The History of Macau: Summary
Macau is located at the southern end of China, on the western side of the Pearl River. The first inhabitants lived from fishing, considered the boat their home and worshipped the sea deity Mazu, the marine protector.
The name Macau comes from Mazu and was given by the Portuguese: “The city of the holy name of God”. In ancient times it was an important Chinese commercial port.
The legend says that in 1554 the Portuguese Leonel De Souza sailed in that area with 17 ships while a fleet of pirates threatened Canton. China asked for help to the Portuguese that after the victory obtained the legalization of the economic and commercial relationships between the two nations.
History of Macau
In 1557 Macau was given in gratitude to Portugal, which became the first country to colonize China. This was the starting point of the ancient maritime silk route, where European medicines, Indian pepper, Japanese silver, silk, porcelain and tea flowed.
In addition to the port, it became the springboard for the Jesuits in Asia and in 1575 the Diocese of Macao was founded with jurisdictional power over the entire East. Here passed among the most famous and important European characters of the time especially Italians.
Italian was the first European who left from here to enter China after the Mongol occupation. As well as Francesco Gemelli Careri considered the first true “Tourist” of history, source of inspiration for Jules Verne for the tour of the world in 80 years days.
In the following centuries we don’t have many news also because after the British conquest of Hong Kong, Macao goes in decline, becoming the refuge of Japanese and Chinese converts to Catholicism.
1848 is the last year that Europeans pay taxes to the Chinese, Macau becomes a Portuguese sovereignty and more precisely a “Portuguese Overseas Province”.
In 1974 after the Portuguese revolution and the end of the Salazarist reign, Macau returns to being a “Chinese territory under Portuguese administration”.
Macau Today
In 1987 the joint China-Portuguese declaration makes that on November 20, 1999 after 442 years it returns a special administrative region of China together with Hong Kong.
It is the demographic boom!
Today Macao has returned without too many traumas to China maintaining for 50 years its autonomy.
Officially it is governed according to the principle “1 country, 2 systems”: China is responsible for defense and foreign affairs while Macao is responsible for the legal system, police force, currency, customs and immigration policy.
A GDP per capita of $82,000, a high human development index, unemployment under 3% but with an economy dependent on physical gambling and tourism. In recent years online casinos have also begun to be offered by major hotels.
2nd nation after Mongolia for fastest economic growth in the world, 2nd highest life expectancy in the world, 84.4 years.
Birth rate among the lowest in the world but also infant mortality rate.
But above all we remember that in 29 km² live 650.000 inhabitants, the highest population density in the world, 21.000 inhabitants per km².
