Is Hong Kong a country?

Hong Kong is declared as a Special Administrative Region and is technically considered part of China. However, Hong Kong largely operates as an independent country to China because Hong Kong has its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar, legal system and parliamentary system.

Hong Kong is located in eastern Asia and borders China and the South China Sea. Hong Kong has a total area of 426 square miles, making it approximately six times the size of Washington, D.C. It has a population estimated to be about 7.2 million people, as of 2014. Hong Kong has a subtropical monsoon climate with cool, humid winters and hot, wet summers. Fall is typically warm with plentiful sunshine.