Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. In 1841, when the British decided to build a city on Hong Kong Island, they chose Central to house military facilities and an administrative center, and it attracted both Westerners and Chinese to trade and live in the area. From 1841 to 1848, the population increased from 5,000 to 24,000, and the construction of City Hall, the Theatre Royal, and other financial structures from 1860 to 1880 made Central the heart of Hong Kong. The militray structures survived until the 1980s, and it continued to serve as the center of trade and financial activities in Hong Kong even after the British transfer of sovereignty in 1997.