Bordering the South China Sea, Hong Kong is a collection of more than 200 islands and a peninsula extending from the southeast of China. Six times the size of Washington DC, the country is hilly to mountainous with steep slopes and northern lowlands.

The territory now known as Hong Kong was settled by Han Chinese in the 7th century. Centuries later, Hong Kong would begin trading with British merchants when they arrived by sea in 1699. After the Chinese defeat in the First Opium War, Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842 and became a distribution center for their trade with southern China.

During the communist takeover of mainland China, beginning in 1949, hundreds of thousands of people fled from China to Hong Kong, which became a thriving manufacturing, commercial, finance, and tourism center. In 1997, China resumed control of Hong Kong, ending more than 150 years of British rule. Under its “one country, two systems” agreement with Hong Kong, China promised it would not impose its socialist economic system on Hong Kong, which would have a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the subsequent 50 years.

Hong Kong is known for its high standard of living and life expectancy, literacy, economic and financial stability, and strategic location for global trade. While mainland China has been Hong Kong’s largest trading partner, the United States and Great Britain maintain a sizable presence in Hong Kong’s business, industrial, cultural, and diplomatic relations.

An entirely urban society, Hong Kong’s natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. The country is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Most of the population is Han Chinese, and the official languages are Cantonese, English, and Mandarin.

Every major religion is freely practiced in Hong Kong, with many people practicing Confucianism regardless of religion or lack thereof. Nearly 30% of people identify as Buddhists, while almost 60% practice ethnic religions.

An indigenous ministry provides gospel-centered care for those struggling with gambling addiction to help them build a support network, rebuild their confidence, and take care of the problems they have created in their own life and the lives of their family members. They request assistance to help cover the costs of this program in addition to their microenterprise programs to help families escape poverty.

Sources: Joshua Project, CIA World Factbook