Hong Kong is situated on the southeast coast of China at the mouth of the Pearl River facing the South China Sea. Covering an area of 1,104 square kilometres (425 square miles), the territory is made up of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories.

Population
More than 7 million

Electricity
220V / 50Hz UK plug

Time Zone
GMT +8

International Calling Code
Dial +852 to call a Hong Kong number from overseas. There are no regional codes.

Weather
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate with distinct seasons. Typhoon season is May to November. When a typhoon is approaching, warnings are broadcast on TV and radio, and signals indicate its significance, the latest position and expected movement of the centre of the tropical cyclone, information on the wind strength, rainfall and sea level in the territory. When typhoon signal 8 is hoisted, businesses and shops close down and flights may be cancelled. There is a separate warning for heavy rain.

• Spring | March to May 
  Temperature and humidity are rising. Evenings can be cool.
  
  
• Summer | June to August 
  Hot, humid and sunny, with occasional showers and thunderstorms. The temperture can exceed 31°C.
  
  
• Autumn | September to November
  There are pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures.  Many people regard these as the best months of the year to visit Hong Kong.
  
  
• Winter | December to February
  Cool, dry and cloudy, with occasional cold fronts. The temperature can drop below 10°C in urban areas.

The Hong Kong Observatory provides details of the average monthly temperature and rainfall on its website.

Languages
Cantonese is the Chinese dialect spoken by over 88% of the people in Hong Kong. However, English is widely used in the Govenrment and by the legal, professional and business sectors as well as tourist areas. Most taxi drivers and salespeople are able to communicate in English.

Money

• Currency
  The legal tender is the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), which is linked to the US dollar at a rate of about 7.80 HKD to 1 USD, although exchange rates may fluctuate slightly.
  
  
• Octopus Card
  The Octopus card is a stored value electronic card widely used in Hong Kong for public transport, purchases in convenience stores, fast food shops, supermarkets, cake shops and vending machines, etc.
  
  
• Traveller's Cheques & Credit Cards
  Traveller's cheques are accepted by leading banks and hotels.

Health
Upon arrival in Hong Kong, automatic sensors will take your temperature at the Hong Kong International Airport and boundary control points, and if it is high, you will be required to have a quick health check.

As an international city, Hong Kong has world-class hospitals providing outstanding care. Visitors can use the Accident and Emergency services in Hong Kong public hospitals, the medical services provided by the Hospital Authority are charged as per the Gazette, please click here for more information.

We highly recommended visitor to take out the medical and personal accident insurance in your own country for a visit to HK.

Emergency
In emergency situations, you can contact the local police, ambulance service, fire department and other emergency services by calling 999.

Useful Number

Emergency Services (Police, Fire, Ambulance)	999
Police Hotline	2527 7177
Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline (multilingual)	2508 1234
Hong Kong International Airport	2181 8888
Hong Kong Immigration Department	2824 6111
Department of Health	2961 8989
Consumer Council	2929 2222
RTHK's service hotline (Newsline) for the latest news	2272 0000
Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong	2807 0707
Customs and Excise Department Enquiry Hotline	2815 7711
Hongkong Post	2921 2222
Weather (Hong Kong Observatory)	1878 200
Hong Kong Hotels Association Hotel Reservation Hotline	2383 8380 / 2769 8822
Directory Enquiries	1081
International Services	10010
International Enquiries Service (Country Codes & World Time Inquiries)	10013

Source of information:
Hong Kong Tourism Board | visit www.discoverhongkong.com for more information.