HONG KONG - GEOGRAPHY

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HONG KONG’S GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION

Hong Kong is an important administrative region located on the southern coast of China. Its capital is Victoria and its major areas are Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and the Outlying Islands which include more than 260 small islands. In spite of being one of the world’s commercial centers, Hong Kong enjoys some advantages and faces some disadvantages due to its geographical position.

In regard to Hong Kong's geographical aspects, this country stands on a volcanic territory that is extremely rugged and has little natural flat land, mainly in the north shore. The south shore, in contrast, is mostly urban area. Among its islands, Lantau Island is the biggest and largest one. The most mountainous area is Tsuen Wan and the highest peak is Tai Mo Shan while the lowest elevation is in South China Sea.

The geographical position of the Hong Kong has as a great impact on its development, especially, in economical terms. Thanks to its location between the Taiwan Straits, the South China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, Hong Kong has become a strategic channel for sea traffic and a center for international trade. Along the coast are located wide harbours and deep waters, which have also supported the economy of the country and have made Hong Kong into an important sea station.

Despite Hong Kong’s geographical position has assured a great economy development, there are some disadvantages that the country has to face due to its location. As far as the major source of traffic flow is concerned, Hong Kong is located in a highly competitive economic zone, where its airport has to compete with the major airports located in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Besides, HK has difficulties to produce local food. Because of the predominance of hill and mountains in the region, hardly one percent of Hong Kong's land area is agriculturally cultivated. In this regard, HK depends on approximately 98% of imports, mostly from mainland China.

In conclusion, the favourable Hong Kong’s geographical position has contributed to the economic growth and to the development of the country as a whole. Its strategic location has made of Hong Kong an international center of trade and finance, very famous in the world. However, the competitive relations with nearby regions and the low percentage of agricultural production are the major disadvantages of its location.