Seasonal Almanac

Hong Kong has a total land area of 1104 sq km with a population of 6.99 million. Its mountainous terrain means only a portion of the land can be built on. As a result only 25% of the land is urbanised whilst 40% of the remaining are desginated as parks and reserves. The shortage of land has always been dealt with by extensive reclamation along the water and dense high-rise development. Hong Kong is the 20th most densely populated city in the world.

Hong Kong Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai (northwest New Terrorities) opened in 2006 complements the nearby Mai Po marhses (a Ramsar site). Both reserves serve as important sites for many migratory birds from around the world. The design of the park has received some criticism relating to its use of resources and senstivitiy to the surrounding environment. Despite all this, the masses of visitors clearly enjoyed the open space and information about the native environments. In Hong Kong, nature is never far from urban existence.