| Surface : 23.80 sq km
(9.18 sq miles) - Macau is situated on a
tiny peninsula at the mouth of the Pearl River. Two bridges of 2.5km
(1.5 miles) and 4.5km (2.8 miles) respectively link it to its nearest
island, Taipa, which in turn is joined to the island of Côloane by a
2.2 km-long (1.3 mile) causeway. |
| Population : 444,000 inhabitants |
| Electricity: Usually
220 volts AC, 50Hz |
| PASSPORTS:
Passport valid for at least 1 month required by
all, except nationals of China who have a China Identity Card or
travel permit and nationals of Hong Kong (SAR) who have a Hong Kong
Identity Card (HKIC). Visas are not required for the following :
Nationals of Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Finland, India, Japan,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, South
Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, United States of America,
and countries of European Community for a stay of up to 20 days...
Hong Kong Residents for a stay of up to 90 days. All other nationals
should arrange for visa entry upon arrival in Macau, except those from
countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Portugal, that
need prior arrangements |
| Climate: Macao's climate is warm and humid
with a fairly wide variation in temperature over the year. From June
to September, the temperature can rise to over 30oC while it can drop
to below 10oC from November to February. The average temperature
rarely drops below 14oC. Macao's weather is also influenced by
tropical cyclones from the South Pacific Ocean during the typhoon
season. |
| System : Special
Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China since 1999 -
The SAR government comprises a ten-member executive Council, headed by
the chief executive, and a 27-member Legislative Council. The
Legislative Council comprises ten members who are directly elected;
the remainder are indirectly elected (by a 300-strong Election
Committee representing corporate and organisational interests) and/or
directly appointed by the Chief Executive |
| Languages : Over 96% of Macao's
population speak Chinese and Portuguese is spoken by around 2%.
Cantonese is the dialect most commonly used in everyday dealings but
Mandarin is also widely spoken. Fujianese is another Chinese dialect
that is commonly heard in Macao. |
| Religions : The
main religions are Buddhism, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The
majority are Buddhists while 7 per cent are Catholics. |
| Money :
Pataca (MOP) = 100 avos. Notes are in
denominations of MOP1000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in
denominations of MOP10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20 and 10 avos. Hong Kong
dollars are widely accepted. |
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| Macau |
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+ 853 |
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