Macau
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| National motto: none | |||||
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| Official language | Chinese and Portuguese | ||||
| Chief Executive | Edmund Ho Hau-wah | ||||
| Area - Total - % water | Not ranked 27.3 km? 0% | ||||
| Population - Total (2004) - Density | Not ranked 451,000 16,521/km² | ||||
| Establishment - Date | Handover from Portugal to the People's Republic of China | ||||
| Currency | Pataca (MOP) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC+8 (AWST) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .mo | ||||
| Calling Code | +853 | ||||
The Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, short form Macau or Macao (see Names), is a small territory on the southern coast of China. It is 70 km southwest of Hong Kong and 145 km from Guangzhou. It was the oldest European colony in China, dating back to the 16th century. The Portuguese government transferred sovereignty over Macau to the People's Republic of China in 1999, and it is now run as a Special Administrative Region of the PRC. Residents of Macau mostly speak Cantonese natively; Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and English are also spoken.
Broadly, Macanese refers to all permanent inhabitants of Macau. But narrowly, it refers to an ethnic group in Macau originating from Portuguese descent, usually mixed with Chinese blood.
Besides historical colonial relics, the biggest attractions in Macau are the casinos. Though many forms of gambling are legal there, the most popular game is Pai Gow, a game played with Chinese dominoes. Gamblers from Hong Kong often take a one-day excursion to the city. Ferry service by hydrofoil between Hong Kong and Macau is available 24 hours a day, every day.
Names
The name "Macau" (馬交 Cantonese Jyutping: maa3 gaau1) is thought to be derived from "'Templo de A-Mᦱuot; (媽閣廟 Cantonese Jyutping: maa1 gok3), a still-existing landmark built in 1448 dedicated to the goddess Matsu.
The more popular Chinese name of ?m鮧' (澳門, Cantonese Jyutping: ou3 mun4) means "Inlet Gates". The "gates" refer to two erect gate-like mountains of Nantai (Template:Zh-cp
| Countries in East Asia |
| China (PRC) | Japan | North Korea | South Korea | Taiwan (ROC)* Special Administrative Regions: Hong Kong | Macau The political status of Taiwan is disputed. |