Handover of Hong Kong

The handover of Hong Kong, or the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong (also called "the Handover" or "the Return" in mainland China) was when the country that controlled Hong Kong was changed from the United Kingdom to China. The handover happened on 1 July 1997. Before this day, British Hong Kong was controlled by the United Kingdom as a colony and a British Dependent Territory. After the handover, Hong Kong became a special administrative region (SAR) of China.

The handover was the end of British control of Hong Kong. They governed over it for 156 years. Because the number of people living in Hong Kong was 6.5 million in 1997, it was the majority of people (97%) living in all British Dependent Territories. Some people think that the handover was the end of the British Empire.