Hong Kong | History, China, Location, Map, & Facts - Britannica

Relief

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Hong Kong has rugged relief and marked variations in topography, which is in sharp contrast to the low-lying areas of the Pearl River Delta region but conforms geologically and structurally to the well-eroded upland region of the great South China massif. Structurally, the area is an upfold, running northeast-southwest, that was formed about 150 million years ago toward the latter part of the Jurassic Period. Lava poured into this structure and formed volcanic rocks that were later intruded by an extensive granitic dome. The harbor of Hong Kong was formed by the drowning of the denuded center of the dome. The surrounding hills on the mainland and on Hong Kong Island are partly capped by volcanic rocks, and steep, scarplike concave slopes lead to the inner harbor.

The area is a partially submerged, dissected upland terrain that rises abruptly to heights above 2,950 feet (900 meters); its backbone is made up of a series of ridges, running northeast to southwest, that tie in closely with the structural trend in South China. This trend is clearly observable from the alignment of Lantau Island and the Tolo Channel. From Mount Tai Mo—at 3,140 feet (957 meters) the highest peak in the territory—the series of ridges extends southwestward to Lantau Island, where the terrain rises to 3,064 feet (934 meters) on Lantau Peak and 2,851 feet (869 meters) on Sunset Peak. Extending southeastward from Mount Tai Mo, the Kowloon Peak attains an elevation of 1,975 feet (602 meters), but there is an abrupt drop to about 650 feet (198 meters) at Devil’s Peak. Victoria (Hong Kong) Harbor is well protected by mountains on Hong Kong Island that include Victoria Peak in the west, which rises to 1,810 feet (552 meters), and Mount Parker in the east, which reaches a height of about 1,742 feet (531 meters).

Britannica Quiz Know Your Asian Geography Quiz

Lowlands of the Hong Kong region, including floodplains, river valleys, and reclaimed land, occupy less than one-fifth of the land. Extensive lowland regions are found only north of Mount Tai Mo, in the Yuen Long and Sheung Shui plains. The urban area that spans the two sides of the harbor, with ongoing reclamation, takes up only about one-tenth of the level area.