| |
Introduction of Macau
History
"Macau" is called "Ou Mun" in Cantonese. "Ou" means ports for vessel-parking while "Mun" stands for trading door as "Ou Mun" locales at the mouth of Pearl River of the Guangdong Province. When the Portuguese first came to the territory in mid 16th century, they landed at the area where there was a temple named "Ma Gao". The Portuguese therefore adopted "Ma Gao" and named tile peninsular "Macau". With over four centuries' domination by the Portuguese, Macau was returned to Mainland China on December 20, 1999. Similar to Hong Kong, Macau is another Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
Location & Area
West bank of Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province
Latitude 22o14' North, Longitude 1l3o35' East
64 km from Hong Kong and 144 km from Guangzhou
Connected to Gongbei District of Zhuhai City at the Border Gate (Portas do Cerco) isthmus, northern end of Macau.
Macau SAR
|
27.3 sq. km |
| Macau Peninsula |
8.7 sq. km |
| Taipa Island |
6.3 sq. km |
| Coloane Island |
7.6 sq. km |
| COTAI (reclaimed area) |
4.7 sq. km |
|
| International Area Code |
853 |
Climate
|
Type: |
Monsoon climate |
|
Average temperature |
23oC |
|
Total rainfall |
1,490 mm |
|
Average relative humidity |
78% |
|
Total sunshine |
2,123 hours / ycar |
|
Spring |
March to April; Mean Minimum 16oC; Mean Maximum 25oC;Wet and foggy; Humid and warm air from east and southeast |
|
Summer |
May to September; Mean Minimum 24oC; Mean Maximum 32oC; Hot and wet; Thunderstorm, heavy rain, waterspout and tropical cyclones |
|
Autumn |
October to November; Mean Minimum 22oC; Mean Maximum 24oC; Cool and dry; Stable weather and clear sky. |
|
Winter |
December to Fcbruary; Mean Minimum 12oC; Mean Maximum 24oC; Cold & windy; Cold air and dry winds front Mainland China |
Time Zone
GMT / U'I'C +8 (Daylight saving lime not applicable)
Population
Total population: 469,800 (Source: Statistics and Census Bureau, Macao SAID,
2005 May).
Ethnic distribution (as per 2001 Census):
| Chinese: 95.17% |
Portuguese: 2.02% |
Filipino: 1.23% |
Americans: 0.28% |
Language
Official Languages used in official documents aid governmental communication are Chinese and Portuguese where Chinese dialect, Cantonese is commonly spoken by most native citizens Putonghua (Mandarin) and English are also widely used in the commercial sector.
Currency
Macau's official currency - Pataca, shown as MOP$, is in units
of 100 avos
- Exchange rate: MOP$103.20 = HK$100.00
- Denominations of Banknotes and Coins:
Coins: 10, 20 and 50 avos; 1, 2, 5 and 10 Patacas.
Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Patacas.
- Most credit cards (visa & master) are accepted at
hotels, shops and restaurants.
- There are 24-Hour currency exchange counters at the Macau
International Airport and in hotels and casinos. Foreign
currency or travelers' cheques can be cashed in hotels,
banks and authorized exchange dealers.
|
Healthcare
Government Health Centers provide basic healthcare for inhabitants
while the Conde S. Januario Hospital (Tel: 2831-3731) provides special
medical services. There are also institutions under governmental
subsidies, including the Kiang Wu Hospital (Tel: 2837-1333), the
Workers' Clinic and Tung Sin Tong Clinic.
Both the Conde S. Januario Hospital (Government) located in Estrada do Visconde de S. Januario and the Kiang Wu Hospital (Private) located in Estrada Coelho do Amaral provide 24-hour emergency services. Health centers will take care of less critical cases. Yet, it is advisable to apply for health insurance for long stays in Macau.
|
