Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,300,000 and its population density is 16,390/km². The island had a population of 3,000 inhabitants scattered in a dozen fishing villages when it was occupied by the United Kingdom in the First Opium War in 1842, and the City of Victoria was then established on the island by the British Force in honour of Queen Victoria. The Central area on the island is the historical, political and economic centre of Hong Kong. The northern coast of the island forms the southern shore of the Victoria Harbour, which is largely responsible for the development of Hong Kong due to its deep waters favoured by large trade ships.
The island is home to many of the most famous sights in Hong Kong, such as “The Peak”, Ocean Park, many historical sites and various large shopping centres. The mountain ranges across the island are also famous for hiking. The northern part of Hong Kong Island together with Kowloon forms the core urban area of Hong Kong. Their combined area is approximately 88.3 km2 (34.5 sq. mi.) and their combined population (that of the northern part of the island and of Kowloon) is approximately 3,156,500, reflecting a population density of 35,700/km² (91,500/sq. mi.).
The island is often referred to locally as “Hong Kong side” or “Island side”. This style was formerly applied to many locations (e.g. ‘China-side’ or even Kowloon Walled City-side) but is now only heard in this form and ‘Kowloon side’, suggesting the two sides of the harbour. The form was once more common in Britain than now, such as ‘Surrey-side’ and is still seen in British placenames like Cheapside, Tyneside, and Teesside, not all of which have an obvious watercourse or boundary with actual sides.
The Island Line of the MTR underground railway network runs exclusively on Hong Kong Island, from West to East, along the northern coastline of the island. However, the western part of the island is not yet served by the railway. The government and MTR have planned to extend the Island Line to Kennedy Town, the western tip of the island. Construction began in August 2009 and is expected to be completed in 2014. Three new stops (Sai Ying Pun, University, and Kennedy Town) will be created. Hong Kong Island is connected to the Kowloon Peninsula on the mainland by two road-only tunnels, two MTR railway tunnels and one combined road and MTR rail link tunnel.
[caption id="attachment_230694" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Plan of an ideal city of 100 000 inhabitants by Jean-Jacques Moll from 1801[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportation, communications, and distribution networks...
