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Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on the glamorous lives and lifestyles of the upper class. A 300th anniversary party for the magazine was held in October 2009.^[1]

1709 journal[link]

Richard Steele

The original Tatler was founded in 1709 by Richard Steele, who used the nom de plume "Isaac Bickerstaff, Esquire", the first such consistently adopted journalistic persona,^[2] which adapted to the first person, as it were, the 17th-century genre of "characters", as first established in English by Sir Thomas Overbury and soon to be expanded by Lord Shaftesbury's Characteristics (1711). Steele's idea was to publish the news and gossip heard in London coffeehouses, hence the title, and seemingly, from the opening paragraph, to leave the subject of politics to the newspapers,^[3] while presenting Whiggish views and correcting middle-class manners, while instructing "these Gentlemen, for the most part being Persons of strong Zeal, and weak Intellects...what to think." To assure complete coverage of local gossip, a reporter was placed in each of the city's popular coffeehouses, or at least such were the datelines: accounts of manners and mores were datelined from White's; literary notes from Will's; notes of antiquarian interest were dated from the Grecian Coffee House; and news items from St. James’s Coffee House.

In its first incarnation, it was published three times a week. The original Tatler was published for only two years, from 12 April 1709 to 2 January 1711. A collected edition was published in 1710–11, with the title The Lucubrations of Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq.^[4] Two months after the final edition, Steele and Joseph Addison, another major contributor to Tatler, co-founded The Spectator magazine.

Contributors[link]

• Jonathan Swift
• Joseph Addison

Subsequent incarnations[link]

Several later journals revived the name Tatler.^[1] Three short series are preserved in the Burney Collection:^[5]

• Morphew, the original printer, continued to produce further issues in 1711 under the "Isaac Bickerstaffe" name from 4 January (No. 272) to 17 May (No. 330).
• A single issue (numbered 1) of a rival Tatler was published by Baldwin on 11 January 1711.
• In 1753–4, several issues by "William Bickerstaffe, nephew of the late Isaac Bickerstaffe" were published.

James Watson, who had previously reprinted the London Tatler in Edinburgh, began his own Tatler there on 13 January 1711, with "Donald Macstaff of the North" replacing Isaac Bickerstaffe.^[6]

Three months after the original Tatler was first published, an unknown woman writer using the pen name "Mrs. Crackenthorpe" published what was called the Female Tatler. Scholars from the 1960s to the 1990s thought the anonymous woman might have been Delarivier Manley, but she was subsequently ruled out as author and the woman remains unknown. However, its run was much shorter: the magazine ran for less than a year—from 8 July 1709 to 31 March 1710.^[7] The London Tatler^[8] and the Northern Tatler^[9] were later 18th-century imitations. The Tatler Reviv'd ran for 17 issues from October 1727 to January 1728; another publication of the same name had six issues in March 1750.^[10]

On 4 September 1830, Leigh Hunt launched The Tatler: A Daily Journal of Literature and the Stage. He edited it till 13 February 1832, and others continued it till 20 October 1832.^[11]

Modern magazine[link]

The current publication, named after Steele's periodical, was introduced on 3 July 1901 by Clement Shorter, publisher of The Sphere. For some time a weekly publication, it had a subtitle varying on "an illustrated journal of society and the drama" It contained news and pictures of high society balls, charity events, race meetings, shooting parties, fashion and gossip, with cartoons by "The Tout" and H. M. Bateman.

In 1940, it absorbed The Bystander. In 1961, Illustrated Newspapers, which published Tatler, The Sphere, and The Illustrated London News, was bought by Roy Thomson.^[12] In 1965, Tatler was rebranded London Life.^[13][14] In 1968, it was bought by Guy Wayte's Illustrated County Magazine group and the Tatler name restored.^[15] Wayte's group had a number of county magazines in the style of Tatler, each of which mixed the same syndicated content with county-specific local content.^[15] Wayte, "a moustachioed playboy of a conman"^[16] was convicted of fraud in 1980 for inflating the Tatler's circulation figures from 15,000 to 49,000.^[17]

The magazine was sold and relaunched as a monthly magazine in 1977, called Tatler & Bystander till 1982.^[14] Tina Brown, editor 1979–83, created a vibrant and youthful Tatler and is credited with putting the edge, the irony and the wit back into what was then an almost moribund social title. She referred to it as an upper class comic and by increasing its influence and circulation made it an interesting enough operation for the then owner, Gary Bogard, to sell to the Publishers Condé Nast. She was subsequently airlifted to New York to another Condé Nast title, Vanity Fair.

Several editors later and a looming recession and the magazine was once again ailing and Jane Procter was brought in to re-invent the title for the 1990s. With a sound appreciation of the times – the need for bite not bitch – plus intriguing, newsworthy and gently satirical content, she succeeded in making Tatler a glamorous must-read way beyond its previous social remit. The circulation tripled to over 90,000 – its highest ever figure, although this figure was exceeded five years later by Geordie Greig. The magazine created various supplements including The Travel and Restaurant Guides, the often referred to and closely watched Most Invited and The Little Black Book lists, and the hugely popular parties that accompanied them.

The Little Black Book[link]

One of Tatler's most talked about annual features is The Little Black Book. A shallow compilation of the 100 "most eligible" below-thirty-somethings in London. It is superficially made up of an assortment of heirs, aristocrats and European royalty.

Editors and contributors[link]

Past editors[link]

Past contributors[link]

• Isabella Blow – Contributing fashion editor-at-large
• Clare Milford Haven – Social editor
• Diana Mitford – commissioned to write a Letters from Paris section in the 1960s.
• Christina Broom – photographer

Present editors[link]

• Kate Reardon – Editor
• Gerri Gallagher – Associate Editor
• Christopher Whale – Art Director
• Lee Pears – Deputy Art Director
• Kate Chapple – Chief Sub-Editor
• Anna Bromilow – Fashion Director
• Olivia Falcon – Beauty Director
• "Isaac Bickerstaff" – Social Editor
• Nicola Formby – Chief Contributing Editor
• Dorrit Moussaieff – Contributing Editor
• Tom Wolfe – Contributing Editor
• Daisy Prince – Contributing Editor
• Jeremy Wayne – Restaurant Editor
• Tessa Dahl – Contributing Editor

Other editions[link]

There are also 14 Tatlers in Asia – Hong Kong Tatler (launched 1977), Singapore Tatler (1982), Malaysia Tatler (1989), Thailand Tatler (1991), Indonesia Tatler (2000), Philippine Tatler (2001), Beijing Tatler, Shanghai Tatler (both 2001), Macau Tatler, Taiwan Tatler (2008), Chongqing Tatler (2010), Jiangsu Tatler (2010), Sichuan Tatler (2010) and Zhejiang Tatler (2010). The Asian Tatlers are now owned by the Swiss-based Edipresse Group.

[edit] Unrelated Tatlers

Other magazines named Tatler have no connection to the London magazine or Condé Nast, although their content is a similar mix of fashion and local high-society news.

The Irish Tatler was founded by H. Crawford Hartnell in 1890 as The Lady of the House,^[31] and later renamed Irish Sketch and Irish Tatler and Sketch.^[32] Noelle Campbell Sharp renamed it IT in 1979.^[33] She sold it to Robert Maxwell in 1989; Smurfit publications bought it after Maxwell's death. It is now Irish Tatler.^[32]

Ulster Tatler has been published in Belfast since 1966.

The New York Tatler Social Digest merged in 1929 with the American Sketch to give Tatler and American Sketch.^[34] John S. Schem closed the magazine in 1933 after legal trouble arising from its grading of New York débutantes, on a scale running "A", "B", "C", "D", and "E–Z".^[35]

The Tatler is the name of the print and online newspaper for Lloyd Memorial High School in Erlanger, Kentucky.^[36]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• "The Story of Tatler: A 300-year frolic through Tatler's history, from coffee-house tri-weekly to glossy monthly". Tatler: 71–114. November 2009. 

External links[link]

• Official website
• Tatler Russia Official Site
• The Tatler and The Guardian
• The Tatler, Vol. 1 at Project Gutenberg (An 1899 reprint of the first 49 Issues of the 1709 Tatler)

Billy Bragg
Bragg at a protest calling for electoral reform in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Stephen William Bragg
Born	(1957-12-20) 20 December 1957 (age 54) Barking, Essex, England
Genres	Folk punk,[1] folk rock, alternative rock
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1977–present
Associated acts	The Blokes Riff-Raff Wilco
Website	billybragg.co.uk

Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) – known as Billy Bragg – is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist.^[2][3] His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes. His music career has lasted more than 30 years.

Early life[link]

Bragg was born in 1957 in Barking, Essex,^[4] the son of Dennis Frederick Austin Bragg, an assistant sales manager to a Barking cap and hat maker, and his wife, Marie Victoria D'Urso.^[5] Bragg was educated at Barking Abbey Secondary School in Barking.^[6]

Career[link]

In 1977, Bragg formed the punk rock/pub rock band Riff Raff, and toured London's pubs and clubs. The band released a series of singles, which did not receive wide exposure. He also worked in Guy Norris Records in Barking. Bragg became disillusioned with his music career, and in May 1981 joined the British Army as a recruit destined for the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars of the Royal Armoured Corps. After three months, he bought his way out of the army for £175 and returned home, having attended basic training but having never served in a regiment as a soldier.^[7]

Bragg began performing frequent concerts and busking around London, playing solo with an electric guitar. His roadie at the time was Andy Kershaw, who became a BBC DJ (Bragg and Kershaw later, in 1989, appeared in an episode of the BBC TV programme, Great Journeys, in which they travelled the Silver Road from Potosí, Bolivia, to the Pacific coast at Arica, Chile).^[8]

Bragg performing at South by Southwest in 2008

Bragg's demo tape initially got no response from the record industry, but by pretending to be a television repair man, he got into the office of Charisma Records' A&R man Peter Jenner.^[9] Jenner liked the tape, but the company was near bankruptcy and had no budget to sign new artists. Bragg got an offer to record more demos for a music publisher, so Jenner agreed to release them as a record. Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy was released in July 1983 by Charisma's new imprint, Utility. Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, so Peel played a song from Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy although at the wrong speed (since the 12" LP was, unconventionally, cut to play at 45rpm).^[9] Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed.

Within months, Charisma had been taken over by Virgin Records and Jenner, who had been laid off, became Bragg's manager. Stiff Records' press officer Andy Macdonald – who was setting up his own record label, Go! Discs – received a copy of Life's a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy. He made Virgin an offer and the album was re-released on Go! Discs in November 1983.^{[citation needed]} In 1984, he released Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, a mixture of political songs (e.g., "It Says Here") and songs of unrequited love (e.g., "The Saturday Boy"). The following year he released Between the Wars, an EP of political songs that included a cover version of Leon Rosselson's "The World Turned Upside Down" – the EP made the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and earned Bragg an appearance on Top of the Pops. Bragg later collaborated with Rosselson on the song, "Ballad of the Spycatcher". In 1985, his song "A New England", with an additional verse, became a Top 10 hit in the UK for Kirsty MacColl. After MacColl's early death, Bragg always sang the extra verse in her honour. In 1984–1985 he toured North America.

In 1986, Bragg released Talking with the Taxman about Poetry, which became his first Top 10 album. Its title is taken from a poem by Vladimir Mayakovsky and a translated version of the poem was printed on the record's inner sleeve. Back to Basics is a 1987 collection of his first three releases: Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy, Brewing Up with Billy Bragg, and the Between The Wars EP. Bragg released his fourth album, Workers Playtime, in September 1988. With this album, Bragg added a backing band and accompaniment.

In May 1990, Bragg released the political mini-LP, The Internationale. The songs were, in part, a return to his solo guitar style, but some songs featured more complicated arrangements and included a brass band. The album paid tribute to one of Bragg's influences with the song, "I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night", which is an adapted version of Earl Robinson's song, "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", itself an adaptation of a poem by Alfred Hayes.^{[citation needed]}

Performing with The Imagined Village at Camp Bestival, 20 July 2008

The album Don't Try This at Home was released in September 1991, and included the song, "Sexuality", which reached the UK Singles Chart. Bragg had been persuaded by Go! Discs' Andy and Juliet Macdonald to sign a four-album deal with a million pound advance, and a promise to promote the album with singles and videos.^{[citation needed]} This gamble was not rewarded with extra sales, and the situation put the company in financial difficulty. In exchange for ending the contract early and repaying a large amount of the advance, Bragg regained all rights to his back catalogue.^{[citation needed]} Bragg continued to promote the album with his backing band, The Red Stars, which included his Riff Raff colleague and long-time roadie, Wiggy.

Bragg released the album William Bloke in 1996 after taking time off to help raise his son. Around that time, Nora Guthrie (daughter of American folk artist Woody Guthrie) asked Bragg to set some of her father's unrecorded lyrics to music. The result was a collaboration with the band Wilco and Natalie Merchant (with whom Bragg had worked previously). They released the album Mermaid Avenue in 1998, and Mermaid Avenue Vol. II in 2000. A rift with Wilco over mixing and sequencing the album led to Bragg recruiting his own band, The Blokes, to promote the album. The Blokes included keyboardist Ian McLagan, who had been a member of Bragg's boyhood heroes The Faces. The documentary film Man in the Sand depicts the roles of Nora Guthrie, Bragg, and Wilco in the creation of the Mermaid Avenue albums.

In 2004, Bragg joined Florida ska-punk band Less Than Jake to perform a version of 'The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out' for the Rock Against Bush compilation.

At the 2005 Beautiful Days Festival in Devon, Bragg teamed up with the Levellers to perform a short set of songs by or associated with The Clash in celebration of Joe Strummer's birthday. Bragg performed guitar and lead vocals on "Police and Thieves", and performed guitar and backing vocals on "English Civil War", and "Police on my Back".

In 2007, Bragg moved closer to his English folk music roots by joining the WOMAD-inspired collective The Imagined Village, who recorded an album of updated versions of traditional English songs and dances and toured through that autumn. Bragg released his album Mr. Love & Justice in March 2008.^[10] This was the second Bragg album to be named after a book by Colin MacInnes. In 2008, during the NME Awards ceremony, Bragg sang a duet with British solo act Kate Nash. They mixed up their two greatest hits, Nash playing "Foundations", and Bragg redoing his "A New England".^[11] Bragg also collaborated with the poet and playwright, Patrick Jones, who supported Bragg's Tour.

In 2008, Bragg played a small role in Stuart Bamforth's film "A13: Road Movie".^[12] Bragg is featured alongside union reps, vicars, burger van chefs and Members of Parliament^[12] in a film that explored "the overlooked, the hidden and the disregarded."^[12]

He was involved in the play Pressure Drop at the Wellcome Collection in London in April and May 2010. The production, written by Mick Gorden, and billed as "part play, part gig, part installation", featured new songs by Bragg. He performed during the play with his band, and acted as compere.^[13]

Bragg curated the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury Festival 2010.^[14]

He will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible.^[15]

Politics[link]

Bragg has been involved with grassroots, broadly leftist, political movements,^[3] and this is often reflected in his lyrics. Bragg has recorded and performed cover versions of famous socialist anthems The Internationale and The Red Flag. Bragg said in an interview: "My theory is this; I'm not a political songwriter. I'm an honest songwriter. I try and write honestly about what I see around me now."^[16] In another interview, Bragg said: "I don't mind being labelled a political songwriter. The thing that troubles me is being dismissed as a political songwriter."^[17] In an interview with Bullz-Eye, Bragg said:

I would then say that I am Mr. Love and Justice, and to check out the love songs. That’s how I capture people. People do say to me, “I love your songs, but I just can’t stand your politics.” And I say, “Well, Republicans are always welcome. Come on over!” I would hate to stand at the door, saying to people, “Do you agree with these positions? If not, you can’t come in.”^[18]

Bragg expressed support for the 1984 miners' strike, and the following year he formed the musicians' alliance Red Wedge, which promoted the Labour Party and discouraged young people from voting for the Conservative Party in the 1987 general election. Following the defeat of the Labour Party and the repeated victory of Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative government, Bragg joined Charter88 to push for a reform of the British political system.

Also during the 1980s, Bragg travelled to the Soviet Union a few times, after Mikhail Gorbachev had started to promote the policies of perestroika and glasnost. During one trip, he was accompanied by MTV, and during another trip he was filmed for the 1998 mini-documentary Mr Bragg Goes to Moscow, by Hannu Puttonen.

On TV series After Dark in 1987

On 12 June 1987, the night after the UK General Election, he appeared on a memorable edition of After Dark. In 1999, Bragg appeared before a commission that debated possible reform of the House of Lords.^[19]

During the 2001 UK general election, Bragg attempted to combat voter apathy by promoting tactical voting in an attempt to unseat Conservative Party candidates in Dorset, particularly in South Dorset and West Dorset.

Bragg has developed an interest in English national identity, apparent in his 2002 album England, Half-English and his 2006 book The Progressive Patriot. The book expressed his view that English socialists can reclaim patriotism from the right wing. He draws on Victorian poet Rudyard Kipling for an inclusive sense of Englishness.^[20] Bragg has participated in a series of debates with members of the Socialist Workers Party who disagree with his argument. Bragg also supports Scottish independence and Welsh independence.^[21]

Supporting a demonstration against police misuse of anti-terrorism legislation; Trafalgar Square, London, 23 January 2010

Bragg has been an outspoken opponent of fascism, racism, bigotry, sexism and homophobia, and is a supporter of a multi-racial Britain. As a result, Bragg has come under attack from far right groups such as the British National Party. In a 2004 The Guardian article, Bragg was quoted as saying:

The British National Party would probably make it into a parliament elected by proportional representation, too. It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would be much more powerful than duffing them up in the street – which I'm also in favour of.^[22]

Also in 2004, Bragg collaborated with American ska punk band Less Than Jake to record a song for the Rock Against Bush compilation album.

During the 2005 general election campaign in the Bethnal Green and Bow constituency, Bragg supported Oona King, the Labour Party's pro-Iraq war candidate, over George Galloway, the anti-war Respect Party's candidate, due to a belief that splitting the left-wing vote would allow the Conservatives to win the seat.^[23] Galloway overturned King's 10,000-strong majority to become his party's only MP.^[24]

In March 2006, journalist Garry Bushell (a former Trotskyist who ran as a candidate for the English Democrats in 2005) accused Bragg of "pontificating on a South London council estate when we all know he lives in a lovely big house in West Dorset".^[25]

In January 2010, Bragg announced that he would withhold his income tax as a protest against the Royal Bank of Scotland's plan to pay bonuses of approximately of £1.5 billion to staff in its investment banking business. Bragg set up a Facebook group, made appearances on radio and television news programmes, and made speech at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park. Bragg said, “Millions are already facing stark choices: are they willing to work longer hours for less money, or would they rather be unemployed? I don’t see why the bankers at RBS shouldn’t be asked the same.”^[26]

On the eve of the 2010 general election, Bragg announced that he would be voting for the Liberal Democrats because "they've got the best manifesto".^[27] He also backed the Lib Dems for tactical voting reasons. Bragg later expressed disappointment with the party, stating that "the Lib Dems had failed democracy ".^[28]

Bragg was also very active in his hometown of Barking as part of Searchlight's magazine's Hope not Hate campaign, where the BNP's leader Nick Griffin was standing for election. At one point during the campaign Bragg squared up to BNP London Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook, calling him a "Fascist racist" and saying "when you're gone from this borough, we will rebuild this community". The BNP came third on election day.^[29]

Bragg is a board director and key spokesman for the Featured Artists Coalition, a body representing the rights of recording artists. Bragg founded the organisation Jail Guitar Doors, which supplies instruments to prisoners to encourage them to address problems in a non-confrontational way.^[30]

Bragg is a regular at the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival, an annual event celebrating the memory of those transported to Australia for founding a union in the 1830s.^[31]

In January 2011, news sources reported that 20 to 30 residents of Bragg's Dorset hometown, Burton Bradstock, had received anonymous letters viciously attacking Bragg and his politics, and urging residents to oppose him in the village. Bragg claimed that a BNP supporter was behind the letters, which argued that Bragg is a hypocrite for advocating socialism while living a wealthy lifestyle, and referred to him as anti-British and pro-immigration.^[32]

In July 2011 Billy joined the growing protests over the News of the World phone hacking affair with the recording of "Never Buy the Sun" which references many of the scandals key points including the Milly Dowler case, police bribes and associated political fallout. It also draws on the 22 year Liverpool boycott of The Sun for their coverage of the Hillsborough Disaster.^[33]

In 2011 Bragg joined the Occupy Movement Protests.

Personal life[link]

Billy lives in Burton Bradstock, Dorset with his wife Juliet and son Jack.^[34] He is a supporter of West Ham United.

Discography[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Andrew Collins (2007). Still Suitable for Miners: Billy Bragg (revised and updated ed.). London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1245-6. 
• Billy Bragg, The Progressive Patriot: A Search for Belonging (London: Bantam Press, 2006) ISBN 978-0-593-05343-0
• Billy Bragg, How we all lost when Thatcher won – Thatcher's victory over the miners led directly to this economic crisis. The Guardian, 5 March 2009

External links[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Billy Bragg

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Billy Bragg

• Official website
• Braggtopia
• Billy Bragg collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
• Billy Bragg's Big Busk At Lincoln Center 27 July 2011

Brian Tatler
Tatler live at The Twist, Colchester in 2008
Background information
Origin	Stourbridge, Midlands, United Kingdom
Genres	Heavy metal, hard rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Happy Face, MCA, Castle, Metal Mind Productions, Geffen
Associated acts	Diamond Head, Quill, Radio Moscow
Website	[1]
Notable instruments
Gibson Flying V Gibson Les Paul

Brian Tatler is an English musician, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of the Stourbridge based heavy metal band, Diamond Head.

Diamond Head[link]

For the history of Diamond Head see: Diamond Head (band)

Formation[link]

Originally trained as a mechanic,^[1] Tatler is most famous for his first band, Diamond Head. Tatler founded the band along with schoolmate Duncan Scott, he playing on a cheap fuzz guitar and Scott on some biscuit tins. They later enrolled the help of Sean Harris and Colin Kimberley on vocals and bass guitar respectively.

The band recorded and released self-financed demo tapes in 1977 and 1979. Although only recorded within six hours on a four-track, their unique sound and quality of song writing gained enough attention to tour as support with AC/DC and Iron Maiden. Although many record companies fought to sign the band, none were willing to commit fully. The band grew impatient and decided that they would release their material through their own label Happy Face Records. The band released their debut album on this label most commonly known as Lightning to the Nations, although it has never officially had a title. This album came in a plain sleeve with no title, having on it only a signature of one of the band members and no track listings. Amongst the stand out features of this album were the epic riffs created by Tatler, which prompted Sounds magazine to claim that "one Diamond Head song contains more riffs than an entire Black Sabbath album".^{[citation needed]}

Influence[link]

Tatler has cited early influences to be bands such as Scorpions, UFO and Rainbow. Tatler has stated that some of the first albums he bought were Led Zeppelin's second album and Deep Purple's Machine Head, and that his favourite album is Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti, as it contains his favourite song "Kashmir".^[2] He has said that although most of his guitar work was inspired by Ritchie Blackmore, it was the punk rock movement that showed him that anyone could form a band.^[3] Nowadays, Tatler tries not to be influenced by more modern bands in order to keep his traditional sound, although he imagines that "little bits creep into the writing process".^[4]

MCA Years[link]

The success of the first album led to a record deal with MCA Records in 1981, and they released the Four Cuts EP. Their 'major label' status afforded them a slot on the Reading Festival bill in 1982. Their set was recorded by the BBC, and later released in 1992 through Raw Fruit Records as the Friday Rock Show Sessions.

Their first MCA LP was Borrowed Time, which reached #24 in the UK Albums Chart. In many interviews Tatler has stated that 1982 was his favourite year, and found the era to be extremely exciting, trying to guess who is going to be the first NWOBHM band to make it big.^[5]

Their follow-up, Canterbury, was released in 1983. Tatler has expressed since that making this album was one of the most stressful periods of his life, and the entire process almost caused him to have a nervous breakdown. He also said that having to fire his best friends from the band was one of the hardest things he has had to do.^{[citation needed]}

The band split up for the first time in 1985. Around the same time, Tatler also decided that it was time to get rid of his signature white Flying V and convert to a Gibson Les Paul, saying that "I think the Les Paul's better, the V's more of a metal guitar. At one stage it was just me and Schenker with them, now the guy in Saxon's got one and all the European metal bands like Accept have them."^[6]

1990s[link]

Radio Moscow[link]

After Diamond Head split, Tatler went on to run RPK 24track studio, in Lye, recording and producing local bands. He also formed the band Radio Moscow (not to be confused with the modern American blues-rock band of the same name), which drummer Karl Wilcox, who later went on to be a part of a reformed Diamond Head. Radio Moscow recorded two albums, (World Service and Get A New Life) both of which featured Ritch Battersby on drums, who later went on to perform with G.T.A and also The Wildhearts.

First Diamond Head reunion[link]

Tatler and Sean Harris reformed Diamond Head in 1990. The band signed to Warner/Chappell and released their fourth album Death and Progress in 1991, but the reunion was short lived.

Modern Day[link]

Quill[link]

After the spilt, Tatler joined Thin Lizzy tribute act, Dizzy Lizzy, before joining up with the Celtic rock band, Quill. During his time with Quill, Tatler recorded three albums (Out of the hat, Privileged and Back Intact).

Diamond Head's acoustic years and Nick Tart era[link]

Andy Abberley & Brian Tatler 2008

Tatler played his last show with Quill in November 2000, and rejoined Harris to perform and record an acoustic version of Diamond Head, along with guitarist Floyd Brennan. Tatler and Harris recorded and toured new material and played their first gig in North America, playing the Metal Meltdown festival in New Jersey. However, the new album was never released. Harris' reluctance to tour and only concentrate on releasing further albums prompted Tatler to consider his options away from Harris.

Also during this time, Tatler collaborated with Dave Mustaine of Megadeth on an album together. However, after Mustaine decided to reform Megadeth, this project was shelved and never released.

Meanwhile, Tatler decided to resurrect Diamond Head with new vocalist Nick Tart who worked on Diamond Head's fifth studio album, All Will Be Revealed, which was released through Cargo Records in 2005. Tatler stated that his aim was just to try to release a solid rock album, with "punchy" riffs and no fillers.^[7] After a successful tour supporting Megadeth, in 2007 Diamond Head released their latest album What's In Your Head.

In 2009, Tatler released his autobiography, Am I Evil?. "It all started in a bedroom with a biscuit tin drum kit and a cheap fuzzy guitar, and went on to create some of the most exciting music ever written and inspire the biggest heavy metal band on the planet".^{[citation needed]} The book contained forewords by Lars Ulrich and Dave Mustaine.

In 2011 Tatler co-wrote the song Black Skies Mist with rising Birmingham Rock band Voodoo Johnson^[8]

Discography[link]

• Lightning to the Nations also known as The White Album (1980) - Diamond Head
• Borrowed Time (1982) - Diamond Head
• Canterbury (1983) - Diamond Head
• Death and Progress (1993) - Diamond Head
• All Will Be Revealed (2005) - Diamond Head
• What's In Your Head (2007) - Diamond Head

References[link]

Aska Yang
Aska Yang performed at 42nd Golden Bell Awards ceremony in Taipei on 17 November 2007
Chinese name	楊宗緯 (Traditional)
Chinese name	杨宗纬 (Simplified)
Pinyin	Yáng Zōng Wěi (Mandarin)
Origin	Republic of China (Taiwan)
Born	(1978-04-04) 4 April 1978 (age 34) Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
Occupation	Singer
Genre(s)	Mandopop
Voice type(s)	Tenor
Label(s)	HIM International Music (2007) Warner Music Taiwan (2008) MARS(2010–present)
Years active	2007–present
Associated acts	Million Star Gang
Official Website	Aska Yang's official website

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Aska Yang (traditional Chinese: 楊宗緯; simplified Chinese: 杨宗纬; Tongyong Pinyin: Yáng Zong-Wěi; Hanyu Pinyin: Yáng Zōngwěi) was born on 4 April 1978 in Taoyuan, Taiwan. He is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer. He graduated from the National Changhua University of Education (NCUE), with a major in Guidance & Counseling. During his study at NCUE, he attended singing contests and won some prizes. He is now studying a Master Degree program in the Sports Psychology Department at the National Taiwan Sport University (NTSU).

Music career[link]

One Million Star (2007)[link]

Aska Yang debut in Taiwan as a contestant on season one of Taiwanese TV singing contest One Million Star. He sang songs such as "再見我的愛人" (Goodbye My Love), "人質" (Hostage), "背叛" (Betrayal), "新不了情" (New Endless Love).

Nevertheless, the final ten contestants, including Yang, had released two compilation albums, Stars Reunion (星光同學會-超級星光大道10強紀念合輯) and Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (愛.星光精選-昨天 今天 明天) in June and October respectively. He recorded a total of four songs in both albums:

1. “Because I believe (因為我相信)” – jointly sang with other contestants;
2. “Betrayal (背叛)” – originally sung by Gary Cao;
3. “Hostage (人質)” – originally sung by A-mei; and
4. “Broken Wings (多餘)” – theme song from the movie “Keep Watching (沈睡的青春)”, and it is the first original song of Aska Yang.

Later in the year, he was involved in a tense contract dispute with his manager, Hsu An-chin. Because of the press attention, his name was frequently mentioned in the entertainment news headlines, in a sensational way, throughout the whole year of 2007. For example, he was ranked second in "Person of the Year" by Yahoo!Taiwan^[1] and was also listed in a book called "Who’s Who in the ROC, 2007-2008".^[2][3]

Debut album & concert (2008)[link]

After reaching a new agreement with his manager at the end of 2007,^[4] his musical career formally started. He released his debut solo album, titled Dove (鴿子), in January 2008, and it became the best-selling album in the first half of the year.^[5] The tracks "洋蔥" (Onion), "鴿子" (Dove) and "幸福的風" (Wind of Happiness) are listed at number 1, 5 and 12 respectively on Hit Fm Taiwan's Hit Fm Annual Top 100 Singles Chart (Hit-Fm年度百首單曲) for 2008.^[6] The track, "鴿子" (Dove) won one of the Top 10 Songs of the Year and "洋蔥" (Onion) won Best Loved Song by Audience at the 2009 HITO Radio Music Awards presented by Taiwanese radio station Hit FM.^[7]

His fan base began to expand to other regions like Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.^[8] Yang also played his first solo concert in Taipei Arena in May, just four months after the release of his debut album. However, after the solo concert, he was embroiled in conflict with his manager again. The dispute resulted in a sudden pause in his career. In October 2008, Aska Yang formally announced the termination of his contract.

Restart (2009)[link]

While attempting to resolve the outstanding contract issues by going to court, Aska restarted his music career in early 2009. He held a mini-concert in Taipei on 11 January and also began participating in other performance events, such as TV shows, concerts and musical plays. Outside the entertainment business, he enters the Graduate Institute of Physical Education of National Taiwan Sport University to study for a master's degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology.

Discographies[link]

Studio albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Live albums[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

• 2008：Hito Pop Music Award~ - Aska Yang along with The Million Star Gang won the 「Hito Best New Artists Award」With the 「Million Star Reunion 10 Finalist Special Album」
• 2008：Hito Pop Music Award - Aska Yang along with The Million Star Gang won the {Best New Artist Award}
• 2008：5th Annual SuperStar Singers Award~ Aska Yang won { Best New Artist Award}
• 2008：Singapore Golden Melody Award - Aska Yang won 5 awards including: 「Outstanding New Artist Award」、「Best Male Singer Award」、「Most Popolar New Artist Award」、「Y.E.S 933 Longest Chart Holder Song《Onion》」、「Y.E.S 933 Number # 1 on Top Ten Most Popular Song Chart 《Onion》」
• 2009: Singapore Entertainment Awards - Aska Yang won 3 awards : Regional Newcomer of the Year Media Award ; Most Popular Regional Newcomer ; Radio 100.3 Most Popular Song ~ Onion
• 2009: Hito Radio Pop Music Award -　「 2008 Best Top 10 Madarin Songs(05)- Aska Yang (Dove) 」、「 2008 Fan's Choice Award - Aska Yang（Onion）」
• 2009: 2nd Annual Kiss Apple Top 10 Love Songs Award, won with《Onion》
• 2010: CCTV<M! Countdown > Universal Pop Music Festival In LuoYang City - HK/TW 2010 Media’s Most Favorite Upcoming Singer’s Award
• 2011: Elle 20th Anniversary People's Award~ The Greater Chinese Internet Most Favorite Male Artist Of The Year
• 2011: Beijing Fourth Annual MNSSE Music Billboard Award - Best Album Of The Year: PURE
• 2011: Third Annual Yahoo! Award『Most Favorite Male Artist Of The Year 』

Major concerts[link]

Endorsements[link]

The Magic School spokesman

Charity

• 2007.9 : Voice of Taipei (Hit FM) Celebrity hand-painted Signature Net Cap Auction : Aska Yang’s fans club won the highest bidding and raised NT $ 200,000. The money was given to the Chinese Children Home and Shelter Association.

• 2007.9 : Aska Yang’s fans club donated the net cap to the Taipei Women Rescue Foundation (TWRF) for a live auction in the 20th anniversary of Appreciation Reception. The former chairman of TWRF, attorney Ying-Chi Liao, won the final bid of 300,000 NT dollars, and returned this monumental net cap back to Yang.

• 2007.9.15 : Aska Yang then offered the cap to National Changhua University of Education for collection. With Yang and his fans' help, TWRF raised a total of 1,290,136 NT dollars, on the day of the Anniversary Appreciation Reception.

• 2007-09-15 : Spokesman of Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation
• 2007  : Spokesman of The Magic School^[17]
• 2008-01-18 : Spokesman of the Public Traffic Safety Film Contest Sponsored by PBS Television in conjunction with Ho-Tai Automobile Manufacture.
• 2008-02-20 : Spokesman of Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation Charity Movie Premiere "Persepolis^[18]".
• 2008-05-17 : Star! Start! Solo Debut Concert at the Taipei Arena : Aska Yang donated his entire income to the victims of the Sichuan earth quake in China.
• 2008-06-21 : Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation~ 10 years celebration of the Domestic Violence Legislation Act.
• 2008-10-06 : Aska Yang donated NT$500,000 to the ChuangHua Teacher’s University Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.
• 2009-01-23 : Aska Yang donated a “ Love” necklace for the 【Go! Love】 Celebrity Auction event. His necklace raised NT$120,900.
• 2009-07-27～2009-08-05 : Taiwan Redcross fundraiser for low income children~ Aska Yang’s hand print signature card raised NT$147,532.
• 2009-08-14 : CTV 「Spread the Love -88 Flood Victims Fundraiser Event」~ Aska Yang and his fans clubs donated NT$1,000,000.00
• 2009-08-15～2009-08-16 : Taiwan World’s Vision Foundation~ 20th annual Hunger 30hours Fundraiser Event ~ Aska Yang and his fans club donated NT $500,000.

Commercial

• 2007 Uni-President Cup Triathlon Championship TV advertisement
• 2007 EZPeer TOGO MP4 player
• 2008 Pearly Gates~Japanese Golf Designer Name Brand
• 2008 Spokesman of 2008 Taiwan National Intercollegiate Athletic Games

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aska Yang

• (Chinese) Aska Yang's official website
• (Chinese) Aska Yang's blog
• (Chinese) Aska Yang discographies@Warner Music Taiwan
• (Chinese) Aska Yang's Weibo

Coordinates: 22°16′42″N 114°09′32″E / 22.27833°N 114.15889°E / 22.27833; 114.15889

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China[note 1] 中華人民共和國香港特別行政區
Flag Emblem
Anthem: March of the Volunteers 《義勇軍進行曲》
View at night from Victoria Peak
Official language(s)		Chinese, English[note 2]
Spoken languages		Cantonese, English
Writing systems		Traditional Chinese, English alphabet
Demonym		Hong Konger
Government		Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
-	Chief Executive	Donald Tsang
-	Chief Executive-elect	CY Leung
-	Chief Justice	Geoffrey Ma
-	President of the Legislative Council	Jasper Tsang
Legislature		Legislative Council
Establishment
-	Treaty of Nanking	29 August 1842
-	Japanese occupation	25 December 1941 – 15 August 1945
-	Conveyance from British sovereignty to Chinese sovereignty	1 July 1997
Area
-	Total	1,104 km2 (179th) 426 sq mi
-	Water (%)	4.58 (50 km²; 19 mi²)[3]
Population
-	2010 census	7,061,200[4]
-	Density	6,480[5]/km2 (4th) 16,576/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$351.119 billion[6]
-	Per capita	$49,137[6]
GDP (nominal)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$243.302 billion[6]
-	Per capita	$34,049[6]
Gini (2007)		43.4[7]
HDI (2011)		0.898[8] (very high) (13th)
Currency		Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Time zone		HKT (UTC+8)
Date formats		yyyy年m月d日 (Chinese) dd-mm-yyyy (English)
Drives on the		left
ISO 3166 code		HK
Internet TLD		.hk and .香港
Calling code		+852

Hong Kong
Chinese	香港
Cantonese Jyutping	Hoeng1gong2
Cantonese Yale	Hēunggóng
Hanyu Pinyin	Xiānggǎng
Literal meaning	Fragrant harbour
Transcriptions Hakka - Romanization Hiông-kóng Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Xiānggǎng - Wade–Giles Hsiang1-kang3 - IPA [ɕjáŋkàŋ] Min - Hokkien POJ Hiong-kang Wu - Romanization shian平kaon上 Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping Hoeng1gong2 - IPA [hœ̂ːŋkɔ̌ːŋ] - Yale Romanization Hēunggóng
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Traditional Chinese	香港特別行政區 (or 香港特區)
Simplified Chinese	香港特别行政区 (or 香港特区)
Transcriptions Hakka - Romanization Hiông-kóng Thi̍t-phe̍t Hàng-tsṳn-khî Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Xiānggǎng Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū Min - Hokkien POJ Hiong-kang Te̍k-pia̍t Hêng-chèng-khu Wu - Romanization shian平kaon上 deh入bih入 ghan平tsen去chiu平 Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping Hoeng1gong2 Dak6bit6 Hang4zing3 Keoi1

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Full view of Kowloon and Hong Kong. The old Kai Tak Airport can be seen on the left.

The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum located in northwest Kowloon was built in 1969 after the tomb's discovery in 1955.

Hong Kong^{[note 3]} (Chinese: 香港) is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. A city-state^[9] situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea,^[10] it is known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km² (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.^[11] Hong Kong's population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups.^[12] Hong Kong's Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province.^[13]

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and then the New Territories in 1898. It was occupied by Japan during the Pacific War, after which the British resumed control until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty.^[14][15] The region espoused minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism during the colonial era.^[16] The time period greatly influenced the current culture of Hong Kong, often described as "East meets West",^[17] and the educational system, which used to loosely follow the system in England^[18] until reforms implemented in 2009.^[19]

Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has a different political system from mainland China.^[20] Hong Kong's independent judiciary functions under the common law framework.^[21][22] Hong Kong Basic Law, its constitutional document, stipulates that Hong Kong shall have a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign relations and military defence, governs its political system.^[23][24] Although it has a burgeoning multi-party system, a small-circle electorate^{[clarification needed]} controls half of its legislature. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the head of government, is selected by a Selection Committee / Election Committee with 400 to 1200 members, during the first 20 years.^{[25] [26][27] [28]}

As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the currency, Hong Kong dollar, is the eighth most traded currency in the world.^[29] The lack of space caused demand for denser constructions, which developed the city to a centre for modern architecture and the world's most vertical city.^[30][31] Hong Kong has one of the highest per capita income in the world.^[6] The dense space also led to a highly developed transportation network with public transport travelling rate exceeding 90 percent,^[32] the highest in the world.^[33] Hong Kong has numerous high international rankings in various aspects. For instance, its economic freedom, financial and economic competitiveness, quality of life, corruption perception, Human Development Index, etc., are all ranked highly.^{[34][35][36][37][38][39][40]} According to both UN and WHO estimates, Hong Kong has the second longest life expectancy of any country in the world. ^[41][42]

Etymology[link]

The name "Hong Kong" is an approximate phonetic rendering of the pronunciation of the spoken Cantonese or Hakka name "香港", meaning "fragrant harbour".^[43] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet – now Aberdeen Harbour or 香港仔 hoeng¹ gong² zai² "Little Hong Kong" – between the Aberdeen Island and the south side of Hong Kong Island, which was one of the first points of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.^[44]

The reference to fragrance may refer to the harbour waters sweetened by the fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River, or to the incense from factories lining the coast to the north of Kowloon, which was stored around Aberdeen Harbour for export before the development of Victoria Harbour.^[43] In 1842, the Treaty of Nanking was signed, and the name Hong Kong was first recorded on official documents to encompass the entirety of the island.^[45]

History[link]

Pre-colonial[link]

Archaeological studies support a human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago, and in Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.^[46][47][48] Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the two earliest sites of human habitation in the Paleolithic period. It is believed the Three Fathom Cove was a river valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggest cultural differences from the Longshan culture in northern China and settlement by the Che people prior to the migration of the Baiyue.^[49][50] Eight petroglyphs were discovered on surrounding islands, which dated to the Shang Dynasty in China.^[51]

In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern Liangguang region) and incorporated the territory into imperial China for the first time. Modern Hong Kong is located in Nanhai commandery (modern Nanhai District) and near the ancient capital city Pun Yue.^[52][53][54] The area was consolidated under the kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC after the Qin Dynasty collapsed.^[55] When the kingdom was conquered by Emperor Wu of Han in 111 BC, the land was assigned to the Jiaozhi commandery under the Han Dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates the population increased and early salt production flourished in this time period. Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb in the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built during the Han Dynasty.^[56]

During the Tang Dynasty period, the Guangdong region flourished as a regional trading center. In 736, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military town in Tuen Mun to defend the coastal area in the region.^[57] The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 in the New Territories under the Northern Song Dynasty.^[58] During the Mongol invasion in 1276, the Southern Song Dynasty court moved to Fujian, then to Lantau Island and later to Sung Wong Toi (modern Kowloon City), but the child Emperor Bing of Song committed suicide by drowning with his officials after being defeated in the Battle of Yamen. Hau Wong, an official of the emperor is still worshipped in Hong Kong today.^[59]

The earliest recorded European visitor was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer who arrived in 1513.^[60][61] After establishing settlements in the region, Portuguese merchants began trading in southern China. At the same time, they invaded and built up military fortifications in Tuen Mun. Military clashes between China and Portugal led to the expulsion of the Portuguese. In the mid-16th century, the Haijin order banned maritime activities and prevented contact with foreigners; it also restricted local sea activity.^[59] In 1661–69, the territory was affected by the Great Clearance ordered by Kangxi Emperor, which required the evacuation of the coastal areas of Guangdong. It is recorded that about 16,000 persons from Xin'an County were driven inland, and 1,648 of those who left are said to have returned when the evacuation was rescinded in 1669.^[62] What is now the territory of Hong Kong became largely wasteland during the ban.^[63] In 1685, Kangxi became the first emperor to open limited trading with foreigners, which started with the Canton territory. He also imposed strict terms for trades such as requiring foreign traders to live in restricted areas, staying only for the trading seasons, banning firearms, and trading with silver only.^[64] The East India Company made the first sea venture to China in 1699, and the region's trade with British merchants developed rapidly soon after. In 1711, the company established its first trading post in Canton. By 1773, the British reached a landmark 1,000 chests of opium in Canton with China consuming 2,000 chests annually by 1799.^[64]

British colonial era[link]

• 

  Flag of the British colony of Hong Kong(used in between 1870-1876)

• 

  Flag of the British colony of Hong Kong(used in between 1876-1910)

• 

  Flag of the British colony of Hong Kong(used in between 1910-1959)

• 

  Flag of the British colony of Hong Kong (Unofficial Red ensign for Hong Kong used in between 1959 to prior the Handover of Hong Kong to the PRC in 1997)

General Post Office in Central,City of Victoria, 1911

The Queen's Pier in front of City Hall in Edinburgh Place.

Victoria City in the 1890s.

View of Hong Kong Island from Kowloon (published 1843)

In 1839, the refusal by Qing Dynasty authorities to import opium resulted in the First Opium War between China and Britain. Hong Kong Island was occupied by British forces on 20 January 1841 and was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpee as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan, but the agreement was never ratified due to a dispute between high ranking officials in both governments.^[65] It was not until 29 August 1842 that the island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking. The British established a crown colony with the founding of Victoria City the following year.^[66]

Under British rule, the population of Hong Kong island had increased from 7,450 Chinese residents, mostly fishermen, in 1841 to over 115,000 Chinese and 8,754 Europeans in Hong Kong (including Kowloon) in 1870.^[67]

In 1860, after China's defeat in the Second Opium War, the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutter's Island were ceded in perpetuity to Britain under the Convention of Peking.

In 1894, the deadly Third Pandemic of bubonic plague spread from China to Hong Kong, causing 50,000–100,000 deaths.^[68]

In 1898, under the terms of the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, Britain obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island and the adjacent northern lands, which became known as the New Territories.^[69] Hong Kong's territory has remained unchanged to the present.^[70][71]

During the first half of the 20th century, Hong Kong was a free port, serving as an entrepôt of the British Empire. The British introduced an education system based on their own model, while the local Chinese population had little contact with the European community of wealthy tai-pans settled near Victoria Peak.^[69]

Japanese invasion[link]

In conjunction with its military campaign, the Empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941.^[72] The Battle of Hong Kong ended with British and Canadian defenders surrendering control of the colony to Japan on 25 December.^[73] During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, civilians suffered widespread food shortages, rationing, and hyper-inflation due to forced exchange of currency for military notes. Through a policy of enforced repatriation of the unemployed to the mainland throughout the period, because of the scarcity of food, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony.^[74]

Cold war era[link]

Granted by the College of Arms on 21 January 1959, the Blue Ensign colonial flag and coat of arms of Hong Kong were used by British Hong Kong during 1959–1997.

Hong Kong's population recovered quickly as a wave of migrants from China arrived for refuge from the ongoing Chinese Civil War. When the PRC was proclaimed in 1949, more migrants fled to Hong Kong for fear of persecution by the Communist Party.^[69] Many corporations in Shanghai and Guangzhou shifted their operations to Hong Kong.^[69]

In the 1950s, Hong Kong's rapid industrialization was driven by textile exports and other expanded manufacturing industries. As the population grew and labour costs remained low, living standards rose steadily. ^[75] The construction of Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 followed a massive slum fire, and marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme designed to cope with the huge influx of immigrants. Trade in Hong Kong accelerated even further when Shenzhen, immediately north of Hong Kong, became a special economic zone of the PRC, and Hong Kong was established as the main source of foreign investment in China.^[76] The manufacturing competitiveness gradually declined in Hong Kong due to the development of the manufacturing industry in southern China beginning in the early 1980s. By contrast, the service industry in Hong Kong experienced high rates of growth in the 1980s and 1990s after absorbing workers released from the manufacturing industry.^[77]

Development of Hong Kong Island in 1986

Throughout the British colonial era, Hong Kong was industrialized and improved in all aspects from its economy to its health care system. Many health facilities were built for its citizens, for example the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, the Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, the Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong and the Prince of Wales Hospital. Many changes happened during this era shaped the future of Hong Kong. In the year 1983, when the United Kingdom reclassified Hong Kong from a British crown colony to a dependent territory, the governments of the United Kingdom and China were already discussing the issue of Hong Kong's sovereignty due to the impending expiry (within two decades) of the lease of the New Territories. In 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration – an agreement to transfer sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997 – was signed.^[69] It stipulated that Hong Kong would be governed as a special administrative region, retaining its laws and a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, which is based on the English law would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer, was ratified in 1990.^[69]

Since 1997[link]

File:British new style passport.jpg

Left:Old British passports issued to Hong Kong citizens. Right:The British National (Overseas) passport issued to residents of Hong Kong prior 1997, holders are British nationals and Commonwealth citizens, but not British Citizens.

On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty from United Kingdom to the PRC occurred, officially ending 156 years of British colonial rule. Hong Kong became China's first special administrative region, and Tung Chee Hwa took office as the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong. That same year, Hong Kong suffered an economic double blow from the Asian financial crisis and the H5N1 avian influenza.^[69] In 2003, Hong Kong was gravely affected by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).^[78][79] The World Health Organization reported 1,755 infected and 299 deaths in Hong Kong.^[80] An estimated 380 million Hong Kong dollars (US$48.9 million) in contracts were lost as a result of the epidemic.^[81]

On 10 March 2005, Tung Chee Hwa announced his resignation as Chief Executive due to "health problems".^[82] Donald Tsang, the Chief Secretary for Administration at the time, entered the 2005 election unopposed and became the second Chief Executive of Hong Kong on 21 June 2005.^[83] In 2007, Tsang won the Chief Executive election and continued his second term in office.^[84]

In 2009, Hong Kong hosted the fifth East Asian Games, in which nine national teams competed. It was the first and largest international multi-sport event ever held in the territory.^[85] Today, Hong Kong continues to serve as an important global financial centre, but faces uncertainty over its future due to the growing mainland China economy, and its relationship with the PRC government in areas such as democratic reform and universal suffrage.^[86]

Governance[link]

The Legislative Council Building in Central became the home to Legislative Council of Hong Kong in 1985.

In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the underlying principle of one country, two systems, Hong Kong has a "high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs."^{[note 4]} The declaration stipulates that the region maintain its capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of its people for at least 50 years beyond the 1997 handover.^{[note 5]} The guarantees over the territory's autonomy and the individual rights and freedoms are enshrined in a constitution, the Hong Kong Basic Law(formed based on the Common law of England), which outlines the system of governance of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, but which is subject to the interpretation of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).^[87][88]

The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, the civil service, the Legislative Council, and the Judiciary. The Executive Council is headed by the Chief Executive who is elected by the Election Committee and then appointed by the Central People's Government.^[89][90] The civil service is a politically neutral body that implements policies and provides government services, where public servants are appointed based on meritocracy.^[26][91] The Legislative Council has 60 members, half of whom are directly elected by universal suffrage by permanent residents of Hong Kong according to five geographical constituencies. The other half, known as functional constituencies, are directly elected by a smaller electorate, which consists of corporate bodies and persons from various stipulated functional sectors. The entire council is headed by the President of the Legislative Council who serves as the speaker.^[92][93] Judges are appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of an independent commission.^[21][94]

Government House is the official residence of the Chief Executive.

The implementation of the Basic Law, including how and when the universal suffrage promised therein is to be achieved, has been a major issue of political debate since the transfer of sovereignty. In 2002, the government's proposed anti-subversion bill pursuant to Article 23 of the Basic Law, which required the enactment of laws prohibiting acts of treason and subversion against the Chinese government, was met with fierce opposition, and eventually shelved.^[23][95][96] Debate between pro-Beijing groups, which tend to support the Executive branch, and the Pan-democracy camp characterises Hong Kong's political scene, with the latter supporting a faster pace of democratisation, and the principle of one man, one vote.^[97]

In 2004, the government failed to gain pan-democrat support to pass its so-called "district council model" for political reform.^[98] In 2009, the government reissued the proposals as the "Consultation Document on the Methods for Selecting the Chief Executive and for Forming the LegCo in 2012". The document proposed the enlargement of the Election Committee, Hong Kong's electoral college, from 800 members to 1,200 in 2012 and expansion of the legislature from 60 to 70 seats. The 10 new legislative seats would consist of five geographical constituency seats and five functional constituency seats, to be voted in by elected district council members from among themselves.^[99] The proposals were destined for rejection by pan-democrats once again, but a significant breakthrough occurred after the Central People's Government accepted a counter-proposal by the Democratic Party. In particular, the Pan-democracy camp was split when the proposal to directly elect five newly created functional seats was not acceptable to two constituent parties. The Democratic Party sided with the government for the first time since the handover and passed the proposals with a vote of 46–12.^[100]

Legal system and judiciary[link]

• 

  Statue of Themis on the Legislative Council Building.

• 

  The Court of Final Appeal in Central is the supreme court of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's legal system is completely independent from the legal system of Mainland China. In contrast to mainland China's civil law system, Hong Kong continues to follow the English Common Law tradition established under British rule.^[101] Hong Kong's courts may refer to decisions rendered by courts of other common law jurisdictions as precedents,^[21][102] and judges from other common law jurisdictions are allowed to sit as non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal.^[21][102]

Structurally, the court system consists of the Court of Final Appeal, the High Court, which is made up of the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance, and the District Court, which includes the Family Court.^[103] Other adjudicative bodies include the Lands Tribunal, the Magistrates' Courts, the Juvenile Court, the Coroner's Court, the Labour Tribunal, the Small Claims Tribunal, and the Obscene Articles Tribunal.^[103] Justices of the Court of Final Appeal are appointed by Hong Kong's Chief Executive.^[21][102]

The Department of Justice is responsible for handling legal matters for the government. Its responsibilities include providing legal advice, criminal prosecution, civil representation, legal and policy drafting and reform, and international legal cooperation between different jurisdictions.^[101] Apart from prosecuting criminal cases, lawyers of the Department of Justice act on behalf of the government in all civil and administrative lawsuits against the government.^[101] As protector of the public interest, the department may apply for judicial reviews and may intervene in any cases involving the greater public interest.^[104] The Basic Law protects the Department of Justice from any interference by the government when exercising its control over criminal prosecution.^[105][106]

Human rights[link]

Hong Kong 1 July march with British Hong Kong flag.

Hong Kong's Basic law is based on the English law and so in general, Hong Kong is perceived to enjoy a high level of civil liberties.^[107] The Hong Kong government generally respect the human rights of the citizens, although core issues remain.^[108] There are concerns over the freedom of assembly which is restricted by the Public Order Ordinance. The police has been occasionally accused of using heavy-handed tactics towards protestors^[109] and questions are asked towards the extensive powers of the police.^[110] As to the right of privacy, covert surveillance remains the major concern.^[111] There is a lack of protection for gay men and lesbians due to the absence of a sexual orientation discrimination law, though there are currently no laws that criminalize homosexuality per se.^[112] There are also comments regarding a lack of protection for labour rights.^[108]

Internet censorship in Hong Kong operates under different principles and regulations than under the rest of China.^[113]

Administrative districts[link]

 Statistics

New Territories
No.	District	Population[114]	Area[115]
1.	Islands	138,900	175.03 km2 (67.58 sq mi)
2.	Kwai Tsing	510,300	21.82 km2 (8.42 sq mi)
3.	North	287,700	137.31 km2 (53.02 sq mi)
4.	Sai Kung	407,300	136.39 km2 (52.66 sq mi)
5.	Sha Tin	606,700	69.46 km2 (26.82 sq mi)
6.	Tai Po	292,700	147.42 km2 (56.92 sq mi)
7.	Tsuen Wan	292,300	60.7 km2 (23.44 sq mi)
8.	Tuen Mun	493,800	84.45 km2 (32.61 sq mi)
9.	Yuen Long	533,300	138.43 km2 (53.45 sq mi)
Kowloon
No.	District	Population	Area
10.	Kowloon City	359,400	9.97 km2 (3.85 sq mi)
11.	Kwun Tong	579,400	11.05 km2 (4.27 sq mi)
12.	Sham Shui Po	365,600	9.48 km2 (3.66 sq mi)
13.	Wong Tai Sin	421,900	9.36 km2 (3.61 sq mi)
14.	Yau Tsim Mong	285,300	6.85 km2 (2.64 sq mi)
Hong Kong Island
No.	District	Population	Area
15.	Central and Western	253,100	12.52 km2 (4.83 sq mi)
16.	Eastern	588,700	18.81 km2 (7.26 sq mi)
17.	Southern	275,700	38.95 km2 (15.04 sq mi)
18.	Wan Chai	155,700	10.02 km2 (3.87 sq mi)

Hong Kong has a unitary system of government; no local government has existed since the two municipal councils were abolished in 2000. As such there is no formal definition for its cities and towns. Administratively, Hong Kong is subdivided into 18 geographic districts, each represented by a district council which advises the government on local matters such as public facilities, community programmes, cultural activities, and environmental improvements.^[116]

There are a total of 534 district council seats, 405 of which are elected; the rest are appointed by the Chief Executive and 27 ex officio chairmen of rural committees.^[116] The Home Affairs Department communicates government policies and plans to the public through the district offices.^[117]

Military[link]

• 

  Coat of Arms of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment(UK)

• Badge of the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force.gif

  Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force(UK)

• HKMSC.jpg

  Hong Kong Military Service Corps(UK)

• 

  The Cenotaph of Hong Kong.Constructed in 1923 and located between Statue Square and the City Hall in Central, Hong Kong,[1] commemorates the dead in the First and Second World War[2] that served in Hong Kong in the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

When Hong Kong was a British colony and later, a dependent territory, defence was provided by the British military under the command of the Governor of Hong Kong who was ex officio Commander-in-chief.^[118] Most of the members of the British Forces in Hong Kong were from Britain but there were locally enlisted personnel (LEP) who served as regular British Forces members in the Hong Kong Squadron of the Royal Navy as well as the Hong Kong Military Service Corps. The Royal Hong Kong Regiment a military unit part of the Hong Kong Government, trained and organised along timelines of British Territorial Army and supported by British Army personnel holding key positions. These British Army personnel, for their duration of service to the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, are seconded to the Hong Kong Government. In the post-WWII era, the majority of the regiment's members have been local citizens of Chinese descent. The Hong Kong Military Service Corps maintained its reputation for loyalty and military skill at the highest level, often outshining British and Gurkha troops based in Hong Kong. The HKMSC Shooting Team won the Team and Individual champion pistol shot a number of times at RASAAM (the Regular Army Skill at Arms Meeting) at Bisley, in the UK, and in 1992 a Training Company team representing the HQ and Depot HKMSC won the Dragon Cup for military skills (outperforming the Queen's Gurkha Signals in signalling and the British Military Hospital team in first aid); the competition was not held again.

The HKMSC reached a peak strength of 1,200 men, providing the British garrison in Hong Kong with supporting personnel. All HKMSC soldiers were basically trained in Hong Kong and from time to time attended upgrading and trade courses in the United Kingdom. HKMSC soldiers who were posted to and served with other non-HKMSC units, wore the other units' cap badge. Unit personnel were enlisted as officers and drivers in 29 Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) based in Gun Club Hill Barracks. It provided crews for 415 Maritime Troop based on Stonecutters' Island, dog handlers in the Defence Animal Support Unit (DASU) of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC) based in Sek Kong, officer instructors in the Royal Army Educational Corps (RAEC), officers and clerks in the Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC), technicians in the Royal Signals (R Sigs) of the Queen's Gurkha Signals (QGS) and engineers and armourers in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). The HKMC trained physical training instructors (PTI) in the Army Physical Training Corps (APTC), medics in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) based in the British Military Hospital (BMH), military police in the Royal Military Police (RMP), helicopter support crews in 660 Squadron Army Air Corps (AAC) based at Sek Kong Airfield, cooks in the Army Catering Corps (ACC), Weapons and Supplies Storekeepers in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) and intelligence staff in the Intelligence Corps. They also provided interpreters, clerks, Regimental Police and light-infantry personnel in Dragon Company of the General Service Corps (GSC) headquartered in Osborn Baracks, Kowloon Tong. The HKMSC offered Hong Kong Chinese soldiers the opportunity to pursue a full career in the British Regular Army up to and including a Queen's Commissioned officer rank of the General List (HKMSC). As all members of the HKMSC were British Regular Army soldiers, they received a Regular Army Service Record Book when they left the army. Many of them had also been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (LS&GC) after 15 years of good and loyal service. British gallantry awards, Orders, Decorations and Medal Ribbons had also been presented to some HKMSC soldiers; such as the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM), the British Empire Medal (BEM), Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and the Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

When the PRC assumed sovereignty in 1997, the British barracks were replaced by a garrison of the People's Liberation Army, comprising ground, naval, and air forces, and under the command of the Chinese Central Military Commission.

The Hong Kong Basic Law is formed based on the Common law of England and it protects local civil affairs against interference by the garrison, and members of the garrison are subject to Hong Kong laws. The Hong Kong Government remains responsible for the maintenance of public order; however, it may ask the PRC government for help from the garrison in maintaining public order and in disaster relief. The PRC government is responsible for the costs of maintaining the garrison.^[23][119]

Geography and climate[link]

Areas of urban development and vegetation are visible in this false-colour satellite image.

Hong Kong is located on China's south coast, 60 km (37 mi) east of Macau on the opposite side of the Pearl River Delta. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on the east, south, and west, and borders the Guangdong city of Shenzhen to the north over the Shenzhen River. The territory's 1,104 km² (426 sq mi) area consists of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and over 200 offshore islands, of which the largest is Lantau Island. Of the total area, 1,054 km² (407 sq mi) is land and 50 km² (19 sq mi) is inland water. Hong Kong claims territorial waters to a distance of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km). Its land area makes Hong Kong the 179th largest inhabited territory in the world.^[3][10]

As much of Hong Kong's terrain is hilly to mountainous with steep slopes, less than 25% of the territory's landmass is developed, and about 40% of the remaining land area is reserved as country parks and nature reserves.^[120] Most of the territory's urban development exists on Kowloon peninsula, along the northern edge of Hong Kong Island, and in scattered settlements throughout the New Territories.^[121] The highest elevation in the territory is at Tai Mo Shan, 957 metres (3,140 ft) above sea level.^[122] Hong Kong's long and irregular coast provides it with many bays, rivers and beaches.^[123] On September 18, 2011, UNESCO listed the Hong Kong National Geopark as part of its Global Geoparks Network. Hong Kong Geopark is made up of eight Geo-Areas distributed across the Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region and Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region.^[124]

Despite Hong Kong's reputation of being intensely urbanised, the territory has tried to promote a green environment,^[125] and recent growing public concern has prompted the severe restriction of further land reclamation from Victoria Harbour.^[126] Awareness of the environment is growing as Hong Kong suffers from increasing pollution compounded by its geography and tall buildings. Approximately 80% of the city's smog originates from other parts of the Pearl River Delta.^[127]

Though it is situated just south of the Tropic of Cancer, Hong Kong has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). Summer is hot and humid with occasional showers and thunderstorms, and warm air coming from the southwest. Summer is when typhoons are most likely, sometimes resulting in flooding or landslides. Winters are mild and usually start sunny, becoming cloudier towards February; the occasional cold front brings strong, cooling winds from the north. The most temperate seasons are spring, which can be changeable, and autumn, which is generally sunny and dry.^[128] Hong Kong averages 1,948 hours of sunshine per year,^[129] while the highest and lowest ever recorded temperatures at the Hong Kong Observatory are 36.1 °C (97.0 °F) and 0.0 °C (32.0 °F), respectively.^[130]