Macau : Gambling Las Vegas of Asia

MACAU
A Brief Description:

Macau : Alive at Night

Macau (or Macao), about 60 km directly west of Hong Kong, consists of the Macau Peninsula (attached to mainland China) and the small islands of Taipa and Coloane; all connected by bridge or causeway.

Once a simple fishing village on the southeastern China coastline, it was colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, and became the first European settlement in the Far East.

Because of its geographic position and excellent inland port, it quickly became a vital base for regional merchants, and for international commerce between China and the western world.

In December of 1999, Portugal (via a long-standing agreement) officially returned control of Macau to China, and it became a Special Administrative Region (or SAR) of China.

In the exchange, China agreed that until 2037, Macau (as is), will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters, except foreign and defense.

In the middle of its skyscrapers and modern facade sits the Historic Center of Macau, a "World Heritage Site," that includes several fortresses, an ancient palace, historic buildings and churches, monuments and friendly urban squares.

Hotel Lisboa offers twenty-four hour entertainment also at Night

Combine all of that with a wide variety of nightlife options, restaurants and casinos, and you've got a major tourist attraction that's growing in popularity,

The national animal of Macau is panda.

Facts and Figures :

Population 450,000

Currency Pataca (MOP)
Religions Buddhist (50%), Catholic (15%), others
Relative Location Macau is located in both the eastern and northern hemisphere It's positioned in Asia, along the southeast coast of mainland China in the Guangdong Province. It's bordered by the South China Sea, and of course, the country of China.

Land Statistics

Land Areas

(land) 9.8 sq miles (25.4 sq km)

(water) 0 sq miles (0 sq km)

(TOTAL) 9.8 sq miles (25.4 sq km)

Highest Point Coloane Alto - 567 ft. (173 m)

Greyhound in Macau Came from Australia : Are often killed. Read on for more on the sad lives of these greyhounds.

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.

Pearlriver Satellite Picture

Macau was known by the name ‘Haojing’ (meaning Oyster Mirror) or Jinghai (which literally means Mirror Sea), before Portuguese immigrated to the place way back in 16th century.

It is believed that the name ‘Macau’ was derived from the A-Ma Temple, a place of worship that was build in 1448, with Matsu (the goddess of seafarers and fishermen) as its deity.

Taoism-a-ma-temple-in-macau.

Matsu (Mazu) is a sea goddess in the Taoist tradition, and she is the protector of sailors, fishermen and all people whose lives are connected with the sea.

Chinese form as much as 95% of the total population of Macau, whereas the rest of the 5% comprise of people belonging to Portugal, Europe and other countries.

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.

Venetian gambling floor.

 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.

Macau, one of the hottest new international gambling locations

 It is one of the richest cities in the world.

Venetian Hotel

Macau was the first and last European colony in China.
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.
The infant mortality rate of Macau ranks amongst the lowest in the world.

Macau is a highly humid region, with the humidity ranging anywhere between 75% and 90%. It receives fairly heavy rainfall as well.

Cathedral Square

Macau Museum used to be the official residence of the Governor of Macau

The Historic Centre of Macau, including twenty-five historic monuments and public squares, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Tap Seac Square

A statue of a Saint guards the entrance to the Fortress. The mount was originally used as an altar for over 300 years before it was converted to a fortress.