Is Hong Kong a Country? Understanding Special Administrative Regions

Hong Kong is not a country, but a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. An SAR is a region that has a high degree of autonomy and is governed by its own legal and economic systems, but is still ultimately under Chinese sovereignty. SARs are not considered to be independent countries, but are rather part of the country to which they belong. So, Hong Kong is not a small country, but rather a unique region within China.