Macau: Background & Geography

Introduction Macau
Background:
 Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999. China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in Macau, and that Macau will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.
Geography Macau
Location:
 Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates:
 22 10 N, 113 33 E
Map references:
 Southeast Asia
Area:
 total: 25.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 25.4 sq km
Area - comparative:
 about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
 total: 0.34 km
regional border: China 0.34 km
Coastline:
 41 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 not specified
Climate:
 subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Terrain:
 generally flat
Elevation extremes:
 lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m
Natural resources:
 NEGL
Land use:
 arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100%
note: "green areas" represent 22.4% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 NA sq km
Natural hazards:
 typhoons
Environment - current issues:
 NA
Geography - note:
 essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland

See Also: