Macau

Locator map for Macau, a special administrative region of China. The region is on the south coast of China and consists of a peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Colôane.

Former Portuguese possession on the south coast of China, about 65 km/40 mi west of Hong Kong, from which it is separated by the estuary of the Pearl River; it consists of a peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Colôane; area 17 sq km/7 sq mi; population (1999 est) 437,300. The capital is Macau, on the peninsula. On 31 December 1999 Portugese rule ended and Macau was reintegrated into China, though, like Hong Kong, with a guarantee of 50 years' non-interference in its political system. Trade is the mainstay of the economy: Macau is a free port and exports include textiles, clothing, fireworks, toys, and electronic goods. Tourism is also important, with many visitors attracted to Macau's numerous casinos, and travelling via the regular hydrofoil services from Hong Kong. The peninsula is linked to Taipa by a bridge and to Colôane by a causeway, both 2 km/1 mi long. The official language is Portuguese, with Cantonese also spoken. The religion in the region is Buddhist, with a small Catholic minority.

History

and was leased from China 1557. It was annexed 1849 and recognized as a Portuguese colony by the Chinese government in a treaty 1887. The port declined in prosperity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as its harbour silted up and international trade was diverted to Hong Kong and the new treaty ports. The colony thus concentrated instead on local ‘country trade’ and became a centre for gambling and, later, tourism.

In 1951 Macau became an overseas province of Portugal, sending an elected representative to the Lisbon parliament. After the Portuguese revolution in 1974, it became a ‘special territory’ and was granted considerable autonomy under a governor appointed by the Portuguese president.

In 1986 negotiations opened between the Portuguese and the Chinese governments over the question of the return of Macau's sovereignty under ‘one country, two systems’ terms similar to those agreed by China and the UK for Hong Kong. These negotiations were concluded in April 1987 by the signing of the Macau Pact, under which Portugal agreed to hand over sovereignty to the People's Republic in December 1999, and China agreed in return to guarantee to maintain the port's capitalist economic and social system for at least 50 years.

In May 1990 administrative, economic, and financial autonomy was secured from Portugal; this followed the approval of a new ‘organic statute’ for the territory by both Portugal's parliament and Macau's legislative assembly.

Government After the end of Portugese rule in 1999, and under the constitution (‘organic statute’) of 1990, Macau enjoys political autonomy from China for the following 50 years. Executive power is held by the governor. The governor works with a cabinet of five appointed secretaries and confers with a 10-member consultative council and a 23-member legislative council, comprising seven government appointees, eight indirectly elected by business associations and eight directly elected by universal suffrage. The legislative council frames internal legislation, but any bills passed by less than a two-thirds majority can be vetoed by the governor. A number of ‘civic associations’ and interest groups function, sending representatives to the legislative council.