hk

hk commonly refers to Hong Kong, the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, located on the southern coast of China along the Pearl River Delta. It comprises Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and more than 200 outlying islands. Since the handover from the United Kingdom in 1997, Hong Kong operates under the principle of one country, two systems, retaining a high degree of autonomy in economic and social matters while foreign and defense affairs are handled by Beijing.

Governance: Hong Kong maintains a separate executive, legislative, and judicial framework based on the Basic Law, a constitutional document. The Chief Executive leads the executive branch; a Legislative Council passes laws. The judiciary is independent, with the Court of Final Appeal as the top court. Over time, debates about political reform have arisen amid tensions between local institutions and Beijing.

Economy: Hong Kong is one of the world's leading international financial centers. Its economy is service-based, with prominent sectors in finance, trade, logistics, professional services, and tourism. The Hong Kong dollar operates under a currency board linked to the US dollar. The city is known for its free-market policies and relatively low trade barriers.

Codes and language: In international coding, HK is the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for Hong Kong; the internet country code top-level domain is .hk. The region uses both Chinese (primarily Cantonese) and English in administration and education.

Demographics and culture: Hong Kong has a diverse population of several million residents, with a majority ethnic Han Chinese and sizable minority communities. The city is noted for its dense urban environment, multilingual education, and a vibrant arts scene.