Macau , or Macao Chinese Aomen, Special administrative region, southern China. Area: 13 sq mi (33 sq km). Population: (2024 est.) 681,000. Located on the South China Sea coast about 40 mi (60 km) west of Hong Kong, it consists of a small peninsula, which projects from Guangdong province, and two small islands that are joined by an expanse of land that was reclaimed from the sea. Portuguese traders first arrived in Macau in 1513, and it soon became the chief market centre for trade between China and Japan. Portugal declared it an overseas province in 1951. In 1999 Portugal returned it to Chinese rule. Tourism and gambling are the mainstays of its economy.
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