Macau

The **Macao Special Administrative Region** (**Macau** or **Macao**, , ) is one of China's two Special Administrative Regions. (The other one is Hong Kong).  Macau is a small city in the southern coast in China. Like Hong Kong, Macau also has a large amount of autonomy, with its own passport, currency, economic rules, and constitution.

It consists of Macau Peninsula (Ou3mun2 Bun3dou2), Taipa Island (Dangzai Dao), Coloane Island (Luhuan Dao) and Cotai (Ludangcheng), the new reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane. It is very densely populated, with over half a million people living in just over 12 square miles.

Macau used to be a colony of Portugal. Although Portuguese is an official language alongside Chinese (as a result of it being a Portuguese colony in the past), very few Macanese actually speak Portuguese; only about 0.7% speak it at home. As a matter of fact, English is more commonly spoken, despite it not being an official language (about 2.3% speak it at home). Cantonese is the main dialect of Chinese spoken in Macau. However, Mandarin has also become more common since Portugal returned it to China in 1999.

Today, Macau mostly makes money from offshore gambling. In fact, Macau generated 7 times greater gambling revenue than Las Vegas in 2013.  People in Macau also make some money from exporting clothing.

As Macau was previously a Portuguese colony, you can easily find traces of how the Portuguese culture is presented in the city. One of them is itinerary for couples, who are intending to spend a day exploring Macau.

## Economy of Macau

Macau’s economy relies on gambling. Eighty percent of the government’s revenue  is derived from gambling. The revenue generated by gambling  in 2019 was $36.5 billion, which is about 6 times larger than Las Vegas. Macau has 41 casinos including several  that belong to Wynn resorts and Sands.

Macau is the only part of China where gambling is legal. Many of the customers of casinos are wealthy Chinese.

Around 2020 Chinese new year  authorities closed down travel from China to Macau. Visits fell eighty percent. It is estimated by some observers that the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak will cost Macau between 5-15 percent of its gambling revenue.

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: Macao Special Administrative 
Region of the People's
Republic of China
- **common name**: Macau
- **image flag**: Flag of Macau.svg
- **image coat**: Regional Emblem of Macau.svg
- **symbol type**: Emblem
- **image map**: Macau montage.png
- **map width**: 230px
- **map caption**: Clockwise from top right:
Ruins of St. Paul's; Casino Lisboa, Macau, Casino Lisboa; St Joseph Seminary Church; Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho, Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge; A-Ma Temple; Guia Fortress; Macau Tower.
- **image map2**: Macau locator map.svg
- **map2 width**: 230px
- **national anthem**:
- **languages type**: Languages of Macau, Spoken languages
- **languages sub**: yes
- **languages2 type**: Writing systems
- **languages2 sub**: yes
- **demonym**: Macanese people, Macanese
- **government type**: Special administrative region
- **leader title1**: Chief Executive of Macau, Chief Executive
- **leader name1**: .
- **leader title2**: Secretariat for Administration and Justice (Macau), Administration and Justice Secretary
- **leader name2**: Cheong Weng Chon
- **leader title3**: Court of Final Appeal (Macau), Court President
- **leader name3**: .
- **leader name4**: Kou Hoi In
- **legislature**: Legislative Assembly of Macau, Legislative Assembly
- **sovereignty type**: Establishment
- **established event1**: Portugal, Portuguese administration
- **established date1**: 1557
- **established event2**: Portuguese colony
- **established date2**: 1 December 1887
- **established event3**: Transfer of the sovereignty of Macau, Transfer of
sovereignty
- **established date3**: 20 December 1999
- **area rank**: 235th
- **area km2**: 29.5
- **area sq mi**: 11.39
- **percent water**: 0
- **population estimate**: 568,700
- **population estimate rank**: 167th
- **population estimate year**: 2012<sup>a</sup>
- **population census**: 552,503
- **population census year**: 2011
- **population census rank**: 167th
- **population density km2**: 18,568
- **population density sq mi**: 48092
- **population density rank**: 1st
- **gdp nominal**: US$44.300 billion
- **gdp nominal rank**: 98th
- **gdp nominal year**: 2012
- **gdp nominal per capita**: US$77,353
- **gdp nominal per capita rank**: 4th
- **gdp ppp**: US$47.19 billion
- **gdp ppp rank**: 98th
- **gdp ppp year**: 2011
- **gdp ppp per capita**: US$82,400
- **gdp ppp per capita rank**: 4th
- **hdi year**: 2007
- **hdi change**: steady
- **hdi**: 0.944
- **hdi rank**: 25th
- **currency**: Macanese pataca
- **currency code**: MOP
- **time zone**: Macau Standard Time, MST
- **utc offset**: +8
- **time zone dst**: not observed
- **drives on**: left
- **calling code**: +853
- **iso3166code**: MO
- **cctld**: .mo
- **footnote a**: Second quarter.


## Infobox (chinese)

- **pic**: Macau in Chinese T.png
- **t**: 澳門
- **s**: 澳门
- **l**: Bay gate
- **p**: Àomén
- **j**: ou<sup>3</sup>mun<sup>4*2</sup>
- **y**: Oumùhn
- **wuu**: au<sup>去</sup>men<sup>平</sup>
- **poj**: Ò-mn̂g
- **buc**: Ó̤-muòng
- **h**: Àu-mûn
- **showflag**: jyp
- **altname**: Macao Special Administrative Region
- **t2**: 澳門特別行政區 (or 澳門特區)
- **s2**: 澳门特别行政区 (or 澳门特区)
- **p2**: Àomén Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū (Àomén Tèqū)
- **j2**: Ou<sup>3</sup>mun<sup>4*2</sup> Dak<sup>6</sup>bit<sup>6</sup> Hang<sup>4</sup>zing<sup>3</sup> Keoi<sup>1</sup>
- **wuu2**: au<sup>去</sup>men<sup>平</sup> deh<sup>入</sup>bih<sup>入</sup> ghan<sup>平</sup>tsen<sup>去</sup>chiu<sup>平</sup>
- **poj2**: Ò-mn̂g Te̍k-pia̍t Hêng-chèng-khu
- **h2**: Àu-mûn Thi̍t-phe̍t Hàng-tsṳn-khî
- **por**: Região Administrativa Especial de Macau <small> for "Macau Special Administrative Region" </small>