Macao: the earliest European settlement in China

Abstract

The Portuguese colony Macao on China's south coast comprises the peninsula Fo Shan and the islands Taipa and Colôane towards the south. The total area is only 15.6 km². The Portuguese obtained permission to establish this entrepôt in 1557. All through the 18th century Macao was the main trade center between China and Europe. The Macao colony became an overseas province of Portugal and in 1976 it acquired political autonomy.

Macao lies on the tropical border and is often hit by typhoons, mostly in July‑August. The 1980 population figure is officially estimated at approx. 400 000. Farming is not of major importance, whereas fishery as in all of South China is an important trade. In 1977 the total catch amounted to 10 100 tons. Industry is significant, most important the textile and clothing industry. One grave problem is the lack of fresh water and Macao therefore imports fresh water from China. The colony has a very intense traffic connection with Hong Kong by ferries, hydrofoil and jetfoil boats. Macao has a large income on tourism. In 1976 the gross national product for Macao was US $ 940 per inhabitant.