The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: ?????????????? [pronunciation]), commonly known as Hong Kong (Chinese: ??), is one of the two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. Comprising over 260 islands, the territory is located on the eastern banks of the Pearl River Delta, facing the South China Sea in the south and bordering Guangdong Province in the north. *************************************** Hong Kong was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1842 until the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997. The Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Hong Kong stipulate that Hong Kong will operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2047, fifty years after the transfer. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the People's Republic of China is responsible for the territory's defence and foreign diplomacy, while Hong Kong maintains its own legal system, currency, customs policy, cultural delegation, international sports teams, and immigration laws.