Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. With the agreement signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999. Macau lies on the western bank of the Pearl River estuary, it comprises the peninsula of Macau, the islands of Taipa and Coloane. The population of Macau is 449,198 (July 2005 est.) and the total area is 25.4 sq km. Macau represents an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble that illustrates the development of the encounter between the Western and Chinese civilisations over some four and half centuries, represented in the historical route, with a series of urban spaces and architectural ensembles, that links the ancient Chinese port with the Portuguese city. The historic district of Macao has been declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2005: Macau, a lucrative port of strategic importance in the development of international trade, was under Portuguese administration from the mid 16th century until 1999, when it came under Chinese sovereignty. With its historic street, residential, religious and public Portuguese and Chinese buildings, the historic centre of Macau provides a unique testimony to the meeting of aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West. The site also contains a fortress and a lighthouse, which is the oldest in China. The site bears testimony to one of the earliest and longest-lasting encounters between China and the West based on the vibrancy of international trade. The climate of Macau is tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall. Eighty per cent of Hong Kong's precipitation occurs between May and September, with August registering the highest rainfall. Besides historical Chinese and Portuguese world-heritage relics (Fortaleza do Monte, Guia Fortress, Macau Fisherman's Wharf, Macau Tower, Old Protestant Cemetery, Ruins of Jesuitic St. Paul’s Church (Igreja de São Paulo), Macau's biggest attraction is its gambling industry and casinos.

HOTELS IN MACAO

 

FLIGHT INFORMATION: Macau is served by the Macau International Airport (Aeroporto Internacional de Macau).

The following are the airlines that serve Macau International Airport:

AirAsia (Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok), Thai AirAsia (Bangkok), Air Macau (Bangkok, Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin, Haikou, Kaoshiung, Kunming, Manila, Nanjing, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Shenzhen, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan, Xiamen), Asian Spirit (Angeles City, Davao), China Eastern Airlines (Kunming, Xian), East Asia Airlines (Hong Kong, Shenzhen), EVA Air (Kaoshiung, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan), Shandong Airlines (Qingdao), Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong), Tiger Airways (Singapore), Tiger Airways operated by South East Asian Airlines (Angeles City), TransAsia Airways (Kaoshiung, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan), Xiamen Airlines (Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Xiamen).