Aside from provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, China also has 2 Special Administrative Regions (SAR): Hong Kong and Macau.
These regions have a special status: "one country, two systems". Since they were under foreign control as British (Hong Kong) and Portuguese (Macao) colonies for most of their existence, when they came back under Chinese control in 1997 and 1999 respectively, the Chinese granted the regions higher autonomy. While foreign policy and military operations are entirely PRC governed, other areas like trade, currency and immigration are governed differently.
1. Hong Kong
Population: 7 million
Spoken languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, English
Currency: Hong Kong Dollar
Famous for: being a former British colony and now one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Asia; shopping; food.
2. Macau
Population: 520,000
Spoken languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese
Currency: Macanese Pataca
Famous for: being a former Portuguese colony and now the premier gambling locale in Asia.
