I '''Nuovi Territori''' (inglese: ''New Territories'') sono una regione di [[Hong Kong]] esclusa l'[[Hong Kong (isola)|isola di Hong Kong]], [[Kowloon]] e [[Stonecutters Island]]. Storicamente, questa è la regione descritta nella [[Convenzione per l'estensione del territorio di Hong Kong]], secondo la quale i territori comprendono la vasta area a nord di [[Boundary Street]] nella [[Penisola di Kowloon]] e a sud del fiume [[Sham Chun]], che divenne il confine tra Hong Kong e la [[Cina]], oltre a più di 200 [[Outlying Islands, Hong Kong|Isole Periferiche]] incluse [[Lantau Island]], [[Lamma Island]], [[Cheung Chau]], e [[Peng Chau]] nel territorio di Hong Kong. ▼<!--{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name = New Territories
|native_name = 新界
|nickname =
|motto =
|image_skyline = Hong Kong New Territories.svg
|image_caption = Map showing location of the New Territories in Hong Kong.
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
|image_map =
|map_caption = Location within Hong Kong
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km² = 952
|area_total_sq_mi = 368
|area_land_km² =
|area_land_sq_mi =
|area_water_km² =
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|area_urban_km² =
|area_urban_sq_mi =
|area_metro_km² =
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|population_footnotes = {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
|population_as_of = 2006
|population_note =
|population_total = 3,573,635
|population_density_km² = 3748
|population_density_sq_mi =
|timezone = [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]
|utc_offset = +8
|footnotes =
}}
{{Chinese|c=新界|y=sān gaai|j=san1 gaai3|p=Xīnjiè|l=New World}}-->
{{T|inglese|geografia|luglio 2008}}
▲I '''Nuovi Territori''' (inglese: ''New Territories'') sono una regione di [[Hong Kong]] esclusa l'[[Hong Kong (isola)|isola di Hong Kong]], [[Kowloon]] e [[Stonecutters Island]]. Storicamente, questa è la regione descritta nella [[Convenzione per l'estensione del territorio di Hong Kong]], secondo la quale i territori comprendono la vasta area a nord di [[Boundary Street]] nella [[Penisola di Kowloon]] e a sud del fiume [[Sham Chun]], che divenne il confine tra Hong Kong e la [[Cina]], oltre a più di 200 [[Outlying Islands, Hong Kong|Isole Periferiche]] incluse [[Lantau Island]], [[Lamma Island]], [[Cheung Chau]], e [[Peng Chau]] nel territorio di Hong Kong.
<!--Later, after the establishment of [[New Kowloon]], the extension of urban Kowloon between the Boundary Street and the Kowloon Ranges spanned from [[Lai Chi Kok]] to [[Lei Yue Mun]], the New Kowloon was gradually urbanised and absorbed into Kowloon and finally excluded from New Territories. Hence, the New Territories now is only the mainland north of the Kowloon Ranges and south of the Sham Chun River, as well as the Outlying Islands. It comprises an area of 952km² (368 sq mi). [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9055517/New-Territories]
The New Territories were leased from [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]] [[China]] to the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] in [[1898]] for 99 years in the [[Second Convention of Peking]] (The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory). Upon the expiration of the lease, it was transferred to [[People's Republic of China]] in [[1997]], together with the Qing ceded territories of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula.
In [[2006]], New Territories had a population of 3,573,635 and its population density was 3,748 per km².
==History==
===Lease of New Territories===
[[Hong Kong Island]] was ceded to Britain in [[1841]] and [[Kowloon]] south of Boundary Street and [[Stonecutters Island]] in 1860. The colony of Hong Kong attracted a large number of Chinese and Westerners to seek their fortune in the city. Its population increased rapidly and the city became over crowded. The outbreak of [[bubonic plague]] in 1894 became a concern to the [[Hong Kong Government]]. There was a need to expand the colony to accommodate its growing population. The [[Qing Dynasty]]'s defeat in the [[First Sino-Japanese War]] has shown that it was incapable of defending itself. [[Victoria City]] and [[Victoria Harbour]] were vulnerable to any hostile forces launching attacks from the hills of Kowloon.
In January 1898, [[Germany]] was given a lease of [[Jiaozhou Bay|Jiaozhouwan]] (Kiaochow) following the murder of two German missionaries by bandits in [[Shandong]] (Shantung) province. Seeking to expand its own influence in northeastern China, Russia demanded [[Lüshunkou|Port Arthur]] (Lüshunkou) in the nearby [[Liaodong]] (Liaotung) peninsula in March 1898. One month later, France was granted a lease for [[Kwang-Chou-Wan|Guangzhouwan]] (Kwang-Chou-Wan) in [[Guangdong]] (Kwangtung), close to its existing colonies in [[French Indochina|Southeast Asia]].
Alarmed by European encroachment in China, Britain also feared for the security of Hong Kong. Using the [[most favoured nation]] clause that it had negotiated with Peking, the United Kingdom demanded the extension of Kowloon to counter the influence of France in southern China in June 1898. In July, it secured [[Weihaiwei]] in Shandong in the north as a base for operations against the Germans in [[Qingdao]] (Tsingtao) and the Russians in Port Arthur. Chinese officials stayed in the wall cities of [[Kowloon Walled City|Kowloon City]] and Weihaiwei.
The extension of Kowloon was called the ''New Territories''. The additional land was estimated to be 365 [[square mile]]s (945 [[Square kilometre|km<sup>2</sup>]]) or 12 times the size of the existing [[Colonial Hong Kong]] at the time<ref>Wiltshire, Trea. [First published 1987] (republished & reduced2003). Old Hong Kong - Volume One. Central, Hong Kong: Text Form Asia books Ltd. Page 75. ISBN Volume One 962-7283-59-2</ref>.
===British assumption of sovereignty===
Although the Convention was signed on the 9 June [[1898]] and became effective on [[1 July]], the British did not take over the New Territories immediately. During this period, there was no [[Hong Kong Governor]] and [[Wilsone Black]] acted as administrator. [[James Haldane Stewart Lockhart|Steward Lockhart]], the [[Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong]], was sent back from England to make a survey of New Territories before formal transfer. The survey found that the new frontier at Sham Chun River (Shenzhen river) suggested by Wilsone Black was far from ideal. It excluded the town of [[Shenzhen]] (Sham Chun), and the boundary would divide the town. There was no mountain range as a natural border. Lockhard suggested moving the frontier to the line of hills north of Shenzhen. This suggestion was not received favorably and the Chinese official suggested the frontier be moved to the hill much further south of the Sham Chun River. It was settled in March [[1899]] that the boundary remain at the Sham Chun River.
The new Hong Kong Governor [[Henry Arthur Blake|Henry Blake]] arrived in November 1898. A takeover date was chosen as [[17 April]] 1899 and [[Tai Po]] was chosen as the administrative centre. However the transfer was not smooth and peaceful. Before the handover in early April, Captain Superintendent of Police, [[Francis Henry May]] and some policemen erected a flagstaff and temporary headquarters at Tai Po and posted the Governor's proclamation of the takeover date.
[[Frederick Lugard|Lord Lugard]] was Governor from 1907 to 1912, and he proposed the return of [[Weihaiwei]] to the Chinese government, in return for the ceding of the leased New Territories in perpetuity. The proposal was not received favourably, although if it had been acted on, Hong Kong might have remained forever in British hands.
===New town development===
Much of the New Territories were, and to a limited extent still are, rural areas. Attempts at modernising the area were not extensive until the late [[1970]]s, in which many new towns were built to accommodate the overspill from the urbanized areas of [[Kowloon]] and Hong Kong Island. Despite rapid development of the new towns which has resulted in a population of over 3 million, the [[Hong Kong Government]] confines built-up areas to a few areas and reserves large parts of the region as parkland.
===Sovereignty transfer to PRC===
As the expiration date of the lease neared in the [[1980]]s, talks between the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[People's Republic of China]] led to the signing of the [[Sino-British Joint Declaration]] ([[1984]]), in which the whole of Hong Kong would be returned, instead of only the New Territories. This is because Hong Kong's new airport, shipping ports, reservoirs and other vital installations were (and are) all in the New Territories. Had only the New Territories been returned to China, it would also have been difficult to accommodate those New Territories residents moving to the [[Kowloon Peninsula]] and [[Hong Kong Island]].
==Districts==
The New Territories comprise the following [[Districts of Hong Kong|districts]]:
* [[Islands District, Hong Kong|Islands]]
* [[Kwai Tsing District]] ([[Kwai Chung]] and [[Tsing Yi|Tsing Yi Island]])
* [[North District, Hong Kong|North]]
* [[Sai Kung District|Sai Kung]]
* [[Sha Tin District|Sha Tin]]
* [[Tai Po District|Tai Po]]
* [[Tsuen Wan District|Tsuen Wan]]
* [[Tuen Mun District|Tuen Mun]]
* [[Yuen Long District|Yuen Long]]
[[New Kowloon]] covers the entirety of the [[Wong Tai Sin District|Wong Tai Sin]] and [[Kwun Tong District|Kwun Tong]] districts, as well as the mainland portion of the [[Sham Shui Po District]] (i.e. excluding the [[Stonecutters Island]]) and the northern portion of the [[Kowloon City District]] (portion to the north of the Boundary Street/Prince Edward Road West, as well as reclaimed land including the [[Kai Tak Airport]]).
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==Argomenti correlati==
* [[Boundary Street]]
==Collegamenti esterni==
*[http://www.info.gov.hk/yearbook/2003/english/chapter21/21_03.html Lease of the New Territories]
*[http://www.info.gov.hk/yearbook/2002/ehtml/e21-03.htm Lease of the New Territories]
*[http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/0/06cb20f78512760748256648002f8720?OpenDocument Cap 1 Sched 5A - Area of the New Territories]
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