British Hong Kong (simplified Chinese: 英属香港; traditional Chinese: 英屬香港) refers to Hong Kong as a Crown colony and later, a British Dependent Territory under British administration from 1841 to 1997 (excluding the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945).
It was established as a Crown colony and later designated a British Dependent Territory in 1981. Hong Kong Island was ceded to Great Britain by the Qing dynasty of China after the First Anglo-Chinese War (1839-42). The Kowloon Peninsula was added to the colony after the Second Anglo-Chinese War (1856-60). Finally, in 1898, the New Territories were added under a 99-year lease. Although Hong Kong Island and Kowloon were ceded to Britain in perpetuity, the New Territories - which comprised over 90 per cent of Hong Kong's land - had such a vital role in the economy that the British government agreed to transfer sovereignty of the entirety of Hong Kong to China upon the expiration of the lease in 1997. The transfer has been credited as marking the end of the British Empire. | 
