Hong Kong: Flag and Facts
Hong Kong's flag is red with a white five-petal Bauhinia flower in the center, and each petal holds a tiny red star.
- Official name
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
- Capital
- City of Victoria
- Region
- Eastern Asia
- Population
- 7.3 million (2025)
- Languages
- English, Chinese
- Currency
- Hong Kong dollar
- Area
- 1,104 km² (426 sq mi)
- People
- Hong Konger
- Calling code
- +852
- Highest point
- Tai Mo Shan 958 m
- Independence
- none (special administrative region of China)
- National symbols
- bauhinia flower
- Borders
- China
- Status
- Territory (not a sovereign country)
About Hong Kong
The red matches the Chinese flag and stands for the motherland, and the five stars echo that flag too. The Bauhinia was developed in Hong Kong in the late 19th century and has become the region's emblem.
British forces took Hong Kong in 1841, and China officially gave it up the next year, as the First Opium War ended. Kowloon was added in 1860, and in 1898 Britain took a 99-year lease on the New Territories. Under a 1984 deal between the UK and China, Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China on 1 July 1997. China promised the city a high degree of self-rule for 50 years outside foreign and defense matters. The terrain is hilly with steep slopes, flattening into lowlands in the north.
Did you know?
- Life expectancy in Hong Kong is about 84 years.
- Tai Mo Shan is the highest point at 958 meters.
- Hong Kong covers 1,104 square kilometers, roughly six Washington, D.C.s in area
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Hong Kong
What currency does Hong Kong use?
The Hong Kong dollar.
What languages are spoken in Hong Kong?
English and Chinese.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.