Macao

Macao

Macao is an constitutional region of the People’s Republic of China. This country has two administrative regions Macao and Hong Kong. A special administrative region is the equivalent of a province in public administration. The two, Macao and Hong Kong, were British and Portuguese colonies respectively (Pons and Adams, 35). The head of this region is the chief executive and each region has its own Basic law. The inclusion of the administrative regions appeared in the constitution in 1982. This was before the scheduled talks on the sovereignty of Hong Kong. Macao lies to the west of the delta of Pearl River and to the east of Hong Kong. To its north, it borders a province called Guangdong. To the south and east, it faces the sea of South China. Macao is a beautiful area boasting of many tourist attractions as well as a good climate.

Macao’s history is traced back to the era of the Qin Dynasty (202-207 BC). The first inhabitants recorded were people from the Southern Song Dynasty who were seeking refuge from Mongols who were invading them. During the era of the Ming Dynasty, anglers migrated into Macao from the neighboring Fujian and Guangdong (Willis, 68). The development, however, only begun after the arrival of the Portuguese. As stated before, it was previously a Portuguese colony. The Portuguese administered it from the year 1550 until 1999. They first settled in Macao in 1557. The Chinese empire had given Macao to the Portuguese as a trading port sine they were mainly traders. Macao was favorable for trade due to its proximity to the South China Sea.

The Portuguese were to be administrators only under the authority of the Chinese empire. This arrangement, however, ceased in 1887 when the Portuguese officially colonized Macao. They did this because they were angered by the treatment they received from the Chinese. The Chinese treated them with contempt even though the Portuguese generated a lot of revenue for the empire through trade. Several countries tried to conquer the Portuguese in order to take over the trade. The Dutch is one such country. It attacked Macao in the 17^th century hoping to convert it into a Dutch colony. The Portuguese however repulsed the attack and maintained control over Macao. This war was called the Battle of Macao. After this humiliating defeat, the Dutch never attempted to subdue Macao again (Hao, 2011)

Macao is located 90 miles from Guangdong and 37 miles from Hong Kong. It has a coastline of about 25 miles. It consists of two islands, Taipa and Coloane and the Macau Peninsula itself. The peninsula was initially an island but a sand bar appeared that transformed it into a peninsula. The peninsula is generally flat though some steep hills still mark part of the terrain. The highest point in Macao is Alto de Coloane. It has an altitude of 170.6 meters. No arable land, forests or pasture is available in Macao. Macao is a densely populated area. Its population as of the last census of 2011 was 552,503 people. Their population density is 48,092 people per square mile. 95% of the population is Chinese while the rest is Portuguese.

The climate of Macao is humid subtropical. The relative humidity lies between 75% and 90%. The monsoons affects the climate of Macao greatly just like the rest of South China. The temperature differences in winter and summer are evident but not as much as in inland China. The annual average temperature of Macao is about 22.7 degrees Celsius. The coldest month is January with a temperature of 16 degrees whole the warmest is July with 29.9 degrees. Macao has ample rainfall. The annual precipitation is 2,120 millimeters. Winter is however; dry due to the effects of the Siberian High. This is a huge collection of cold dry winds accumulating on the Eurasian terrain. It reaches its largest size and strength during winter.

Due to the mixture of the Portuguese and Chinese cultures, Macau has a very rich culture. One important tourist attraction is the A-MA Temple, honoring the goddess Matsu. It was built in 1448. The A-MA festival takes place in April and is a big tourist attraction site. During the Feast of the Drunken Dragon in May, dancing dragons are a common sight around the streets. Other festivals celebrated include the Dragon Boat Festival, Hungry Ghost’s Festival and the Winter Solstice Festival. Taipa has the Pou Tai Un Temple in honor of the earth god. The Pou Tai Festival takes place in February. The most important festival in Macao is the Lunar Chinese New Year. The celebration takes place either in late January or in early February. These celebrations attract many tourists from many places in the world.

Macao also holds the Macao Grand Prix normally in November. This is deemed the most important event of the year. The streets of the Macau peninsula are converted into racetracks similar to those in the Monaco Grand Prix. This is an important event for sports fans and it attracts a large number of people. Macao preserves many historical sites. The historic centre of Macao is one such location. It was officially branded a World Heritage Site. By the UN affiliated UESCO in 2005. This historic centre contains about 25 important historical sites. Some of these sites include St. Augustine’s Church, Guia Fortress, Lilau square and Mandarin’s House (Crowell, 2011).Macao is, therefore, a well-known tourist attraction site. It boasts of numerous entertainment joints such as gambling dens as well as new modern hotels.

Works Cited

Crowell, Todd. Explore Macau: A Walking Guide and History. Hong Kong: Blacksmith Books, 2011. Print.

Hao, Zhidong. Macau History and Society. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2011. Print.

Willis, R.C. China and Macau. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate, 2002. Print.