People Hong Kong,s population has increased steadily over the past decade, reaching a total of 6.5 million in 1997. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with an overall density of 6,042 people per square kilometer. Cantonese, the official Chinese dialect, is spoken by most of the population. All children are required by law to be in full-time education between the ages of 6 and 15. Pre-school education for most children begins at age three.
Primary school begins normally at the age of six and last for six years.
At about age twelve, children progress to a three-year course of junior secondary education. According to archaeological studies initiated in the 1920s, human activity on Hong Kong dates back over five millennia. Excavated Neolithic artifacts suggest an influence from northern Chinese Stone Age cultures, including the Longshan. The territory was settled by Han Chinese during the seventh century, A.D., evidenced by the discovery of an ancient tomb at Lei Cheung Uk in Kowloon. The British East India Company made the first successful sea venture to China in 1699, and Hong Kong,s trade with British merchants developed rapidly soon after.