Interesting & Fun Facts About Macau . The official name of Macau is Macau Special Administrative Region. The official languages of Macau are Portuguese and Chinese. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north. Majority of the people living in Macau are Buddhists, while one can also find Roman Catholics and Protestants here. The economy of Macau largely depends upon the revenue generated by tourism. Gambling is also a money-generating affair in the region. The currency of Macau is Macanese Pataca. After Las Vegas, Macau is one of the biggest gambling areas in the world. In fact, gambling is even legalized in Macau. Macau is the Special Administrative Region of China. It is one of the richest cities in the world. Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Macau is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Macau ranks amongst the top 10 regions in the world, with a quite high life expectancy at birth. Macau is a highly humid region, with the humidity ranging anywhere between 75% and 90%. It receives fairly heavy rainfall as well. The Historic Centre of Macau, including twenty-five historic monuments and public squares, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The tourists of Macau should know that tipping is a very popular as well as important tradition followed in the region. Nearly 10% of the bill is given as tip in most of the restaurants and hotels of Macau http://goway.com/blog/2010/06/25/interesting-fun-facts-about-macau/ Basic Information on Macao (east-asian-games2005.com) Updated: 2005-09-27 15:23 Geographical Location Macau is located in the Guangdong province,on western bank of the Pearl River Delta,at latitude 22o14‘ North,longitude 133 o35‘ East and connected to the Gongbei District by the Border Gate (Portas do Cerco) isthmus. Geographical Composition The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) composed of Macao Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane which are now connected by the new COTAI zone. Area Macao has a total area of 27.3km2 , which includes Macao Peninsula (8.7km2) , Taipa (6.3km2) and Coloane (7.6 km2) and COTAI reclamation zone(4.7 km2). Weather Macao is also located to the south of the tropic of Cancer.The wind directions in winter and summer are opposite.Macau is in the monsoon region and the climate can be described as mild and rainy in summer. The most comfortable period is from the middle of Octoberto December, as the best weather occurs during this period.The autumn season commences between October and November, when the weather cools down. Although autumn is relatively short in Macao , the weather is more stable and comfortable. Transportation Macao Peninsula is connected to Taipa Island by three bridges : Nobre de Carvalho Bridge (2.5km), Amizade Bridge (4.5km) and Sai Van Bridge (2.2km). The longest bridge, Amizade, directly connects the three main entry ports of Macao ： the China-Macao border gate, HK-Macao Ferry Passenger Terminal and the Macao International Airport. Taipa and Coloane islands are also connedcted by recently reclaimed land 2.2 km in length known as the COTAI Zone. Local Time Macao time is GMT+8 hr Population Around 461,000;95% Chinese,5%Portuguese and other Language Official Language are Chinese and Portuguese. Macao residents main language for communication is Cantonese,but Mandarin (Putonghua) and English are also widely used. Currency The Pataca (MOP$) is divided into 100 avos and it is Macau ‘s official currency. There are banknotes and coins in the following denominations: Coins: 10,20 and 50 avos; 1,2,5 and 10 Patacas. Bandnotes: 10,20,50,100,500 and 1000 Patacas. Rates By the decision of the Government the Pataca (MOP$) is linked to the Hong Kong dollar (HK$) which is accepted as currency in Macau. The exchange rate is MOP$103.00=HK$100.00. there is an acceptable variation of up to 10%. Roughly 8 Patacas is equivalent to 1 US Dollar. There are no restrictions on the amount of currency, which can be brought in or taken out. Macau (Chinese: 澳門), also spelled Macao ( /məˈkaʊ/), is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong-Kong which is to the east, bordering Guangdong province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south.[6] The territory's economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, but also includes manufacturing. Macau is a former Portuguese colony, and is both the first and last European colony in China.[7][8] Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on 20 December 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and theBasic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operates with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer.[9] Macau was first lent by the Chinese empire as a trading port in the 16th century, and the Portuguese had to administer the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty. In 1887, Macau became a colony of the Portuguese empire and its sovereignty transferred to Portugal. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the PRC's Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's defense and foreign affairs, while Macau maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, and immigration policy. Macau participates in many international organizations and events that do not require members to possess national sovereignty.[9][10] According to The World Factbook, Macau has the second highest life expectancy in the world Etymology Main article: Names of Macau Before the Portuguese settlement in the early 16th century, Macau was known as Haojing (濠鏡, literally "Oyster Mirror") or Jinghai (鏡海, literally "Mirror Sea").[12] The name Macau is thought to be derived from the A-Ma Temple (Chinese: 媽閣廟; Mandarin Pinyin: Māgé Miào; Jyutping: Maa1 Gok3 Miu6), a temple built in 1448 dedicated to Matsu – the goddess of seafarers and fishermen. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives replied "媽閣" (Mandarin Pinyin: Māgé; Jyutping: Maa1 Gok3). The Portuguese then named the peninsula "Macau".[13] The present Chinese name (澳門, Àomén) means "Inlet Gates". [edit]History Main articles: History of Macau and Transfer of the sovereignty of Macau Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, by George Chinnery (1774–1852). The cathedral was built in 1602 and destroyed by fire in 1835. Only the southern stone façade remains today. Macau, c. 1870 The history of Macau is traced back to the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC), when the region now called Macau came under the jurisdiction of Panyu county, in Nanhai prefecture (present day Guangdong).[12]The first recorded inhabitants of the area were people seeking refuge in Macau from invading Mongolsduring the Southern Song Dynasty.[14] Under the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), fishermen migrated to Macau from Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Flag of the Government of Portuguese Macau (1976–1999) Macau did not develop as a major settlement until the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century.[15] In 1535, Portuguese traders obtained the rights to anchor ships in Macau's harbours and to carry out trading activities, though not the right to stay onshore.[16] Around 1552–1553, they obtained temporary permission to erect storage sheds onshore, in order to dry out goods drenched by sea water;[17] they soon built rudimentary stone houses around the area now called Nam Van. In 1557, the Portuguese established a permanent settlement in Macau, paying an annual rent of 500 taels ( 20 kilograms / 44pounds ) of silver.[17] The Portuguese continued to pay an annual tribute up to 1863 in order to stay in Macau.[18] In 1564, Portugal commanded western trade with India, Japan, and China, but their pride was shocked by the indifference with which the Chinese treated them. The senate of Macao complained to the viceroy of Goa, of the contempt with which the Chinese authorities treated them, confessing however that ―it was owing more to the Portuguese themselves than to the Chinese‖. The Chinese were obliged to restrict the commerce of Portugal to the port of Macao, in 1631.[19] During the 17th century some 5,000 slaves lived in Macao, in addition to 2,000 Portuguese and 20,000 Chinese.[20][21][22] As more Portuguese settled in Macau to engage in trade, they made demands for self-administration; but this was not achieved until the 1840s.[23] In 1576, Pope Gregory XIII established the Roman Catholic Diocese of Macau.[24] In 1583, the Portuguese in Macau were permitted to form a Senate to handle various issues concerning their social and economic affairs under strict supervision of the Chinese authority,[25] but there was no transfer of sovereignty.[14] Macau prospered as a port but it was the target of repeated failed attempts[26] by the Dutch to conquer it in the 17th century. On June 24, 1622, the Dutch attacked Macau in the Battle of Macau, in the hope of turning it into a Dutch possession. The Portuguese repulsed their attack and the Dutch never tried to conquer Macau again. The majority of the defenders were Africans slaves, with only a few Portuguese soldiers and priests. Captain Kornelis Reyerszoon was commander of the 800 Dutch strong invasion force.[27][28][29][30] The Dutch Governor Jan Coen said after the defeat that "The slaves of the Portuguese at Macao served them so well and faithfully, that it was they who defeated and drove away our people there last year", and "Our people saw very few Portuguese" during the battle.[31][32][33][34] Following the Opium War (1839–42), Portugal occupied Taipa and Coloane in 1851 and 1864 respectively.