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The territory of Hong Kong or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region stands as one of the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China along with Macau. Hong Kong is situated in the Pearl River Delta, along its eastern end, and boasts of 260 islands. Hong Kong is bordered by the Guangdong province along its northern side and is located opposite to the South China Sea towards its eastern, western and southern end. Though a territory of islands, the history of Hong Kong is steeped in a vibrant culture and has much to do with its topography. The history of Hong Kong as a part of the modern Chinese republic began in the year 1842, when Hong Kong was the chief destination of the "Crown settlement" of the United Kingdom. This power was later reassigned to the People's Republic of China by the British Crown. The history of Hong Kong as a human habitat, however, dates back to the Paleolithic era. It was during the Paleolithic era that Hong Kong witnessed its first human settlement. The area was a part of Imperial China during the Qin Dynasty, and it served as a famous trading centre. Ever since the era, it also functioned as a crucial naval base. One of the most significant movements in the history of Hong Kong that led to British occupation was the 'Opium War'. In 1839, the authorities of Qing Dynasty opposed against the trading of opium which led to the occurrence of the First Opium War between China and Britain. Britishers occupied the Hong Kong Island in 1841 under the Treaty of Nanking and constructed a Crown Colony with Victoria City as its foundation. During the year 1860, China got defeated in the Second Opium War wherein the Kowloon Peninsula and the Stonecutter's Island were ultimately surrendered to Britain. It was during the nineteenth century Hong Kong had become a base for the British Empire. In World War II, Hong Kong was attacked by the Empire of Japan in the year December 8, 1941. It was on December 25 - better known as the 'Black Christmas' in the history of Hong Kong - when the British yielded its colonies to Japan. During this period, the area witnessed extensive food shortages and hyper-inflation. The People's Republic of China established a set of economic reforms which attracted several foreign investments in the land. It was in 1980, wherein the sovereignty of Hong Kong was brought to focus by the governments of the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China. In this matter during the 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration was issued. With that particular declaration in the history of Hong Kong, the territory became a Special Administrative Region and retained its autonomy. The sovereignty was assigned to Hong Kong during the July 1, 1997 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
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