History and geography of Macao

Macao used to be a small fishing village. Its real name is Haojing or Haojing 'ao, because at that time, Bokou could be called "Macau". Macao and its vicinity are rich in oysters (that is, oysters), and the inner wall of oyster shells is as bright as a mirror, so Macao is called oyster mirror. Later generations changed the name to a more elegant "Hao Jing". A Brief History of Macau published during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty said: "The name of Hao Jing was written in the history of Ming Dynasty. East-west five or six miles, north-south half way, north-south two bays, you can park. Or the North and South Bay, round as a mirror, is called a mirror. " From this name, a series of Macao aliases such as Haojiang, Haijing and Jinghai were derived.

Macau's name comes from a China goddess ── Tianhou, that is, Mama Sang, whom fishermen worship very much. It is said that a fishing boat was caught in a storm while sailing on a clear and windless day, and the fishermen were in danger. At the critical moment, a young girl stepped forward and ordered to stop the storm. The wind has actually stopped, the sea has returned to calm, and the fishing boat has safely arrived at Haijing Port. After getting off the boat, the girl walked to Maggie Mountain, and suddenly a halo flashed and the girl turned into a wisp of smoke. Later, people built a temple to worship the mother where she landed.

/kloc-In the middle of the 6th century, when the first Portuguese arrived in Australia, they asked the residents about the local place names, but the residents mistakenly thought it meant the temple and answered "Marco". The Portuguese translated "Macao" with its voice, which became the origin of the Portuguese name Macao. In the next 400 years, the eastern and western cultures blended here, leaving many historical and cultural heritages, making Macao a unique city.

1999 to 65438+On February 20th, Macau became the People's Republic of China (PRC) Special Administrative Region. Under the guidance of the principle of "one country, two systems", Macao enjoys a high degree of autonomy, administrative power, legislative power, independent judicial power and final adjudication power, while Macao's social and economic characteristics will be maintained and continued.

Macao is a small area, one of the most densely populated places in the world, and the per capita income in Asia is relatively high.

Macao is an international city. For hundreds of years, it has been a place where Chinese and Western cultures blend and coexist.

Geographical location and region

As a part of China, the Macao Special Administrative Region is located in the Pearl River Delta along the southeast coast of Guangdong Province in China, adjacent to Guangdong Province, 60 kilometers away from Hong Kong and 0/45 kilometers away from Guangzhou/KLOC.

The Macao Special Administrative Region consists of two outlying islands: Macau Peninsula, Taipa Island and Green Island. The total area is ***28.6 square kilometers, including 9.3 square kilometers of Macao Peninsula, 6.5 square kilometers of Taipa, 7.6 square kilometers of road ring, and 5.2 square kilometers of land reclamation in Lu-Liao. Macao Peninsula and Taipa are connected by three Aopa bridges, including Governor's Mansion Bridge (2.5km), Friendship Bridge (4.5km) and Xiwan Bridge (2.2km). The longest Friendship Bridge can directly lead to Taipa's Macau International Airport. Sai Wan Bridge, the first cable-stayed bridge in Macau, was officially put into use on September 9th, 2005. There are six lanes on the upper floor of the double-deck bridge and four lanes on the lower floor. The lower floor will be open for use during the typhoon. There is also a 2.2-kilometer-long highway connecting Taipa and the Sixth Ring Road.

There are about 53 1.400 residents in Macao, most of whom live in the Macao Peninsula, and the two outlying islands have a small population. Macao residents are mainly Chinese, accounting for 94% of the total population, while Portuguese and other ethnic groups account for only about 6%.

language

Chinese and Portuguese are the official languages at present. Guangzhou dialect is widely used in daily communication among residents, but many residents can also understand Mandarin. English is also very popular in Macao and can be used on many occasions.

money

The legal tender unit of Macao is the Macao pataca. There are six denominations of paper money: 10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan, 100 yuan, 500 yuan, 1000 yuan; There are seven kinds of coins: 1 minute, 2 cents, 5 cents, 1 yuan, 2 yuan, 5 yuan, 10 yuan.

The costs of goods sold and services provided in Macao are calculated in MOP, but Hong Kong dollars or other currencies can also be used. The exchange rate is determined according to the floating market exchange rate.

Us $ 1 is equivalent to MOP 8 yuan. Hk 100 yuan is equivalent to MOP 103 yuan.

Banks, hotels or banks all provide foreign currency exchange and traveler's checks, which are conveniently located. In addition, Macau International Airport and Portuguese hotels provide 24-hour foreign currency exchange service.

Local or foreign currency can freely enter and leave the country, and the number is unlimited. In addition, some shops in Macao can also use credit cards.

climate

Macau is located in the west of the Pearl River estuary in the south of China, where Chinese mainland meets the South China Sea. It is located in the south of the Tropic of Cancer, with opposite monsoon directions in winter and summer. As far as climate classification is concerned, it belongs to monsoon region and warm temperate climate with rainy summer. The weather is the best and most comfortable from mid-October of/kloc-0 to February of 65438 every year.

June 5438+ 10 and February are the winters in Macao. Cold air from Siberia came one after another and entered Macao through Central China and South China, bringing cold and dry northerly winds. The temperature in urban areas sometimes drops below 10 degrees Celsius. Usually, the lowest temperature throughout the year is recorded in these two months. Due to the lack of water vapor content in the atmosphere, there is less rainfall and rainy days.

March and April are alternate seasons. Southeasterly winds blow along the coast of South China, and the temperature and humidity rise. In spring, the weather is fine, except for occasional extreme humidity, fog, Mao Mao rain and low visibility.

Macao has a long summer. From May to September, due to the hot and humid weather, it brought many bad weather, such as rainstorm and thunderstorm. Waterspouts occasionally appear, and tropical cyclones frequently appear from May to 10, which makes rainfall, temperature, rainy days and thunderstorms reach the peak of the year. When Tropical Signal No.8 was hoisted in this area, all sea and air traffic was interrupted.

Autumn came in June+10 in 5438, and the weather in Asia turned cold. Autumn in Macao is short, the sky is clear, the weather is stable and the comfort is high. Finally, it returned to the cool and dry June of 65438+1October, and the cold air in the north was also prepared to invade again in June of 5438+February.

Statistical value of meteorological elements in 30 years (197 1-2000)

full moon; a baby's completion of its first month of life

Air temperature (℃)