Macau

Macau, or Macao (馬交, Pinyin ma3 jiao1; known locally as 澳門, Pinyin ao4 men2) is a small city-island 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 transfered sovereignty over Macau to PRC in 1999. It is now run as a special administrative region of PRC. Macanese speak Cantonese natively.

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 excusion to the city. Ferry service between Hong Kong and Macau is available 24 hours a day, every day.

Macau Special Administrative Region

coat of arms (In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: none
Official language	Cantonese and Portuguese
President of the PRC	Hu Jintao
Chief Executive	Edmund Ho Hau-wah[?]
Area  - Total  - % water	(Not ranked) 25.4 km² 0%
Population  - Total (2002)  - Density	(Not ranked) 461,833 18,182/km²
Establishment  - Date	Handover from Portugal to the People's Republic of China December 20, 1999
Currency	Pataca[?] (MOP)
Time zone	UTC +8 (AWST)
Internet TLD	.MO
Calling Code	853

Table of contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Subdivisions 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous topics

History Main article: History of Macau

Politics Main article: Politics of Macau

Subdivisions

Macau comprises two administrative subdivisions: Macau and the islands (Taipa[?] and Coloane[?]).

Geography Main article: Geography of Macau

Economy Main article: Economy of Macau

Demographics Main article: Demographics of Macau

Culture Main article: Culture of Macau[?]

Holidays

Date	English Name	Local Name	Remarks

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Macau
• Transportation in Macau
• Military of Macau

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Countries of the world  |  Asia

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Macau[?], is also the name of a commune in the Gironde département, in France.