Hong Kong

A lease was signed by Great Britain in 1898 for the 400 square miles of Hong Kong. The 99-year lease expired in 1997 and Hong Kong's sovereignty reverted to the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong Island was originally ceded by China to Great Britain in 1842, the southern part of the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters (Ngong Shuen) Island (now joined to the mainland) ceded in 1860. The New Territories, which include the mainland area lying largely to the north, together with 230 large and small offshore islands were part of the 99-year lease. The name Hong Kong (in Chinese, Xianggang) means "fragrant harbor."