Times Bookstore is a chain of bookstores in Singapore which is part of the Times Publishing Group , a unit of Fraser and Neave , which started in Singapore in 1978.
82-628: There are currently Times Bookstore stores in Macau (1 Times Bookstore at The Venetian Macao ). Times Bookstore opened at Lippo Karawaci Lippo Supermall in Indonesia in 2008 Lippo Supermall location has since closed and second location at Universitas Pelita Harapan was converted to Books and Beyond in 2012. Times Bookstore previously had operations in Singapore but however ceased from 22 September 2024. This Singaporean corporation or company article
164-645: A boom in the firecracker industry in Taipa, especially as colonial officials limited firecracker factories on the Peninsula because of safety concerns following an accident in 1925 that killed 100 people. Many firecracker factories opened, which encouraged people to flock to the island. By 1969, as the Portuguese colonial government sought to improve Macau's infrastructure, a causeway ( Estrada do Istmo ) opened connecting Taipa to Coloane, and in 1974 Taipa got its first connection to
246-530: A four-year term: 14 are directly elected , 12 indirectly elected , and 7 appointed by the Chief Executive. Indirectly elected assemblymen are selected from limited electorates representing sectors of the economy or special interest groups. All directly elected members are chosen with proportional representation . Twelve political parties had representatives elected to the Legislative Assembly in
328-507: A large portion of nonresident workers to live in Zhuhai. Macau has a capitalist service economy largely based on casino gaming and tourism. It is the world's 83rd-largest economy , with a nominal GDP of approximately MOP433 billion (US$ 53.9 billion). The GDP per capita was US$ 69,430 in 2023. Although Macau has one of the highest per capita GDPs, the territory also has a high level of wealth disparity . Macau's gambling industry
410-540: A major warehouse during the late 16th century, providing a crucial connection in exporting Chinese silk to Japan during the Nanban trade period. Although the Portuguese were initially prohibited from fortifying Macau or stockpiling weapons, the Fortaleza do Monte was constructed in response to frequent Dutch naval incursions . The Dutch attempted to take the city in the 1622 Battle of Macau , but were repelled successfully by
492-468: A much greater role in governing the territory during this period; Chinese residents were subject to Qing courts and new construction had to be approved by the resident mandarin beginning in the 1740s. As the opium trade became more lucrative during the 18th century, Macau again became an important stopping point en route to China. Following the First Opium War and the establishment of Hong Kong by
574-547: A population density of 21,340 people per square kilometre, Macau is the most densely populated region in the world. The overwhelming majority (88.7 per cent) are Chinese , many of whom originate from Guangdong (31.9 per cent) or Fujian (5.9 per cent). The remaining 11.6 per cent are non ethnic Chinese minorities, primarily Filipinos (4.6 per cent), Vietnamese (2.4 per cent), and Portuguese (1.8 per cent). Several thousand residents are of Macanese heritage, native-born multiracial people with mixed Portuguese ancestry. Of
656-587: A result of siltation and land reclamation , by the mid-20th century central Taipa had formed, which is largely made up of flat terrain, turning Taipa into one island. Initially, Taipa was connected to Coloane only by the Estrada do Istmo [ zh ] ( 路氹連貫公路 ) causeway, opened in 1969, but starting in the 1990s, land reclamation efforts created a new area, Cotai , and which is home to mega-resorts, casinos, and convention and exhibition centres, and has turned Taipa, Cotai and Coloane all into one island. Taipa
738-451: A share of GDP peaked in 2013 at over 60 per cent, and continues to account for 49.1 per cent of total economic output. The vast majority of casino patrons are tourists from mainland China, making up 68 per cent of all visitors. Casino gaming is illegal in both the mainland and Hong Kong, giving Macau a legal monopoly on the industry in China. Revenue from Chinese high rollers has been falling and
820-476: A top destination for gambling tourism. Its gambling industry is seven times larger than that of Las Vegas . The city has one of the highest GDPs per capita and GDPs per capita by purchasing power parity in the world. It has a very high Human Development Index of 0.925, as calculated by the Government of Macau , and the fourth-highest life expectancy in the world. The territory is highly urbanised, holding
902-544: A tourist destination as its Portuguese architecture attracted tourists and further infrastructure was constructed on the island, including the opening of the Macau International Airport in 1995. In Cantonese , Taipa has been known by many names over time, including 龍環 ( Lung Waan , meaning " Dragon Ring"), 雞頸 ( Gai Geng , "Chicken's neck"), 潭仔 ( Taam Jai , "Pool"), and 龍頭環 ( Lung Tau Waan , "Dragon's-Head Ring"). The Portuguese name "Taipa" comes from
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#1732859066338984-406: A trading post from China by paying annual lease of hundreds of silver taels to Ming China. Luso-Canton trade relations were formally reestablished in 1554, and Portugal soon after acquired a permanent lease for Macau in 1557, agreeing to pay 500 taels of silver as annual land rent. Macau became a stopover on the sea lane that connected Japan with the wider world. The Portuguese could avoid
1066-506: A wider project by Portugal to turn Macau into a fully-fledged colony and expanding the colony's area to include Taipa, Ilha Verde , Coloane and portions of Hengqin (Montanha). The annexation also aimed to resolve the problem of the divided harbour on the Peninsula and provide land, water supply and protection for the port. Taipa's main industry historically was fishing, with a prominent harbour where fishermen congregated. In 1923, Taipa saw its first firecracker factory open, which encouraged
1148-437: Is Coloane Alto , 170.6 m (560 ft) above sea level. Urban development is concentrated on peninsular Macau, where most of the population lives. The peninsula was originally a separate island with hilly terrain, which gradually became a tombolo as a connecting sandbar formed over time. Both natural sedimentation and land reclamation expanded the area enough to support urban growth. Macau has tripled its land area in
1230-477: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China . With a population of about 710,000 people and a land area of 32.9 km (12.7 sq mi), it is the most densely populated region in the world. Formerly a Portuguese colony, the territory of Portuguese Macau was first leased to Portugal by
1312-669: Is a complicated question, since like the Galicia region in Spain , it is not an independent country, but only a part of China. However, the Instituto Internacional de Macau ( 澳門國際研究所 ) and the University of São José are Consultative Observers of the CPLP. The territory is divided into seven parishes. Cotai , a major area developed on reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane , and areas of
1394-473: Is also heavily subsidised. Migrant workers living in Macau account for over 25 per cent of the entire workforce. They largely work in lower wage sectors of the economy, including construction, hotels, and restaurants. As a growing proportion of local residents take up employment in the gaming industry, the disparity in income between local and migrant workers has been increasing. Rising living costs have also pushed
1476-421: Is an area in Macau , connected to Coloane through the area known as Cotai , which is largely built from reclaimed land. Located on the northern half of the island, Taipa's population is mostly suburban. Administratively, the boundaries of the traditional civil parish Freguesia de Nossa Senhora do Carmo are mostly coterminous with that of the former Taipa Island, except for a portion of the parish that lies on
1558-655: Is connected to the Macau Peninsula by the Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge , Friendship Bridge and the Sai Van Bridge . Taipa is an urbanised, suburban area primarily home to housing, with several housing complexes, which are mostly upscale. As a new town of Macau, Taipa has better city planning than the Macau Peninsula , with wide streets set around a grid system, however Macau has historically centred around
1640-415: Is dual season dominant – summer (May to September) and winter (December to February) are the longest seasons, while spring (March and April) and autumn (October and November) are relatively brief periods. The summer monsoon brings warm and humid air from the sea, with the most frequent rainfall occurring during the season. Typhoons also occur most often then, bringing significant spikes in rainfall. During
1722-502: Is often missing from mobile phone and computer input systems. Another origin of the name, according to local legend, comes from an exchange between early Portuguese settlers on Taipa and the local Chinese. The Portuguese asked the Chinese the name ( nome in Portuguese) of the place. The Chinese settlers were local grocery shopkeepers and spoke no Portuguese, but took the Portuguese nome for
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#17328590663381804-508: Is part of Taipa (Nossa Senhora do Carmo), but geographically separate from Taipa. Taipa has one public library operated by the Macao Public Library system. Taipa Library ( Biblioteca da Taipa ; 氹仔圖書館 ), which began trial operations on 15 April 2015 and opened officially on 1 September of that year, occupies 2,200 square feet (200 m ) of space in the basement of Taipa Central Park ( Parque Central da Taipa ; 氹仔中央公園 ). Previously,
1886-598: Is the largest in the world, generating over MOP195 billion (US$ 24 billion) in revenue and about seven times larger than that of Las Vegas . Macau's gambling revenue was $ 37 billion in 2018. Taxes from gambling revenues fund a robust welfare system and an annual cash payment to Macau's citizens. The regional economy is heavily reliant on casino gaming. The vast majority of government funding (79.6 per cent of total tax revenue) comes from gaming. Local taxes on personal income, residential property, and retail sales range from non-existent to negligible. Gambling as
1968-551: Is very similar to Hong Kong's. The regional government is composed of three branches: The Chief Executive is the head of government, and serves for a maximum of two five-year terms. The State Council (led by the Premier of China ) appoints the Chief Executive after nomination by the Election Committee, which is composed of 400 business, community, and government leaders. The Legislative Assembly has 33 members, each serving
2050-559: The Haijin policies. It was limited only to Macau on a lesser scale while the new dynasty focused on eliminating surviving Ming loyalists . While the Kangxi Emperor lifted the prohibition in 1684, China again restricted trade decades later under the Canton System in 1757. Foreign ships were required to stop first at Macau before further proceeding to Canton . Qing authorities exercised
2132-634: The 2017 election . These parties have aligned themselves into two ideological groups: the pro-establishment (the current government) and pro-democracy camps. Macau is represented in the National People's Congress by 12 deputies chosen through an electoral college, and 29 delegates in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference appointed by the central government . Macau has generally congenial relations with China's central government. Chinese national law does not generally apply in
2214-562: The Chinese Communist Party in exchange for continued administration of Macau. Following the 1974 Carnation Revolution , Portugal formally relinquished Macau as an overseas province and acknowledged it as a "Chinese territory under Portuguese administration". After China first concluded arrangements on Hong Kong's future with the United Kingdom , it entered negotiations with Portugal over Macau in 1986. These concluded with
2296-631: The Macau New Urban Zone do not have defined parishes. Historically, the parishes belonged to one of two municipalities (the Municipality of Macau or the Municipality of Ilhas ) that were responsible for administering municipal services. The municipalities were abolished in 2001 and superseded by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau in providing local services. Macau is located on China's southern coast, 60 km (37 mi) west of Hong Kong , on
2378-570: The Ming dynasty as a trading post in 1557. Portugal paid an annual rent and administered the territory under Chinese sovereignty until 1887. Portugal later gained perpetual colonial rights in the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking . The colony remained under Portuguese rule until the 1999 handover to China. Macau is a special administrative region of China, which maintains separate governing and economic systems from those of mainland China under
2460-401: The Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking . This agreement also prohibited Portugal from ceding Macau without Chinese approval. Despite occasional conflict between Cantonese authorities and the colonial government, Macau's status remained unchanged through the republican revolutions of both Portugal in 1910 and China in 1911 . The Kuomintang further affirmed Portuguese jurisdiction in Macau when
2542-483: The Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau . This licence was renegotiated and renewed several times before ending in 2002 after 40 years. The government then allowed open bidding for casino licences to attract foreign investors. Along with an easing of travel restrictions on mainland Chinese visitors, this triggered a period of rapid economic growth; from 1999 to 2016, Macau's gross domestic product multiplied by 7 and
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2624-650: The Song dynasty (960–1279 AD), it was under the jurisdiction of the new Xiangshan County . In 1277, approximately 50,000 refugees fleeing the Mongol conquest of China settled in the coastal area. The first European visitor to reach China by sea was the explorer Jorge Álvares , who arrived in 1513. Merchants first established a trading post in Hong Kong waters at Tamão , present-day Tuen Mun , beginning regular trade with nearby settlements in southern China. Military clashes between
2706-524: The Southern Song dynasty . In 1847, encouraged by the governorship of João Maria Ferreira do Amaral , who sought to expand Portugal's influence over Macau and affirm its sovereignty, Lesser Taipa was annexed by the Portuguese, constructing Taipa Fortress upon the command of Pedro Jose da Silva Loureiro to combat marine outlaws and protect Macau against the attack of pirates. By 1851, Portugal had also annexed Greater Taipa. These annexations formed part of
2788-749: The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress can also override territorial judicial processes. In 2021, after similar actions were taken in Hong Kong following the protests associated with the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement, 21 candidates running for office in the territorial elections were disqualified as a result of allegedly failing to support the Basic Law, although no specific violations were noted by
2870-581: The State Council . Further reclamation is underway to develop parts of the Macau New Urban Zone . The territory also has control over part of an artificial island to maintain a border checkpoint for the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge . Despite being located south of the Tropic of Cancer , Macau has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ), characteristic of southern China. The territory
2952-612: The World Trade Organization and United Nations . The regional government maintains trade offices in Greater China and other nations. Public political demonstrations in Macau are generally rare. Macau is not a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries , despite Portuguese being one of its official languages. This is due to it not being a sovereign nation, but a subnational division of China. In 2006, during
3034-525: The handover , resulting in an executive-led governing system largely inherited from the territory's history as a Portuguese colony. Under these terms and the " one country, two systems " principle, the Basic Law of Macao is the regional constitution . Because negotiations for the Joint Declaration and Basic Law began after transitional arrangements for Hong Kong were made, Macau's structure of government
3116-476: The matchlock musket arquebuses , which they named bird guns , and breech-loading swivel guns , which they named as Folangji ( Frankish ) cannon because the Portuguese were known to the Chinese under the name of Franks at this time. The Portuguese later returned to China peacefully and presented themselves under the name Portuguese instead of Franks in the Luso-Chinese agreement (1554) . They rented Macau as
3198-542: The right of abode in Macau and are subject to immigration controls. Public finances are handled separately from the national government, and taxes levied in Macau do not fund the central authority. The Macao Garrison is responsible for the region's defence. Although the Chairman of the Central Military Commission is supreme commander of the armed forces, the regional government may request assistance from
3280-430: The simplified characters used on the mainland. English is considered an additional working language and is spoken by over a quarter of the population (27.5 per cent); 2.8 per cent are native speakers, and 24.7 per cent speak English as a second language. Macanese Patois , a local creole generally known as Patuá , is now spoken only by a few in the older Macanese community. Religion in Macau (2012) According to
3362-695: The British, Macau lost its role as a major port. Firecracker and incense production, as well as tea and tobacco processing, were vital industries in the colony during this time. Portugal was able to capitalise on China's postwar weakness and assert its sovereignty; the Governor of Macau began refusing to pay China annual land rent for the colony in the 1840s, and annexed Taipa and Coloane , in 1851 and 1864, respectively. Portugal also occupied nearby Lapa and Montanha . But these were returned to China by 1887, when perpetual occupation rights over Macau were formalised in
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3444-459: The Chinese 糯米 , "sticky rice", which is pronounced similar to nome in Cantonese. Thinking the Portuguese settlers were asking if they sold sticky rice, the Chinese responded with " 大把 ", pronounced "daai ba" in Cantonese, meaning "a lot." The Portuguese, hearing the response, took this to be the name of the place. There is, however, no historical evidence to support this story. "Taipa" is also what
3526-628: The Chinese pronunciation of 氹仔 in Min Nan / tiap-á / (similar to "tiamp-a") then became "Taipa". The Putonghua pinyin for 氹仔 is dàngzǎi , and this is how the island is referred to in Mandarin. Both the character 氹 and the alternative form 凼 mean cesspit, but are obsolete in modern Chinese, and only used in relation to Taipa and the Macau-Taipa Bridge ( 澳氹大桥 àodàng dàqiáo ). The character 氹 , or 凼 (often used in mainland Chinese texts),
3608-492: The Government Information Bureau, 80 per cent of the population practices Buddhism , 6.7 per cent follow Christianity and 13.7 per cent follow other religion. Folk practices are also common among the citizens. According to Pew Research Center , Chinese folk religions have the most adherents (58.9 per cent) and are followed by Buddhism (17.3 per cent) and Christianity (7.2 per cent), while 15.4 per cent of
3690-765: The II Ministerial meeting between China and Portuguese Speaking Countries, the CPLP Executive Secretary and Deputy ambassador Tadeu Soares invited the Chief Executive of the Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region, Edmund Ho, to request the Associate Observer status for Macau. The Government of Macau has yet to make this request. In 2016, Murade Murargy, then executive secretary of CPLP said in an interview that Macau's membership
3772-477: The Macau Peninsula, the Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, named after the city's governor between 1966 and 1974. Taipa's population, like Coloane, began to expand significantly as better infrastructure was built, increasing from originally 3,000 residents. By the mid-1980s, the firecracker industry in Taipa had declined and the last factory closed in 1984. Starting in the 1990s, Taipa's old village developed as
3854-710: The Ming and Portuguese navies followed the expulsion of the Tamão traders in 1521. Despite the trade ban, Portuguese merchants continued to attempt to settle on other parts of the Pearl River estuary, finally settling on Macau. In their first attempts at obtaining trading posts by force, the Portuguese were defeated by the Ming Chinese at the Battle of Tunmen in Tamão (or Tuen Mun ) in 1521, where
3936-461: The Pearl River and inched towards Quanzhou and Ningbo . But as they failed to establish trading relationships with the Chinese, the Portuguese focused on trade with Japan. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Macau was created in 1576, and by 1583 the Municipal Council of Macau had been established to handle municipal affairs for the growing settlement. Macau was at the peak of its prosperity as
4018-514: The Philippines, Australia, Vietnam and the Russian Far East led in 2019 to the lowest revenues in three years. Export-oriented manufacturing previously contributed to a much larger share of economic output, peaking at 36.9 per cent of GDP in 1985 and falling to less than 1 per cent in 2017. The bulk of these exports were cotton textiles and apparel, but also included toys and electronics. At
4100-604: The Portuguese call the clay-mud, rammed into moulds, used to build mud houses in Portugal in times gone by, in recent times referred to as Rammed Earth. Public preschool and primary school include: Private tuition-free primary and secondary schools: Private non-free primary and secondary schools: The Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Macao University of Tourism , and City University of Macau are located in Taipa. University of Macau (UM), on Hengqin Island , which
4182-489: The Portuguese lost two ships. They were also defeated at the Battle of Sincouwaan around Lantau Island , where the Portuguese lost two more ships. Other defeats include Shuangyu in 1548, where several Portuguese were captured, and near Dongshan County in 1549, where two Portuguese junks and Galeote Pereira were captured. During these battles the Ming Chinese captured weapons from the defeated Portuguese which they reverse engineered and mass-produced in China. These included
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#17328590663384264-574: The Portuguese. Macau entered a period of decline in the 1640s following a series of catastrophic events for the burgeoning colony: Portuguese access to trade routes was irreparably severed when Japan halted trade in 1639, and after the Portuguese Restoration War of 1640, Portuguese Malacca fell to the Dutch in 1641. Maritime trade with China was banned in 1644 following the Qing conquest under
4346-571: The Treaty of Peking was renegotiated in 1928. During the Second World War , the Empire of Japan did not occupy the colony and generally respected Portuguese neutrality in Macau. However, after Japanese troops captured a British cargo ship in Macau waters in 1943, Japan installed a group of government "advisors" as an alternative to military occupation. The territory largely avoided military action during
4428-708: The area was also served by another public library: the Wong Ieng Kuan Library in Taipa ( Biblioteca de Wong Ieng Kuan da Taipa ; 氹仔黃營均圖書館 ). The library, which opened in January 2005, occupied 1,080 square metres (11,600 sq ft) of space on the second and third floors of Hei Loi Tang Plaza ( 喜來登廣場 ). Its construction was funded with donations from the Wong Ieng Kuan Foundation ( Fundação Wong Ieng Kuan ; 黃營均基金會 ). The Wong Ieng Kuan Library in Taipa closed on 1 January 2022. Health centres operated by
4510-483: The colony expanded its clothing and textiles manufacturing industry, developed its tourism industry, and legalised casino gaming. However, at the height of the Cultural Revolution , residents dissatisfied with the colonial administration rioted in the 1966 12-3 incident , in which 8 people were killed and more than 200 were injured. Portugal lost full control over the colony afterwards, and agreed to cooperate with
4592-403: The economy and taxes corporations at very low rates. Post-handover administrations have generally been more involved in enhancing social welfare to counter the cyclical nature of the gaming industry. Economic growth has been attributed in large part to the high number of mainlander visits to Macau, and the central government exercises a role in guiding casino business growth through its control of
4674-593: The flow of tourists. The Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement formalised a policy of free trade between Macau and mainland China, with each jurisdiction pledging to remove remaining obstacles to trade and cross-boundary investment. Due to a lack of available land for farming, agriculture is not significant in the economy. Food is exclusively imported to Macau and almost all foreign goods are transshipped through Hong Kong. Taipa Taipa ( Chinese : 氹仔 , Cantonese: [tʰɐ̌m.t͡sɐ̌i̯] ; Portuguese : Taipa , pronounced [ˈtajpɐ] )
4756-566: The garrison. Macau residents are not required to perform military service and the law also has no provision for local enlistment, so its defence force is composed entirely of nonresidents. The State Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle diplomatic matters, but Macau retains the ability to maintain separate economic and cultural relations with foreign nations . The territory negotiates its own trade agreements and actively participates in supranational organisations, including agencies of
4838-405: The handover in 1999, manufacturing, financial services, construction and real estate, and gaming were the four largest sectors of the economy. Macau's shift to an economic model entirely dependent on gaming caused concern over its overexposure to a single sector, prompting the regional government to attempt re-diversifying its economy. The government traditionally had a non-interventionist role in
4920-411: The island of Hengqin (Montanha), housing the campus of the University of Macau . Taipa is 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) south of the Macau Peninsula and east of the island of Hengqin , which forms a part of the adjacent Chinese city of Zhuhai . The Macau International Airport , University of Macau , Macau Jockey Club and Macau Stadium are all located in Taipa. Taipa's geography is dominated by
5002-460: The last century, increasing from 10.28 km (3.97 sq mi) in the late 19th century to 32.9 km (12.7 sq mi) in 2018. Cotai , the area of reclaimed land connecting Taipa and Coloane, contains many of the newer casinos and resorts established after 1999. The region's jurisdiction over the surrounding sea was greatly expanded in 2015, when it was granted an additional 85 km (33 sq mi) of maritime territory by
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#17328590663385084-409: The peninsula and some choose to live on the Macau Peninsula because most famous schools are there. In 2015 the body of the director general of Macao Customs Service, Lai Minhua , was found in the district. Originally an island pair on the southern end of the Praia Grande , Taipa was first settled by Hokkien -speaking fishermen around 800 years ago. Most Chinese settlement of Taipa occurred during
5166-520: The population profess no religious affiliation at all. Small minorities adhering to other religions (less than 1 per cent), including Hinduism , Judaism , and Islam , are also resident in Macau. Life expectancy in Macau was 81.6 years for males and 87.7 years for females in 2018, the fourth highest in the world. Cancer , heart disease , and respiratory disease are the territory's three leading causes of death. Most government-provided healthcare services are free of charge, though alternative treatment
5248-550: The population, 80.1 per cent as a first language and 7.5 per cent as a second language. Only 2.3 per cent can speak Portuguese , the other official language; 0.7 per cent are native speakers, and 1.6 per cent use it as a second language. Increased immigration from mainland China in recent years has added to the number of Mandarin speakers, making up about half of the population (50.4 per cent); 5.5 per cent are native speakers and 44.9 per cent are second language speakers. Traditional Chinese characters are used in writing, rather than
5330-410: The presence of two hills to the east and west that tower over central Taipa. The 159.1-metre (522.0-foot) Taipa Grande Hill [ zh ] ( 大潭山 , Colina da Taipa Grande ) lies to the east, and Taipa Pequena Hill [ zh ] ( 小潭山 , Colina da Taipa Pequena ) the west. This is because originally Taipa consisted of two islands with a hilly terrain - Greater Taipa and Lesser Taipa. As
5412-401: The principle of " one country, two systems ". The unique blend of Portuguese and Chinese architecture in the city's historic centre has resulted in its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. Originally a sparsely populated collection of coastal islands, Macau, often referred to as the "Las Vegas of the East", since the late 20th century has become a major resort city and
5494-426: The region, and Macau is treated as a separate jurisdiction. Its judicial system is based on Portuguese civil law , continuing the legal tradition established during colonial rule. Interpretative and amending power over the Basic Law and jurisdiction over acts of state lie with the central authority, however, making regional courts ultimately subordinate to the mainland's socialist civil law system. Decisions made by
5576-434: The signing of the 1987 Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau , in which Portugal agreed the handover of the colony in 1999 and China guaranteed Macau's political and economic systems for 50 years after the handover. In the waning years of colonial rule, Macau rapidly urbanised and constructed large-scale infrastructure projects, including the Macau International Airport and a new container port . The handover of Macau
5658-454: The spelling as Macau ; however, the use of Macao persisted in English and other European languages. The Macau Peninsula had many names in Chinese, including Jing'ao ( 井澳/鏡澳 ), Haojing ( 濠鏡 ), and Haojing'ao ( 濠鏡澳 ). The islands Taipa , Coloane , and Hengqin were collectively called Shizimen ( 十字門 ). These names would later become Ou mún ( 澳門 ), Aomen in Mandarin and translating as "bay gate" or "port gate", to refer to
5740-421: The status of the most densely populated territory on Earth; two-thirds of the total land area is built on land reclaimed from the sea . The first known written record of the name "Macau", rendered as "A Ma Gang" ( 亞/阿-媽/馬-港 ), is found in a letter dated 20 November 1555. The local inhabitants believed that the sea goddess Matsu (alternatively called A-Ma) had blessed and protected the harbour and referred to
5822-518: The territory's electoral commission. The territory's jurisdictional independence is most apparent in its immigration and taxation policies. The Identification Department issues passports for permanent residents which differ from those issued by the mainland or Hong Kong, and the region maintains a regulated border with the rest of the country. All travellers between Macau and China and Hong Kong must pass border controls, regardless of nationality. Chinese citizens resident in mainland China do not have
5904-470: The total population (excluding migrants), 49.4 per cent were born in Macau, followed by 43.1 per cent in mainland China. A large portion of the population are Portuguese citizens , a legacy of colonial rule; at the time of the handover in 1999, 107,000 residents held Portuguese passports. The predominant language is Cantonese , a variety of Chinese originating in Guangdong. It is spoken by 87.5 per cent of
5986-428: The unemployment rate dropped from 6.3 to 1.9 per cent. The Sands Macao , Wynn Macau , MGM Macau , and Venetian Macau were all opened during the first decade after liberalisation of casino concessions. Casinos employ about 24 per cent of the total workforce in the region. "Increased competition from casinos popping up across Asia to lure away Chinese high rollers and tourists" in Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Nepal,
6068-438: The very small size of a 'microstate' helps central authorities to exercise political control, stifle political pluralism, and monopolize opinions, all of which strengthen regime persistence." Macau is a special administrative region of China , with executive, legislative, and judicial powers devolved from the national government . The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration provided for economic and administrative continuity through
6150-590: The war except in 1945, when the United States ordered air raids on Macau after learning that the colonial government was preparing to sell aviation fuel to Japan. In 1950 the US paid Portugal more than US$ 20 million in compensation for the damage during the war. Refugees from mainland China swelled the population as they fled from the Chinese Civil War . Access to a large workforce enabled Macau's economy to grow as
6232-451: The waters around A-Ma Temple by her name. When Portuguese explorers first arrived in the area and asked for the place name, the locals thought they were asking about the temple and told them it was "Ma Kok" ( 媽閣 ). The earliest Portuguese spelling for this was Amaquão . Multiple variations were used until Amacão / Amacao and Macão / Macao became common during the 17th century. The 1911 reform of Portuguese orthography standardised
6314-570: The western side of the Pearl River estuary. It is surrounded by the South China Sea in the east and south, and neighbours the Guangdong city of Zhuhai to the west and north. The territory consists of Macau Peninsula , Taipa , and Coloane . A 1 km (0.39 sq mi) parcel of land in neighbouring Hengqin island that hosts the University of Macau also falls under the regional government's jurisdiction. The territory's highest point
6396-568: The whole territory. During the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), the region was under the jurisdiction of Panyu County , Nanhai Prefecture of the province of Guangdong . The region is first known to have been settled during the Han dynasty . It was administratively part of Dongguan Prefecture in the Jin dynasty (266–420 AD), and alternated under the control of Nanhai and Dongguan in later dynasties. In 1152, during
6478-471: The winter, northern winds from the continent bring dry air and much less rainfall. The highest and lowest temperatures recorded at the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau are 38.9 °C (102.0 °F) on both 2 July 1930 and 6 July 1930 and −1.8 °C (28.8 °F) on 26 January 1948. The Statistics and Census Service estimated Macau's population at 667,400 at the end of 2018. With
6560-425: The world on a per capita basis. Political debates have centred on the region's jurisdictional independence and the central government's adherence of " one country, two systems ". While issues such as national security legislation have been controversial, Macanese residents generally have high levels of trust in the government. Kwong and Wong explain this by comparing Macau to Hong Kong: "The case of Macau shows that
6642-404: Was at midnight on 20 December 1999, after 442 years of Portuguese rule. Following the handover, Macau liberalised its casino industry (which previously operated under a government-licensed monopoly) to allow foreign investors, starting a new period of economic development. The regional economy grew by a double-digit annual growth rate from 2002 to 2014, making Macau one of the richest economies in
6724-520: Was forecast to fall as much as 10% more in 2019. Economic uncertainty may account for some of the drop, but alternate Asian gambling venues do as well. For example, Chinese visitors to the Philippines more than doubled between 2015 and 2018, since the City of Dreams casino opened in Manila. Casino gambling was legalised in 1962 and the gaming industry initially operated under a government-licensed monopoly granted to
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