Flag
Description
The flag of
Macau features a lotus flower centered above an interpretation of
the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and water.
The five golden stars are transposed from the flag of the People's
Republic of China.

About
Macau (SRA)
Colonized
by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European
settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China
and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative
Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999.
In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country,
two systems" formula, China's political and economic system
would not be imposed on Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a "high
degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign affairs and
defense for the subsequent 50 years.
Source
: https://www.cia.gov
Please view the source for updated information
Macau,
also spelled Macao, is one of the two Special Administrative Regions
of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau
lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong
Kong to the east, which is about 64 kilometers, also bordered by
Guangdong Province to the north and facing the South China Sea to
the east and south. The territory's economy is heavily dependent
on gambling and tourism, but also includes manufacturing. The Cantonese
people from Hong Kong and Guangdong, especially recent mainland
tourism from Mandarin-speaking regions, have boosted the economy
of Macau significantly.
A
former Portuguese colony, Macau was administered by Portugal from
the mid-16th century until late 1999, when it was the last remaining
European colony in Asia. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau
in the 1550s. In 1557, Macau was rented to Portugal by the Chinese
empire as a trading port. The Portuguese administered the city under
Chinese authority and sovereignty until 1887, when Macau became
a colony of the Portuguese empire. Sovereignty over Macau was transferred
back to China on 20 December 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration
and the Basic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operate with a high
degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer.
By 2002, it had become one of the world's richest cities. It became
the world's biggest gambling centre in 2006.
Under
the policy of "one country, two systems", the PRC's Central
People's Government is responsible for the territory's defense and
foreign affairs, while Macau maintains its own legal system, police
force, monetary system, customs policy, and immigration policy.
Macau participates in many international organizations and events
that do not require members to possess national sovereignty.
According
to The World Factbook, Macau has the second highest life expectancy
in the world. In addition, Macau is one of the very few regions
in Asia with a "very high Human Development Index", ranking
23rd or 24th in the world in 2007 (with Japan being the highest
in Asia; the other Asian countries/regions within the "very
high HDI" category are South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore,
and Brunei).
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