Macao
On the south coast of China
Macao (the name is also spelled as Macau) is situated on the south coast of China, not so far from Hong Kong. In the beginning of the 16th century the Portuguese landed on the coast en built their first settlement. As the Portuguese had helped China in their struggle with pirates China granted them the right to found the city as a Portuguese colony. The colony consisted of a part of the peninsula, bordering to China, and three islands, which are connected with each other with bridges and causeways.History
Macao is not only a free port but also a flourishing fishing port. Since the growth of Hong Kong at the end of the 19th century the importance of Macao diminished. The town even got a name as smuggle and gambling centre. But tourism is flourishing.Since 1949 the population of Macao grew tremendously by a stream of refugees from the People's Republic of China. The population of about 450.000 inhabitants comprises more than 70% of Chinese people.
Transferred to China
On 19 December 1999 the old colony of Macao has been transferred to China. It was a spectacular happening. The people could follow the events with the help of big TV-screens all over the town. The Chinese president installed the new government of Macao, that will form a special territory within the Chinese Republic as it is the case with Hong Kong. The Chinese president could not desist to mention that Taiwan ever will return to the Chinese Republic...With the transfer of Macao to the People's Republic of China, Portugal has lost their last colony.
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