The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of
China is located on the southeastern coast of China, and the Macao SAR
can be found off of China's southern coast. Both regions have recently
been released from European colonial rule: Hong Kong from British
control in 1997 and Macao from Portugal in 1999. As SARs, Hong Kong and
Macao retain a high degree of autonomy, and they control all issues
except those of state (e.g. diplomatic relations and national defense).
As with other volumes in the Historical Dictionaries series, the
Historical Dictionary of the Hong Kong SAR and the Macao SAR includes
maps, photographs, a list of acronyms, a chronology, an introductory
essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary
entries on important persons, places, and events as well as political,
economic and social background. However, unlike the rest of the series,
all these sections are presented in duplicate: one for Hong Kong and one
for Macao. The authoritative analysis and informative data presented
clearly elucidate the unique situation of these two territories.