestlers must wash and bathe their senior sumo wrestlers and make sure their hard to reach places are clean. 33. Contrary to popular belief, whale meat is not a delicacy in Japan. Many Japanese dislike the taste and older Japanese are reminded of the post-World War II period when whale meat was one of the few economical sources of protein.

34. Rampant inbreeding of dogs has resulted in one of the highest rate of genetic defects in the world for canines.

35. Raised floors help indicate when to take off shoes or slippers. At the entrance to a home in Japan, the floor will usually be raised about 6 inches indicating you should take off your shoes and put on slippers. If the house has a tatami mat room its floor may be rasied 1-2 inches indicating you should to take off your slippers.

36. Ramen noodles are a popular food in Japan and it is widely believed extensive training is required to make a delicious soup broth. This is the subject of the movies Tampopo (1985) and The Ramen Girl (2008).

37. On average, it takes about 7-10 years of intensive training to become a fugu (blowfish) chef. This training may not be needed in the future as some fish farms in Japan are producing non-poisonous fugu.

38. Ovens are not nearly as commonplace as rice cookers in Japanese households.

39. Geisha means "person of the arts" and the first geisha were actually men.

40. It was customary in ancient Japan for women to blacken their teeth with dye as white teeth were considered ugly. This practice persisted until the late 1800's.

41. In ancient Japan, small eyes, a round puffy face, and plump body were considered attractive features.

42. Some traditional Japanese companies conduct a morning exercise session for the workers to prepare them for the day's work.

43. In Japan non-smoking areas are difficult to find in restaurants, including family restaurants. Many of Japan's politicians have interest in the tobacco industry so anti-smoking laws are almost non-existent. If you are planning a trip to Japan you may want to think twice if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke.

Some Basic Facts about Japan

1. Geography and Population

Japan is off the east coast of Asia. It consists of four major islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and

Kyushu) as well as thousands of small ones. Japan is roughly the size of California, but it has 125 million people, half the population of the U.S. Three-quarters of the land is mountains covered with forests. Most people live in cities, which are very crowded. The climates vary from the north to the south. The northern islands have dry summer and snowy winter. In the southern regions, summer is hot and humid, and it rarely snows in winter. There are considerable rainfalls, and frequent typhoons and earthquakes. 2. Food

Rice is the staple of the Japanese diet. They also eat seafood, beef, pork, chicken, dairy, vegetables and fruits. They have Japanese-style noodles, as well as spaghetti and bread. Soy sauce and soybean paste are the primary flavorings in traditional Japanese cooking. In cities, there are restaurants from different countries, including American fast-food chains.

3. Clothing

Most people ordinarily wear western-style clothes. Some schools have uniforms. The traditional clothing, called kimono (‘kee-mo-no’) is worn only on special occasions, such as New Year’s Day, graduations, and tea ceremonies.

4. Housing

Traditional Japanese homes are wooden buildings with tiled roofs. However, most of the contemporary houses and apartments are western style and made of concrete. Inside they have both western-style rooms with tables and chairs, and Japanese-style ones with straw mats and low tables. Traditional bedding is called futon (‘foo-ton’) quilts.

5. Language

In Japanese, vowels are pronounced similar to ones in Spanish. Some greeting words are:

Good morning “Ohayo” (oh-ha-YO)

Good afternoon “Konnichiwa” (KON-nee-chee-wah)

Good bye “Sayonara” (sa-YO-na-ra)

Thank you “Arigato” (ah-REE-gah-toe)

In order to write, Japanese children learn two sets of phonetic alphabets (50 letters each,) as well as thousands of Chinese characters. Hiragana, the basic alphabet, allows them to write simple sentences.

Katakana, the other alphabet, is to write words of foreign origin. (English words, for example, such as

“sak-kah”= “soccer”.) Most of the other words are written in Kanji, Chinese characters. The finished writing is a mixture of all three kinds of letters. Despite this complicated system, the literacy rate in Japan is quite high. Students spend a major part of their school life learning how to read and write.

6. Schools

The kindergarten includes preschool, and is not a part of the elementary school. The compulsory education includes the elementary school (grades 1-6) and the junior high (grades 7-9). The senior high

(grades 10-12) is not mandatory, although the enrollment rate is nearly 100%. A class usually consists of

35-40 students. The curriculums are in general more uniform and rigid. The school is open roughly 220 days a year. The school year begins in April and ends in March, with the month of August as the summer vacation.

Rizal in Japan

28 February 1888 Rizal, after days of travel, arrived at Yokohama. He registered at the Grand Hotel. He was offered at once the Spanish Legation for his home. In Japan, Rizal studied the habits and customs of the Japanese people, their language, theaters and commerce.

1 March 1888 He cheked out of the Grand Hotel and entrained for Tokyo and there lodged at the Tokyo Hotel.

4 March 1888 He wrote Blumentritt about the honesty, courtesy,cleanliness and industry of the Japanese people. However, he also expressed his disgust on the use of the mandrawn jinrikisha.

7 March 1888 Rizal cheked out of Tokyo Hotel and moved to the Spanish Legation where he was offered free boar and lodging.

15 March 1888 Rizal first saw O-Sei-san walking past the gate of the Spanish Legation.

7 April 1888 Rizal wrote his family and envisioned that in the future the Philippines woukd have more contact and relations with Japan.

13 April 1888 Rizal left Yokohama for San Francisco, on board the Belgic. HONG KONG Haunted by enemies and threatened by friars, Rizal was forced to leave Philippines for the second time. It was February 1888 then. Rizal at 27 was an embittered victim of human iniquities, a disillusioned dreamer, and a frustrated reformer. This was the start of Rizal‘s second travel. On February 3, 1888, after six months of stay in Calamba, Rizal left Manila for Hong Kong on board the Zafiro. He was sad and sick during the crossing of the choppy China Sea. He did not get off the ship when it made a stopover at Amoy, because he was sick, it was raining and the city was dirty. He arrived in Hong Kong on February 8. In Hong Kong, Rizal stayed at Victoria Hotel. He was welcomed by the Filipino community in Hong Kong. During this time, a Spaniard, Jose Varanda, was shadowing Rizal‘s movements in Hong Kong. It is believed that he was ordered to spy on Rizal. VISIT TO MACAO On February 18, Rizal accompanied by Basa, boarded the ferry steamer Kiu-Kiang for Macao. He was surprised to see a familiar figure among the passengers—Sainz de Varanda. Rizal described Macao as a small, low and gloomy. There are many junks, sampans, but few steamers, it looks sad and is almost dead-like. The two stayed in at the home of Don Juan Francisco Lecaros who was married to a Portuguese lady. During his two day stay in Macao, he visited the theater, casino, cathedral and churches, pagodas and botanical gardens and the bazaars. He also saw the famous Grotto of Camoens. In the evening of February 19, he witnessed a Catholic procession wherein the devotees were dressed in blue and purple dresses and were carrying unlighted candles. On February 20, Rizal and Basa returned to Hong Kong on board the ferry steamer Kiu-Kiang. HONG KONG A Landmark in Honor of Rizal‘s Visit in Hong Kong Rizal stayed in Hong Kong for two weeks. There he studied the Chinese way of life, language, drama and customs. Rizal noticed some experiences and wrote them in his diary. Some of them include the noisy celebration of the Chinese New Year which lasted from February 11th to 13th. There were continuous explosion of firecrackers and he himself fired many at the window of his hotel. He also observed the boisterous Chinese theater, the marathon Lauriat party, which was the longest meal in the world; the Dominican Order was the richest religious order in Hong Kong, and the cemeteries. On February 22, 1888, Rizal left Hong Kong on board the Oceanic, an American steamer and his destination was Japan. Rizal did not like the meals on board but liked the ship because it was clean and efficiently managed. JAPAN Among the happiest moments of Rizal in his life was his sojourn in the Land of the Cherry Blossoms. He stayed in Japan for one month and a half from February 28 to April 13, 1888. He was charmed by the natural beauty of Japan, the manners of the Japanese people and the picturesque of shrines. He also fell in love with a Japanese girl, who loveliness infused joy and romance in his sorrowing heart. Morning of Tuesday, February 28, 1888, Rizal arrived at Yokohama and stayed in the Grand Hotel. The following day, he moved to Tokyo and took a room at the Tokyo Hotel where he stayed from March 2 to 7. He was impressed by the city of Tokyo. After his arrival in Tokyo, Rizal was visited by Juan Perez caballero, secretary of Spanish Legation. The latter invited him to live at the Spanish Legation. Rizal knew that this was the Spanish government‘s way of monitoring Rizal but he accepted anyways. On March 7, he moved out of Tokyo Hotel and lived at the Spanish Legation. He and Perez Caballero became good friends and described him as a young, fine and an excellent writer. During his first day in Tokyo, Rizal could talk the Japanese language. He had a hard time for shopping for he could not be understood and children laughed at him. With his situation, Rizal decided to study the Japanese language. He was able to speak within a few days. At Japan he studied the Japanese drama, arts, music, and judo. He also visited museums, libraries, art galleries, and shrines. He visited Meguro, Nikko, Hakone, Miyanoshita, and the charming villages of Japan. During one time, Rizal went to the park and heard the Tokyo band playing a classical work of Strauss. He was impressed by the great performances of the Western music. He thought to himself how admirable their renditions are and wondered how they have assimilated the modern European music to the extent of playing the beautiful masterpieces of the European composers so well. The band stopped playing and to his surprised they were speaking Tagalog. He approached them and conversed with them. The musicians were delighted and also surprised to meet him. Rizal was greatly impressed by Japan. Among of which are the natural beauty of the country, the cleanliness and politeness of the people, the picturesque dress and simple charm of the Japanese women, there were few thieves in Japan, and beggars were rarely seen in the city streets. However, he disliked the rickshaws drawn by men. SAYONARA JAPAN AND SEIKO USUI Rizal met a pretty Japanese girl. Her name was Seiko Usui. Rizal fell in love with Seiko. He affectionately called her O-Sei-San. Both found happiness in each other‘s company. Affinity of interest in the arts paved the way for their romance. Rizal saw in lovely O-Sei-San the qualities of his ideal womanhood—beauty, charm, modesty, and intelligence. O-Sei-San‘s beauty and affection almost tempted Rizal to settle down in Japan. At the same time, he was offered a good job by the Spanish Legation. But then, his love for the fatherland and his mission to free his oppressed people made him think again. Rizal‘s great love for Seiko Usui and Japan will be memories that he will always cherish, but it was his time to go. On April 13, 1888, Rizal boarded the Belgic, an English steamer, at Yokohama, bound for the United States. He left Japan with a heavy heart for he knew that he will never see this beautiful land again, so as his beloved O-Sei-San. His sojourn in Japan for 45 days was one of the happiest interludes of his life. ACROSS THE PACIFIC Despite his sorrowing heart, Rizal enjoyed the pleasant trans-Pacific voyage to the United States. One day one of the children on board the ship asked Rizal if he knew a man in Manila named ―Richal‖. Rizal replied that he was ―Richal‖. In his amazement, the boy rushed to his mother and informing her that the famous man is their fellow passenger, the mother felt proud that they were travelling with a celebrity. Another passenger Rizal befriended on board was Tetcho Suehiro, a Japanese journalist, novelist and a champion of human rights, who was forced by the Japanese government to leave the country. He was alone at the beginning of the voyage for he knew that he was only person in the ship who speaks Japanese. Rizal knew about this and befriended him and acted as his interpreter during their long trip from Yokohama to San Francisco, across the U.S. to New York until they reached London, where they parted. Rizal told Tetcho the story of his life and his mission to emancipate his oppressed fellowmen from Spanish tyranny. Tetcho was fascinated by Rizal‘s admirable character and influenced him to fortify his own crusade for human rights in his own country. On December 1, 1888 after a last handshake of their eight months of friendship and bidding each other goodbye, Rizal and Tetcho parted ways—never to meet again. VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES Rizal first saw America on April 28, 1888. His arrival was marred by racial prejudice for he saw the discriminatory treatment of the Chinese and the Negroes by the white Americans. Rizal had good and bad impressions of the United States. The good were the material progress of the country, the drive and energy of the American people, the natural beauty of the land, the high standard of living and the opportunities for better life offered to poor immigrants. On bad impression was the lack of racial equality. There existed racial prejudice which was inconsistent with the principles of democracy and freedom of which Americans talk so much but do not practice. Rizal‘s trip to America started on April 28, 1888 to May 16, 1888. SAN FRANCISCO The steamer Belgic docked at the San Francisco on Saturday morning, April 28, 1888. All passengers were not allowed to land. The American health authorities placed the ship under quarantine on the ground it came from the Far east where a cholera epidemic was alleged to be raging. Rizal was surprised because he knew there was no Cholera epidemic at that time. He joined other passengers protesting the unjustifiable action of the health authorities. Later, the American consul in Japan had given the ship a clean bill of health. He soon discovered that the quarantine was motivated by politics because the ship was carrying 653 Chinese coolies. On Friday afternoon, May 4, 1888, he was permitted to go ashore and then he registered for a room at the Palace Hotel. Rizal stayed in San Francisco for two days from May 4 to 6. On May 6, Rizal left San Francisco for Oakland, nine miles across San Francisco Bay by ferry boat. On May 7, he awoke and had a good breakfast at Reno, Nevada. On May 8, Rizal was in the state of Utah. From Ogden, they went to Denver. On May 9, they were passing through the mountains and rocks along the river. They woke up at Colorado, which he described as a state with a lot of trees. On May 10, they arrived at Nebraska then to Omaha, which was a big city. They passed the Missouri River and arrived at Illinois. On May 11, they arrived at Chicago. He observed that every store in Chicago are selling cigars and has Indian figures. May 12 they arrived at Wagner Car which he described as beautiful and well populated. They arrived at the English territory in the afternoon, and saw the Niagara Falls. They had a stopover to see some sights and went to the side below the Niagara Falls. On May 13, they arrived at Albany which was a big city. The Hudson River runs along and carries many boats. The sights here were beautiful although more solitary than those of Pasig. The grand transcontinental trip ended on Sunday, May 13, at 11:00 A.M. On Sunday morning, May 13, Rizal arrived at New York, which marks the end of his trip to America. He stayed three days in this city and visited some scenic and historic places. He was awed and inspired by the memorial of George Washington. On May 16, 1888 he left New York for Liverpool on board the City of Rome. He was onboard in a steamer which was ―the second largest ship in the world‖—the Great Eastern. He saw the colossal Statue of Liberty on Bedloe Island as the ship steamed out of New York. ONCE AGAIN IN LONDON Rizal lived in London from May, 1888 to March 1889. He chose this English city because of three reasons: 1. To improve his knowledge of the English language, 2. To Study and annotate Morga‘s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which he heard to be available in the British Museum and 3. London was a safe place from the attacks of Spanish tyranny. ACROSS THE ATLANTIC The trans-Atlantic voyage was a pleasant one. He won many friends of different nationalities on board the palatial City of Rome because of his ability as linguist. Rizal entertained the passengers with his marvelous skill with the yo-yo. He used it as an offensive weapon instead of a toy. Rizal arrived at Liverpool, England on May, 1888. He stayed one day in Liverpool spending the night at Adelphi Hotel. He described it as a big and beautiful city. LIFE IN LONDON On May 25, 1888, Rizal went to London. For a short time, he stayed at the home of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor– a lawyer in London. By the end of May he was a boarder of the Beckett family. His home was located near public parks and within easy walking distance to the British Museum. He spent most of his time in the British Museum studying the book of Morga‘s Sucesos and other rare historical books about the Philippines. Gertrude Beckette, Rizal's Love Interulde in London He spent his Sundays at the house of Dr. Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an authority on Malayan languages and customs. Dr. Rost was greatly impressed by Rizal‘s knowledge and character and gladly recommended him to the authorities of the British Museum. He called Rizal ―a pearl of a man‖. For ten months, Rizal was deeply immersed in his historical studies in London. During that time, his compatriots in Spain were waging the crusade for Philippine reforms. VISITING PARIS AND SPAIN In September of 1888, he visited Paris for a week for him to search for more historical materials in the Bibliotheque Nationale. He was entertained by Juan Luna and his wife. After reading over the old books, he returned to London. On December 11, 1888, he went to Spain visiting Madrid and Barcelona. He contacted his compatriots and surveyed the political situation. For the first time, he met Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, the two titans of Propaganda Movement. He exchanged ideas with these new friends and promised to cooperate in the fight for reforms. CHRISTMAS IN LONDON Rizal returned to London on December 24 and spent Christmas and New Year‘s Day with the Becketts. Rizal liked Christmas Eves because it reminded him of many good days of his infancy and also Christ was born. Rizal received from Mrs. Beckett a book entitled The Life and Adventures of Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist. During his stay at London, he became the honorary president of a patriotic society cooperating for reforms called Asociacion La Dolidaridad. It was inaugurated on December 31, 1888. Rizal also wrote his first article in La Solidaridad, a patriotic newspaper founded by Graciano Lopez Jaena, entitled Los Agricultores Filipinos which was published on March 25, 1889. Rizal wrote several works while in London. These writings includes: La Vision del Fray Rodriguez, Letter to the Young Women of Malolos, and he also contributed some articles to Dr. Rost‘s journal entitled Specimens of Tagal Folklore and Two Eastern Fables. Rizal also fell in-love with one of the three Beckett sisters—Gertrude. On March 19, 1889, Rizal bade goodbye to the Beckett family and left London for Paris. He was sad as he crossed the English Channel for he cherished many beautiful memories in London. PARIS AND THE UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION OF 1889 Rizal went to Paris on the spring of 1889. The city was full of excitement because of the Universal Exposition and it was hard to look for an inn to stay. The landlords are taking advantage of the great demand for living quarters, raised the rents of their rooms. For a short time, Rizal lived in the house of his friend, Valentin Ventura. There he also published his annotated edition of Morga‘s book. He transferred from one hotel to another. Finally, he lived in a little room together with two other Filipinos—Capitan Justo Trinidad and Jose Albert. On June 24, 1889, Juan Luna and Paz Pardo de Tavera had a baby girl. They made Rizal as her baptismal godfather and named her Maria de la Paz. Rizal was fascinated by the Universal Exposition of Paris. It opened on May 5, 1889. The greatest attraction of the exposition was the Eiffel Tower, which was built by Alexander Eiffel. Rizal also participated in an art competition but got no prize. During one time, Rizal together with the Kidlat Club was amazed by the proud American Indians. He told his friends ―they are not ashamed of their name. Let us be like them…‖ Another society founded by Rizal in Paris was the R.D.L.M. Society. The aim of the secret society is the propagation of all useful knowledge in the Philippines. Another aim is the redemption of the Malay race. During his stay in Europe, he was deeply immense by his historical studies about the Philippines. Rizal wants to learn more about the history of his Fatherland. Another work of Rizal was The Indolence of the Filipinos. He also became a member of ―International Association of Filipinologists‖ with Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt as the President. In the fall of 1889, he wrote another satirical work entitled Por Telefono; it is a reply to Fr. Salvador Font, who masterminded the banning of his Noli. December 25, 1889, Rizal celebrated his Christmas in Paris. Rizal and Jose Albert planned to have a sumptuous Christmas dinner. They scraped enough money to celebrate Yuletide. They prepared a Christmas dinner with friend chicken, rice and vegetables. Shortly after the New Year, Rizal made a short visit to London. His purpose may be because he wants to see Gertrude Beckette for the last time, and check up his annotated edition of Morga‘s Sucesos. By the mid of January 1890, he was back in Paris, during that time influenza was epidemic throughout Paris. He complained of a terrible headache but he was not stricken with flu. BELGIAN BRUSSELS On January 28, 1890, Rizal left Paris for Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Rizal was accompanied by Jose Albert when he moved to Brussels. They lived in a boarding house on 38 Rue Philippe Champagne which was run by two Jaceby sisters. In Brussels Rizal was busy writing his second novel ―El Filibusterismo‖. Aside from writing its chapters, he wrote articles for La Solidaridad. He also spent some of his time in a medical clinic, and had gymnastics at the gymnasium. Rizal stayed with Jose Alejandro at the boarding house when Jose Albert left the city. Rizal loved his own native language. He was the first to advocate the Filipinization of its orthography. As an example the Tagalog letters k and w should be used instead of the Spanish c and o. Rizal received news that the Filipinos in Spain were destroying the good image of their nation y gambling too much. He wrote a letter to the Filipinos in Spain and the gambling Filipino and the gambling Filipinos in Madrid were angry when they learned of Rizal‘s moralizing. Rizal also received letters from home that worries him. The Calamba agrarian trouble was getting worse. The management of the Dominican hacienda continually raised the land rents. In the face of the sufferings which afflicted his family, Rizal planned to go home. He could not stay in Brussels writing a book while his family was being persecuted. Rizal ignored the warning of his friends and did not change his plans. But there are some things that cheered Rizal‘s life. One was the summertime festival of Belgium. Second was his romance with Petite Jacoby, the pretty niece of his landladies. MADRID Rizal‘s life in Madrid could be described as full of misfortunes. In August 1890, Rizal arrived in Madrid. He tried all legal means to seek justice for his family and the Calamba tenants, but to no avail. Also, Leonor Rivera married a British engineer. Rizal sought the help of the Filipino colony to protest the injustices of the Dominicans against the Calamba folks. More terrible news reached Rizal in Madrid, his brother-in-law; Silvestre received a copy of eviction order by the Dominicans. He also learned of the deportation of Paciano, Antonio, Silvestre, Teong and Dandoy to Mindoro. He further learned from Saturnina‘s letter that their parents had been forcibly ejected from their home. Adding to his misfortunes was the death of Jose Panganiban—his co-worker in the Propaganda Movement. Rizal almost had a duel with Antonio Luna when Luna was saying unsavory remarks about Nellie. Rizal heard him and challenged him into a duel. But later on, they realized that their duel would damage their cause in Spain. BIARRITZ Rizal took a vacation in the resort city of Biarritz on the fabulous French Riviera. He was the guest of the Boustead family. It was in Biarritz where he had finished the last chapter of his second novel, El Filibusterismo. Rizal was in-love with Nellie Boustead, a daughter of the Boustead family. With the encouragement of his close friends, Rizal courted Nelly, who in turn, reciprocated his affection. Rizal had plans of marrying Nellie, but failed. Nelly wanted Rizal to espouse Protestantism before their marriage. Rizal, being a man of firm conviction, refused. Another problem was Nelly‘s mothers, who do not wish to entrust Nelly to a man who was poor in material things. On March 30, 1891, Rizal proceeded to Paris by train. Rizal retired from the Propaganda Movement and retired also from La Solidaridad. In Brussels Rizal worked day after day revising the finished manuscript of El Filibusterismo and readied it for printing. GHENT On July 5, 1891, Rizal left Brussels for Ghent a famous university city in Belgium. He stayed at Ghent because the cost of printing is cheaper. Rizal had limited funds and lived in a cheap boarding house. After his arrival, Rizal searched for the printing shop that could give him the lowest quotation for the publication of his novel. He found out that F. Meyer-Van Loo Press was willing to print his book on installment basis. He pawned all his jewels to pay the down payment and early partial payments. He had received money from Basa and 200 pesos from Arias for the copies of Morga‘s Sucesos which were sold in Manila. Ventura learned of Rizal‘s predicament and immediately sent him the necessary funds. With his financial aid, the printing of Fili was resumed. The El Filibusterismo was dedicated to the martyrdom of the Gom-Bur-Za. HONG KONG After the publication of El Filibusterismo, Rizal left Europe for Hong Kong. He lived there from November, 1891 to June 1892. On October 18, 1891, Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in Marseilles bound for Hong Kong. During the voyage he began writing his third novel in Tagalog. Makamisa, Dapitan, and another untitled novel were some of the unfinished novels of Rizal. Rizal described his trip as ―heavenly‖. In the ship were over 80 passengers— mostly Europeans, and two Spaniards who were going to Amoy. Rizal was the only Asian among them, and amazed his fellow passengers with his knowledge of many languages. Rizal arrived in Hong Kong on November 20, 1891. He was welcomed by Jose Basa and lived at Number 5 D‘ Aguilar Street where he also opened his medical clinic. Before the Christmas of 1891, he was gladdened by the arrival of his father, brother and Silvestre Ubaldo in Hong Kong. Not long afterwards, his mother and sisters Lucia, Josefa and Trinidad also arrived. This Christmas was one of the happiest moments in Rizal‘s life for he had a happy family reunion. Rizal also practiced his ophthalmology in Hong Kong. There he became a well-known medical practitioner.

Read more at Nurseslabs.com Life and Travels of Jose Rizal http://nurseslabs.com/life-and-travels-of-jose-rizal/4/