Macao Overview
Geographical Location
Macao is situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, 90 miles (144 km) southeast of Guangzhou and 40 nautical miles (64 km) southwest of Hong Kong. Covering an area of 33 square kilometres, it comprises a peninsula and two outlying islands (Taipa and Coloane), connected by three modern bridges and a causeway. The Barrier Gate provides direct access to mainland China and serves as Macao’s main land border crossing in the northernmost district. A newer checkpoint in the Cotai reclamation area has also been opened, greatly easing the flow of people and goods between Macao and the mainland.
Population and Language
Macao has a population of 677,300. More than 96% of residents speak Chinese as their first language, while about 2% use Portuguese. Although English is Macao’s third language, it is widely used in trade, tourism and business.
Political Background
The governments of the People’s Republic of China and Portugal signed the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration on the future of Macao in 1987. Under its terms, China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao on 20 December 1999. As a Special Administrative Region of China, Macao enjoys a high degree of autonomy, with its political, economic and social systems unchanged for 50 years, along with independent executive, legislative and judicial powers. Macao also continues to benefit from free-port status and an independent customs territory. The central government is confident in Macao’s future prosperity and stability, which helps ensure the successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy.