Hong Kong clues explained

If you guessed Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China, as our 9th destination, you were correct!  This is another one of our "less than 24 hour connections" that we are permitted under the rules of our airline ticket. so unfortunately we won't have long to check out this awesome city.

According the UN and the WHO, Hong Kong has the longest life expectancy of any country in the world at 83 years.

Perhaps Hong Kong's most recognizable countryman to Americans is Jackie Chan, star of such films as "Rush Hour" and the 2010 "Karate Kid" remake.  Chan also did the voice for Master Monkey in "Kung Fu Panda" and "Kung Fu Panda 2".

So what does it mean to be a "Special Administrative Region of China"?  I'm not sure I understand all the nuances, but a few key things I do know are:

• Hong Kong was a British colony for about 150 years, and in 1997 was "given back" to China.
• Hong Kong is allowed to enter into their own international and economic agreements.  For instance, Americans don't need a visa to visit Hong Kong, but they do for the rest of China (that helped with making our decision to stop here and not Beijing or Shanghai, where we'd have to pay $150 for the visa).
• The amount of sovereignty that Hong Kong has from Beijing (location of the central Chinese government, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party) is a source of debate and controversy.  There were recent protests in Hong Kong over the appointment of a new executive for the city by Beijing that the people of Hong Kong believe represent Beijing's interests and not their own.