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Hong Kong is located on China's south coast, 60 km east of Macau on the opposite side of the Pearl River Delta. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on the east, south, and west, and borders the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province to the north over the Sham Chun River. The territory's 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) land area consists primarily of Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories as well as some 260 other islands.
Hong Kong is one of the world's leading financial centres. Its highly capitalist economy has been ranked as the most free economy in the world in the Index of Economic Freedom for 14 consecutive years. It is an important centre for international finance and trade, with the greatest concentration of corporate headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region, and is known as one of the Four Asian Tigers for its high growth rates and rapid industrialisation.
Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where East meets West, reflecting the culture's mix of the territory's Chinese roots with the culture brought to it during its time as a British colony. Although over a decade has passed since the handover, Western cultural practises remain, and coexists seamlessly with the traditional philosophy and practices of Chinese culture.
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