86-520: Macau law is broadly based on Portuguese law , and therefore part of the civil law tradition of continental European legal systems. Portuguese law is itself highly influenced by German law. However, many other influences are present, including Chinese law , Italian law, and some narrow aspects of common law . Macau's legal code is written in Portuguese; therefore law students at University of Macau take their classes in Portuguese. The apex of
172-546: A four-year term: 14 are directly elected , 12 indirectly elected , and 7 appointed by the Chief Executive. Indirectly elected assemblymen are selected from limited electorates representing sectors of the economy or special interest groups. All directly elected members are chosen with proportional representation . Twelve political parties had representatives elected to the Legislative Assembly in
258-511: A large portion of nonresident workers to live in Zhuhai. Macau has a capitalist service economy largely based on casino gaming and tourism. It is the world's 83rd-largest economy , with a nominal GDP of approximately MOP433 billion (US$ 53.9 billion). The GDP per capita was US$ 69,430 in 2023. Although Macau has one of the highest per capita GDPs, the territory also has a high level of wealth disparity . Macau's gambling industry
344-549: A major warehouse during the late 16th century, providing a crucial connection in exporting Chinese silk to Japan during the Nanban trade period. Although the Portuguese were initially prohibited from fortifying Macau or stockpiling weapons, the Fortaleza do Monte was constructed in response to frequent Dutch naval incursions . The Dutch attempted to take the city in the 1622 Battle of Macau , but were repelled successfully by
430-475: A much greater role in governing the territory during this period; Chinese residents were subject to Qing courts and new construction had to be approved by the resident mandarin beginning in the 1740s. As the opium trade became more lucrative during the 18th century, Macau again became an important stopping point en route to China. Following the First Opium War and the establishment of Hong Kong by
516-547: A population density of 21,340 people per square kilometre, Macau is the most densely populated region in the world. The overwhelming majority (88.7 per cent) are Chinese , many of whom originate from Guangdong (31.9 per cent) or Fujian (5.9 per cent). The remaining 11.6 per cent are non ethnic Chinese minorities, primarily Filipinos (4.6 per cent), Vietnamese (2.4 per cent), and Portuguese (1.8 per cent). Several thousand residents are of Macanese heritage, native-born multiracial people with mixed Portuguese ancestry. Of
602-455: A share of GDP peaked in 2013 at over 60 per cent, and continues to account for 49.1 per cent of total economic output. The vast majority of casino patrons are tourists from mainland China, making up 68 per cent of all visitors. Casino gaming is illegal in both the mainland and Hong Kong, giving Macau a legal monopoly on the industry in China. Revenue from Chinese high rollers has been falling and
688-482: A top destination for gambling tourism. Its gambling industry is seven times larger than that of Las Vegas . The city has one of the highest GDPs per capita and GDPs per capita by purchasing power parity in the world. It has a very high Human Development Index of 0.925, as calculated by the Government of Macau , and the fourth-highest life expectancy in the world. The territory is highly urbanised, holding
774-406: A trading post from China by paying annual lease of hundreds of silver taels to Ming China. Luso-Canton trade relations were formally reestablished in 1554, and Portugal soon after acquired a permanent lease for Macau in 1557, agreeing to pay 500 taels of silver as annual land rent. Macau became a stopover on the sea lane that connected Japan with the wider world. The Portuguese could avoid
860-564: A wide range of agreements with other countries and territories such as mutual abolition of visa requirement , mutual legal aid, air services, extradition , handling of double taxation and others, with no Chinese government involvement. However, in some diplomatic talks involving a SAR, the SAR concerned may choose to send officials to be part of the Chinese delegation. For example, when former Director of Health of Hong Kong Margaret Chan became
946-437: Is Coloane Alto , 170.6 m (560 ft) above sea level. Urban development is concentrated on peninsular Macau, where most of the population lives. The peninsula was originally a separate island with hilly terrain, which gradually became a tombolo as a connecting sandbar formed over time. Both natural sedimentation and land reclamation expanded the area enough to support urban growth. Macau has tripled its land area in
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#17327865830551032-698: Is a complicated question, since like the Galicia region in Spain , it is not an independent country, but only a part of China. However, the Instituto Internacional de Macau ( 澳門國際研究所 ) and the University of São José are Consultative Observers of the CPLP. The territory is divided into seven parishes. Cotai , a major area developed on reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane , and areas of
1118-477: Is also heavily subsidised. Migrant workers living in Macau account for over 25 per cent of the entire workforce. They largely work in lower wage sectors of the economy, including construction, hotels, and restaurants. As a growing proportion of local residents take up employment in the gaming industry, the disparity in income between local and migrant workers has been increasing. Rising living costs have also pushed
1204-415: Is dual season dominant – summer (May to September) and winter (December to February) are the longest seasons, while spring (March and April) and autumn (October and November) are relatively brief periods. The summer monsoon brings warm and humid air from the sea, with the most frequent rainfall occurring during the season. Typhoons also occur most often then, bringing significant spikes in rainfall. During
1290-572: Is foreseen in the law, but is not used. Prior to 1991, Macau judicial system was a sub-judiciary district ( Comarca de Macau ) of the judicial framework of the Portuguese legal system and was affiliated to the Judiciary District of Lisbon ( Distrito Judicial de Lisboa ). By 2018 none of the criminal court judges were Portuguese. In 2018 Reuters stated: "Courts have largely stopped providing Portuguese translations." The Higher Court of Justice (Superior Court of Justice) of Macau replaced
1376-706: Is freely available in the website of the Macau Official Printing House (see link below). For a partial translation of the Civil Code, see the bibliography below. The Faculty of Law of the University of Macau was created in the late 1980s and currently offers law degrees and master programmes conducted in Chinese and Portuguese languages. It also offers two master and postgraduate programmes in English, one in EU, international and comparative law, and
1462-536: Is not totally equal, as it namely is influenced by the Portuguese Constitution in some points as, for example, in some norms concerning fundamental rights. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights applies in Macau. The legal system of Macau was not substantially modified in 1999, as a result of the transfer of power from Portugal to the PRC, given that there is a principle of continuity of
1548-598: Is the largest in the world, generating over MOP195 billion (US$ 24 billion) in revenue and about seven times larger than that of Las Vegas . Macau's gambling revenue was $ 37 billion in 2018. Taxes from gambling revenues fund a robust welfare system and an annual cash payment to Macau's citizens. The regional economy is heavily reliant on casino gaming. The vast majority of government funding (79.6 per cent of total tax revenue) comes from gaming. Local taxes on personal income, residential property, and retail sales range from non-existent to negligible. Gambling as
1634-564: Is very similar to Hong Kong's. The regional government is composed of three branches: The Chief Executive is the head of government, and serves for a maximum of two five-year terms. The State Council (led by the Premier of China ) appoints the Chief Executive after nomination by the Election Committee, which is composed of 400 business, community, and government leaders. The Legislative Assembly has 33 members, each serving
1720-577: The Haijin policies. It was limited only to Macau on a lesser scale while the new dynasty focused on eliminating surviving Ming loyalists . While the Kangxi Emperor lifted the prohibition in 1684, China again restricted trade decades later under the Canton System in 1757. Foreign ships were required to stop first at Macau before further proceeding to Canton . Qing authorities exercised
1806-648: The 2017 election . These parties have aligned themselves into two ideological groups: the pro-establishment (the current government) and pro-democracy camps. Macau is represented in the National People's Congress by 12 deputies chosen through an electoral college, and 29 delegates in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference appointed by the central government . Macau has generally congenial relations with China's central government. Chinese national law does not generally apply in
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#17327865830551892-579: The Chinese Communist Party in exchange for continued administration of Macau. Following the 1974 Carnation Revolution , Portugal formally relinquished Macau as an overseas province and acknowledged it as a "Chinese territory under Portuguese administration". After China first concluded arrangements on Hong Kong's future with the United Kingdom , it entered negotiations with Portugal over Macau in 1986. These concluded with
1978-680: The Greater China Region . HKETOs serve as a quasi- interests section in favour of Hong Kong . DECMs serve as a quasi- interests section in favour of Macao . For regions with no HKETOs and DECMs, Chinese diplomatic missions take charge of protecting Hong Kong-related and Macau-related interests. Some countries which have a diplomatic relationship with the central Chinese government maintain Consulate-General offices in Hong Kong and Macau. In sporting events such as
2064-650: The Macau New Urban Zone do not have defined parishes. Historically, the parishes belonged to one of two municipalities (the Municipality of Macau or the Municipality of Ilhas ) that were responsible for administering municipal services. The municipalities were abolished in 2001 and superseded by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau in providing local services. Macau is located on China's southern coast, 60 km (37 mi) west of Hong Kong , on
2150-544: The Olympic Games or Asian Games , the SARs may have their own independent teams. They participate under the respective names of " Hong Kong , China" and " Macau , China", and compete as different entities as they had done since they were under foreign rules, but both SARs are usually allowed to omit the term ", China" for informal use. The People's Liberation Army is garrisoned in both SARs. PRC authorities have said
2236-475: The Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking . This agreement also prohibited Portugal from ceding Macau without Chinese approval. Despite occasional conflict between Cantonese authorities and the colonial government, Macau's status remained unchanged through the republican revolutions of both Portugal in 1910 and China in 1911 . The Kuomintang further affirmed Portuguese jurisdiction in Macau when
2322-488: The Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau . This licence was renegotiated and renewed several times before ending in 2002 after 40 years. The government then allowed open bidding for casino licences to attract foreign investors. Along with an easing of travel restrictions on mainland Chinese visitors, this triggered a period of rapid economic growth; from 1999 to 2016, Macau's gross domestic product multiplied by 7 and
2408-663: The Song dynasty (960–1279 AD), it was under the jurisdiction of the new Xiangshan County . In 1277, approximately 50,000 refugees fleeing the Mongol conquest of China settled in the coastal area. The first European visitor to reach China by sea was the explorer Jorge Álvares , who arrived in 1513. Merchants first established a trading post in Hong Kong waters at Tamão , present-day Tuen Mun , beginning regular trade with nearby settlements in southern China. Military clashes between
2494-734: The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress can also override territorial judicial processes. In 2021, after similar actions were taken in Hong Kong following the protests associated with the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement, 21 candidates running for office in the territorial elections were disqualified as a result of allegedly failing to support the Basic Law, although no specific violations were noted by
2580-592: The State Council . Further reclamation is underway to develop parts of the Macau New Urban Zone . The territory also has control over part of an artificial island to maintain a border checkpoint for the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge . Despite being located south of the Tropic of Cancer , Macau has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ), characteristic of southern China. The territory
2666-535: The United Nations , and their Basic laws , the Chinese SARs "shall enjoy a high degree of autonomy ". Generally, the two SARs are not considered to constitute a part of mainland China , by both SAR and mainland Chinese authorities. The provision to establish special administrative regions appeared in the constitution in 1982, in anticipation of the talks with the United Kingdom over the question of
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2752-703: The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, she served as a delegate from the People's Republic of China to the WHO. At the same time they are members of various international organizations such as WTO, APEC, etc. [REDACTED] Hong Kong [REDACTED] Macao The Government of Hong Kong and Government of Macao have established Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) and Delegação Económica e Comercial de Macaus (DECMs) respectively in some countries, as well as in
2838-634: The World Trade Organization and United Nations . The regional government maintains trade offices in Greater China and other nations. Public political demonstrations in Macau are generally rare. Macau is not a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries , despite Portuguese being one of its official languages. This is due to it not being a sovereign nation, but a subnational division of China. In 2006, during
2924-538: The handover , resulting in an executive-led governing system largely inherited from the territory's history as a Portuguese colony. Under these terms and the " one country, two systems " principle, the Basic Law of Macao is the regional constitution . Because negotiations for the Joint Declaration and Basic Law began after transitional arrangements for Hong Kong were made, Macau's structure of government
3010-482: The matchlock musket arquebuses , which they named bird guns , and breech-loading swivel guns , which they named as Folangji ( Frankish ) cannon because the Portuguese were known to the Chinese under the name of Franks at this time. The Portuguese later returned to China peacefully and presented themselves under the name Portuguese instead of Franks in the Luso-Chinese agreement (1554) . They rented Macau as
3096-558: The right of abode in Macau and are subject to immigration controls. Public finances are handled separately from the national government, and taxes levied in Macau do not fund the central authority. The Macao Garrison is responsible for the region's defence. Although the Chairman of the Central Military Commission is supreme commander of the armed forces, the regional government may request assistance from
3182-430: The simplified characters used on the mainland. English is considered an additional working language and is spoken by over a quarter of the population (27.5 per cent); 2.8 per cent are native speakers, and 24.7 per cent speak English as a second language. Macanese Patois , a local creole generally known as Patuá , is now spoken only by a few in the older Macanese community. Religion in Macau (2012) According to
3268-705: The British, Macau lost its role as a major port. Firecracker and incense production, as well as tea and tobacco processing, were vital industries in the colony during this time. Portugal was able to capitalise on China's postwar weakness and assert its sovereignty; the Governor of Macau began refusing to pay China annual land rent for the colony in the 1840s, and annexed Taipa and Coloane , in 1851 and 1864, respectively. Portugal also occupied nearby Lapa and Montanha . But these were returned to China by 1887, when perpetual occupation rights over Macau were formalised in
3354-646: The Chinese Constitution. For the Wolong Special Administrative Region in Sichuan Province , please see the section Wolong below. The two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau (created in 1997 and 1999 respectively) each have a codified constitution called Basic Law . The law provides the regions with a high degree of autonomy, a separate political system, and a capitalist economy under
3440-774: The Civil Code, the Commercial Code, the Civil Procedure Code, the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code. In addition, there are a number of other smaller codifications (e.g., in the field of administrative law). Private law in Macau is basically codified in two separate codes: the 1999 Civil Code and the 1999 Commercial code . A number of other pieces of legislation, such as the law on standard contract terms, are also of importance. The Commercial Code has been translated into English and
3526-504: The Government Information Bureau, 80 per cent of the population practices Buddhism , 6.7 per cent follow Christianity and 13.7 per cent follow other religion. Folk practices are also common among the citizens. According to Pew Research Center , Chinese folk religions have the most adherents (58.9 per cent) and are followed by Buddhism (17.3 per cent) and Christianity (7.2 per cent), while 15.4 per cent of
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3612-810: The II Ministerial meeting between China and Portuguese Speaking Countries, the CPLP Executive Secretary and Deputy ambassador Tadeu Soares invited the Chief Executive of the Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region, Edmund Ho, to request the Associate Observer status for Macau. The Government of Macau has yet to make this request. In 2016, Murade Murargy, then executive secretary of CPLP said in an interview that Macau's membership
3698-738: The Ming and Portuguese navies followed the expulsion of the Tamão traders in 1521. Despite the trade ban, Portuguese merchants continued to attempt to settle on other parts of the Pearl River estuary, finally settling on Macau. In their first attempts at obtaining trading posts by force, the Portuguese were defeated by the Ming Chinese at the Battle of Tunmen in Tamão (or Tuen Mun ) in 1521, where
3784-600: The National People's Congress in the light of the specific conditions". At present, there are two SARs established by the Constitution: Hong Kong and Macau . These former British and Portuguese territories were transferred to China in 1997 and 1999, following the Sino-British and Sino-Portuguese Joint Declarations signed in 1984 and 1987, respectively. Pursuant to their Joint Declarations, which are binding inter-state treaties registered with
3870-593: The PLA will not be allowed to interfere with the local affairs of Hong Kong and Macau, and must abide by its laws. In 1988, scholar Chen Fang of the Academy of Military Science even tried to propose the "One military, two systems" concept to separate the defence function and public functions in the army. The PLA does not participate in the governance of the SAR but the SAR may request them for civil-military participation, in times of emergency such as natural disasters . Defence
3956-469: The Pearl River and inched towards Quanzhou and Ningbo . But as they failed to establish trading relationships with the Chinese, the Portuguese focused on trade with Japan. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Macau was created in 1576, and by 1583 the Municipal Council of Macau had been established to handle municipal affairs for the growing settlement. Macau was at the peak of its prosperity as
4042-531: The People's Republic of China are one of four types of province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China directly under the control of its Central People's Government (State Council), being integral areas of the country. As a region, they possess the highest degree of autonomy from China's central government. However, despite the relative autonomy that the Central People's Government offers
4128-528: The Philippines, Australia, Vietnam and the Russian Far East led in 2019 to the lowest revenues in three years. Export-oriented manufacturing previously contributed to a much larger share of economic output, peaking at 36.9 per cent of GDP in 1985 and falling to less than 1 per cent in 2017. The bulk of these exports were cotton textiles and apparel, but also included toys and electronics. At
4214-489: The Portuguese lost two ships. They were also defeated at the Battle of Sincouwaan around Lantau Island , where the Portuguese lost two more ships. Other defeats include Shuangyu in 1548, where several Portuguese were captured, and near Dongshan County in 1549, where two Portuguese junks and Galeote Pereira were captured. During these battles the Ming Chinese captured weapons from the defeated Portuguese which they reverse engineered and mass-produced in China. These included
4300-593: The Portuguese. Macau entered a period of decline in the 1640s following a series of catastrophic events for the burgeoning colony: Portuguese access to trade routes was irreparably severed when Japan halted trade in 1639, and after the Portuguese Restoration War of 1640, Portuguese Malacca fell to the Dutch in 1641. Maritime trade with China was banned in 1644 following the Qing conquest under
4386-587: The Treaty of Peking was renegotiated in 1928. During the Second World War , the Empire of Japan did not occupy the colony and generally respected Portuguese neutrality in Macau. However, after Japanese troops captured a British cargo ship in Macau waters in 1943, Japan installed a group of government "advisors" as an alternative to military occupation. The territory largely avoided military action during
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#17327865830554472-412: The autonomous level. Special administrative regions should not be confused with special economic zones , which are areas in which special economic laws apply to promote trade and investments . The Wolong Special Administrative Region in Sichuan province is a nature reserve and not a political division. There are currently two special administrative regions established according to Article 31 of
4558-422: The colony expanded its clothing and textiles manufacturing industry, developed its tourism industry, and legalised casino gaming. However, at the height of the Cultural Revolution , residents dissatisfied with the colonial administration rioted in the 1966 12-3 incident , in which 8 people were killed and more than 200 were injured. Portugal lost full control over the colony afterwards, and agreed to cooperate with
4644-403: The economy and taxes corporations at very low rates. Post-handover administrations have generally been more involved in enhancing social welfare to counter the cyclical nature of the gaming industry. Economic growth has been attributed in large part to the high number of mainlander visits to Macau, and the central government exercises a role in guiding casino business growth through its control of
4730-1485: The flow of tourists. The Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement formalised a policy of free trade between Macau and mainland China, with each jurisdiction pledging to remove remaining obstacles to trade and cross-boundary investment. Due to a lack of available land for farming, agriculture is not significant in the economy. Food is exclusively imported to Macau and almost all foreign goods are transshipped through Hong Kong. Special administrative regions of China Provinces Autonomous regions Sub-provincial autonomous prefectures Autonomous prefectures Leagues (Aimag) (abolishing) Prefectures Provincial-controlled cities Provincial-controlled counties Autonomous counties County-level cities Districts Ethnic districts Banners (Hoxu) Autonomous banners Shennongjia Forestry District Liuzhi Special District Wolong Special Administrative Region Workers and peasants districts Ethnic townships Towns Subdistricts Subdistrict bureaux Sum Ethnic sum County-controlled districts County-controlled district bureaux (obsolete) Management committees Town-level city Areas Villages · Gaqa · Ranches Village Committees Communities Capital cities New areas Autonomous administrative divisions National Central Cities History: before 1912 , 1912–49 , 1949–present The special administrative regions ( SAR ) of
4816-516: The garrison. Macau residents are not required to perform military service and the law also has no provision for local enlistment, so its defence force is composed entirely of nonresidents. The State Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle diplomatic matters, but Macau retains the ability to maintain separate economic and cultural relations with foreign nations . The territory negotiates its own trade agreements and actively participates in supranational organisations, including agencies of
4902-405: The handover in 1999, manufacturing, financial services, construction and real estate, and gaming were the four largest sectors of the economy. Macau's shift to an economic model entirely dependent on gaming caused concern over its overexposure to a single sector, prompting the regional government to attempt re-diversifying its economy. The government traditionally had a non-interventionist role in
4988-460: The last century, increasing from 10.28 km (3.97 sq mi) in the late 19th century to 32.9 km (12.7 sq mi) in 2018. Cotai , the area of reclaimed land connecting Taipa and Coloane, contains many of the newer casinos and resorts established after 1999. The region's jurisdiction over the surrounding sea was greatly expanded in 2015, when it was granted an additional 85 km (33 sq mi) of maritime territory by
5074-421: The legal system is the Basic Law of the Macau SAR, a Chinese law approved in accordance with and due to the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau (an international treaty that is officially deposited at the UN) and with article 31 of the Constitution of the PRC. Within Macau, the Basic Law has constitutional rank. The Basic Law of Macau is modelled upon the Basic Law of Hong Kong , although it
5160-526: The other in international business law [1] . In addition, it offers PhD programs in law. The Public Prosecutions Office (檢察院; Ministério Público) is the judicial authority of Macau. It is led by a prosecutor general and assisted by an assistant-prosecutor general. Day to day legal activities are performed by general prosecutors. Macau gaming law is discussed in a separate entry. In 2018 Macau had 49 jurists, with ten percent being Portuguese. Reuters stated in 2018 that according to "experts", "the government
5246-520: The population profess no religious affiliation at all. Small minorities adhering to other religions (less than 1 per cent), including Hinduism , Judaism , and Islam , are also resident in Macau. Life expectancy in Macau was 81.6 years for males and 87.7 years for females in 2018, the fourth highest in the world. Cancer , heart disease , and respiratory disease are the territory's three leading causes of death. Most government-provided healthcare services are free of charge, though alternative treatment
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#17327865830555332-550: The population, 80.1 per cent as a first language and 7.5 per cent as a second language. Only 2.3 per cent can speak Portuguese , the other official language; 0.7 per cent are native speakers, and 1.6 per cent use it as a second language. Increased immigration from mainland China in recent years has added to the number of Mandarin speakers, making up about half of the population (50.4 per cent); 5.5 per cent are native speakers and 44.9 per cent are second language speakers. Traditional Chinese characters are used in writing, rather than
5418-432: The pre-existing legal system, according to which all sources in force prior to the transfer of sovereignty continued to apply, with some minor exceptions that were specified in December 1999. The courts of the Macau SAR are structured in three levels and have final power of adjudication, except in very narrow areas. The Court of Final Appeal has three judges, and the Court of Second Instance has five judges. Trial by jury
5504-504: The principle of " one country, two systems " proposed by Deng Xiaoping . Currently, the two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for all affairs except those regarding diplomatic relations and national defence. Consequently, the National People's Congress authorises the SAR to exercise a high degree of autonomy and enjoy executive, legislative and independent judicial powers, and each with their own Courts of Final Appeal . Special administrative regions are empowered to contract
5590-401: The principle of " one country, two systems ". The unique blend of Portuguese and Chinese architecture in the city's historic centre has resulted in its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. Originally a sparsely populated collection of coastal islands, Macau, often referred to as the "Las Vegas of the East", since the late 20th century has become a major resort city and
5676-426: The region, and Macau is treated as a separate jurisdiction. Its judicial system is based on Portuguese civil law , continuing the legal tradition established during colonial rule. Interpretative and amending power over the Basic Law and jurisdiction over acts of state lie with the central authority, however, making regional courts ultimately subordinate to the mainland's socialist civil law system. Decisions made by
5762-424: The role of Court of Appeal of the Judiciary District of Lisbon. This highest court would be replaced by the current Court of Appeal in 1999. The courts prior to the handover in 1999: The courts of Macau consist of: Macau is typically a civil law legal system, in that legislation is the main source of law and case law, while clearly relevant, is not a major source of law. Macau has the five 'classic' codifications:
5848-434: The signing of the 1987 Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau , in which Portugal agreed the handover of the colony in 1999 and China guaranteed Macau's political and economic systems for 50 years after the handover. In the waning years of colonial rule, Macau rapidly urbanised and constructed large-scale infrastructure projects, including the Macau International Airport and a new container port . The handover of Macau
5934-724: The sovereignty over Hong Kong. It was envisioned as the model for the eventual unification with Taiwan and other islands, where the Republic of China has resided since 1949. Under the one country, two systems principle, the Chinese Central Government is responsible for the diplomatic, military and other state-level affairs of the two SARs. Both two SARs continue to possess their own multi-party legislatures, legal systems , police forces , separate customs territory , immigration policies , left-hand traffic , official languages , academic and educational systems , representation on certain international bodies and representation in international competitions, and other aspects that fall within
6020-586: The special administrative regions, the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee remains capable of enforcing laws for the special administrative regions. The legal basis for the establishment of SARs, unlike the other administrative divisions of China , is provided for by Article 31, rather than Article 30, of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China of 1982. Article 31 reads: "The state may establish special administrative regions when necessary. The systems to be instituted in special administrative regions shall be prescribed by law enacted by
6106-454: The spelling as Macau ; however, the use of Macao persisted in English and other European languages. The Macau Peninsula had many names in Chinese, including Jing'ao ( 井澳/鏡澳 ), Haojing ( 濠鏡 ), and Haojing'ao ( 濠鏡澳 ). The islands Taipa , Coloane , and Hengqin were collectively called Shizimen ( 十字門 ). These names would later become Ou mún ( 澳門 ), Aomen in Mandarin and translating as "bay gate" or "port gate", to refer to
6192-421: The status of the most densely populated territory on Earth; two-thirds of the total land area is built on land reclaimed from the sea . The first known written record of the name "Macau", rendered as "A Ma Gang" ( 亞/阿-媽/馬-港 ), is found in a letter dated 20 November 1555. The local inhabitants believed that the sea goddess Matsu (alternatively called A-Ma) had blessed and protected the harbour and referred to
6278-518: The territory's electoral commission. The territory's jurisdictional independence is most apparent in its immigration and taxation policies. The Identification Department issues passports for permanent residents which differ from those issued by the mainland or Hong Kong, and the region maintains a regulated border with the rest of the country. All travellers between Macau and China and Hong Kong must pass border controls, regardless of nationality. Chinese citizens resident in mainland China do not have
6364-475: The total population (excluding migrants), 49.4 per cent were born in Macau, followed by 43.1 per cent in mainland China. A large portion of the population are Portuguese citizens , a legacy of colonial rule; at the time of the handover in 1999, 107,000 residents held Portuguese passports. The predominant language is Cantonese , a variety of Chinese originating in Guangdong. It is spoken by 87.5 per cent of
6450-485: The unemployment rate dropped from 6.3 to 1.9 per cent. The Sands Macao , Wynn Macau , MGM Macau , and Venetian Macau were all opened during the first decade after liberalisation of casino concessions. Casinos employ about 24 per cent of the total workforce in the region. "Increased competition from casinos popping up across Asia to lure away Chinese high rollers and tourists" in Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Nepal,
6536-438: The very small size of a 'microstate' helps central authorities to exercise political control, stifle political pluralism, and monopolize opinions, all of which strengthen regime persistence." Macau is a special administrative region of China , with executive, legislative, and judicial powers devolved from the national government . The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration provided for economic and administrative continuity through
6622-608: The war except in 1945, when the United States ordered air raids on Macau after learning that the colonial government was preparing to sell aviation fuel to Japan. In 1950 the US paid Portugal more than US$ 20 million in compensation for the damage during the war. Refugees from mainland China swelled the population as they fled from the Chinese Civil War . Access to a large workforce enabled Macau's economy to grow as
6708-451: The waters around A-Ma Temple by her name. When Portuguese explorers first arrived in the area and asked for the place name, the locals thought they were asking about the temple and told them it was "Ma Kok" ( 媽閣 ). The earliest Portuguese spelling for this was Amaquão . Multiple variations were used until Amacão / Amacao and Macão / Macao became common during the 17th century. The 1911 reform of Portuguese orthography standardised
6794-583: The western side of the Pearl River estuary. It is surrounded by the South China Sea in the east and south, and neighbours the Guangdong city of Zhuhai to the west and north. The territory consists of Macau Peninsula , Taipa , and Coloane . A 1 km (0.39 sq mi) parcel of land in neighbouring Hengqin island that hosts the University of Macau also falls under the regional government's jurisdiction. The territory's highest point
6880-577: The whole territory. During the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), the region was under the jurisdiction of Panyu County , Nanhai Prefecture of the province of Guangdong . The region is first known to have been settled during the Han dynasty . It was administratively part of Dongguan Prefecture in the Jin dynasty (266–420 AD), and alternated under the control of Nanhai and Dongguan in later dynasties. In 1152, during
6966-480: The winter, northern winds from the continent bring dry air and much less rainfall. The highest and lowest temperatures recorded at the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau are 38.9 °C (102.0 °F) on both 2 July 1930 and 6 July 1930 and −1.8 °C (28.8 °F) on 26 January 1948. The Statistics and Census Service estimated Macau's population at 667,400 at the end of 2018. With
7052-425: The world on a per capita basis. Political debates have centred on the region's jurisdictional independence and the central government's adherence of " one country, two systems ". While issues such as national security legislation have been controversial, Macanese residents generally have high levels of trust in the government. Kwong and Wong explain this by comparing Macau to Hong Kong: "The case of Macau shows that
7138-404: Was at midnight on 20 December 1999, after 442 years of Portuguese rule. Following the handover, Macau liberalised its casino industry (which previously operated under a government-licensed monopoly) to allow foreign investors, starting a new period of economic development. The regional economy grew by a double-digit annual growth rate from 2002 to 2014, making Macau one of the richest economies in
7224-544: Was first leased to Portugal by the Ming dynasty as a trading post in 1557. Portugal paid an annual rent and administered the territory under Chinese sovereignty until 1887. Portugal later gained perpetual colonial rights in the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Peking . The colony remained under Portuguese rule until the 1999 handover to China. Macau is a special administrative region of China, which maintains separate governing and economic systems from those of mainland China under
7310-528: Was forecast to fall as much as 10% more in 2019. Economic uncertainty may account for some of the drop, but alternate Asian gambling venues do as well. For example, Chinese visitors to the Philippines more than doubled between 2015 and 2018, since the City of Dreams casino opened in Manila. Casino gambling was legalised in 1962 and the gaming industry initially operated under a government-licensed monopoly granted to
7396-418: Was increasingly hiring only Chinese for jobs as lawyers, advisers and jurists." Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China . With a population of about 710,000 people and a land area of 32.9 km (12.7 sq mi), it is the most densely populated region in the world. Formerly a Portuguese colony, the territory of Portuguese Macau
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