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Central and Western district

Central and Western
中西區
District
Central and Western District
Day view of the Central and Western District skyline
Day view of the Central and Western District skyline
Official logo of Central and Western
Official emblem
Location within Hong Kong
Location within Hong Kong
Coordinates: 22°17′12″N 114°09′18″E / 22.28666°N 114.15497°E / 22.28666; 114.15497Coordinates: 22°17′12″N 114°09′18″E / 22.28666°N 114.15497°E / 22.28666; 114.15497
Country Hong Kong
Division Hong Kong Island
Government
 • District Officer Eliza Yau
 • District Council Chairman David Yip
Area
 • Total 12.52 km2 (4.83 sq mi)
 • Land 12.40 km2 (4.79 sq mi)
 • Water .12 km2 (0.05 sq mi)  1%
Population (2011)
 • Total 251,519
 • Density 20,000/km2 (52,000/sq mi)
Time zone Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Website Central and Western District
Central and Western District
City Hall and General Post Office.jpg
Traditional Chinese 中西區
Simplified Chinese 中西区

The Central and Western District (Chinese: 中西區) located on northern part of Hong Kong Island is one of the 18 administrative districts of Hong Kong. It had a population of 251,519 in 2011. The district has the most educated residents with the second highest income and the third lowest population due to its relatively small size.

Central is the central business district and the core urban area of Hong Kong. Western District covers Shek Tong Tsui, Kennedy Town and Sai Ying Pun, and was part of the City of Victoria, the earliest urban settlement in colonial Hong Kong.

Central District, as Victoria City, was the first area of planned urban development in Hong Kong during the colonial era. The British held a land sale in June 1841, six months after the flag was raised at Possession Point. A total of 51 lots of land were sold to 23 merchant houses to build offices and warehouses. The property buyers included Dent's, Jardine's, Russell's and Olyphant's. At the time, the two roads Albany Nullah (now Garden Road) and Glenealy Nullah (now Glenealy) were mainly used by the British. The streets later became known as Government Hill.

In 1857, the British government expanded Victoria City and divided it into seven districts. Those located in present-day Central and Western are: Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, Tai Ping Shan, Central. The area was essentially a European area until 1860 when Chinese merchants begin buying up European properties around Cochrane, Wellington and Pottinger Streets. The Central district was the principal European business district, hence the arrival of the first major bank HSBC. The Western district was the commercial centre for Chinese businesses. When property values in the district rose, a meeting was held in February 1866 to establish a "District Watch Force" to police and protect this specific area.


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Wikipedia

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