HKDSE Geography/E1/Hong Kong's Landscape

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In this chapter, we will look at how various factors shape Hong Kong's landscape. Let's look at Hong Kong's general landscape first.

Relief Hilly
Slopes Steep
Highest point Tai Mo Shan
Ridges NE to SW; disjointed with abrupt height changes
Points of high altitude East NT, central Lantau
Natural lowlands Rare; found as narrow coastal plains and river valleys
Floodplains Largest extent of lowland: Yuen Long, Kam Tin, Faling, all floodplains
Coastal plains In bay areas and reclaimed lowlands (both sides of Victoria Harbour)
Rivers Numerous
Longest river Sham Chun River
Other rivers Short and lack a middle course
Gradient Steep until they reach lowlands
Section before lowlands Upper course
After that Lower course
Rivers Straight
Rivers drain into Small lowland basins like Sha Tin Valley, Mui Wo
Stream order 3 to 4
Most common drainage patterns Dendritic is the most common, followed by radial and rectangular
Coastline Long and indented
Landforms Bays, headlands, peninsulas, offshore islands
Largest island Lantau
Submerged landscape In East NT; created in the last glacial age when the sea level rose*

*Hills became islands. Spurs and ridges became headlands. Valleys became water inlets like Tolo Channel.

In later parts, we will discuss how Hong Kong's landscape is affected by rock type, internal and external processes, and human activities.