The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is an integral part of the People’s Republic of China. Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and bordering on Guangdong Province, Macao is 60 kilometres from Hong Kong, and located at latitude 22º12’40”N and longitude 113º32’22”E. Macao time is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Due to land reclamation along its coastline, Macao has grown in land area from 11.6 square kilometres in 1912 to 33.3  square kilometres. The Hengqin campus of the University of Macau covers an area of one square kilometre. Macao consists of the Macao peninsula and the two islands of Taipa and Coloane. Three bridges, Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, Friendship Bridge (Ponte da Amizade) and Sai Van Bridge, link the peninsula to Taipa, while the two islands are linked by COTAI Reclamation Area.

The population of Macao is estimated to be 683,700  .

As at the end of December of 2017, the population of Macao is estimated to be 653,100. An estimated 47 percent of Macao’s population were males, and 52.653 percent were females. In 2017, 12.7 percent of the population was aged between 0 and 14; 76.8 percent of the population was aged between 15 and 64; 10.5 percent of the population was aged 65 or above. Population density is 20532/square kilometre, and the northern part of the peninsula is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

In regards to natural factors of population changes in 2017, there were 6,529 newborn babies, 8.6 percent less than in 2016, and 2,120 deaths, representing a decrease of 5.7 percent. The natural population growth rate was therefore 0.68 percent.

With regards to immigration, the net number of immigrants increased by 3,800 people in 2017.

The results of the 2016 By-Census indicated that among the local population, 88.4 percent was Chinese, 1.4 percent was Portuguese, and 4.6 percent was Filipino.

Chinese and Portuguese are the official languages of Macao, and more than 80.1 percent of the population speak Cantonese. Portuguese is spoken by about 2.3 percent of the population. other commonly spoken languages in Macao include English (2.8 percent) and Filipino (three percent).

Meanwhile, 40.7 percent of the population were born in Macao, 43.6 percent were born in mainland China, 3.3 percent in Hong Kong, 4.4 percent in the Philippines, 2.5 percent in Vietnam and 0.3 percent in Portugal.

Macao is situated in a subtropical zone, with the Asian continent to the north and a wide tropical sea to the south. In winter, Macao experiences a north wind, cold and dry weather and low rainfall, due to a cold continental high-pressure system at medium and high latitudes. In summer, Macao is mainly subject to southwesterly winds, hot and wet weather and heavy rainfall, due to the influence of oceanic tropical weather systems.

Macao has an average annual temperature of 22.6ºC. The coolest month is January, when it averages 15.1ºC. Most years, Macao has a short, cold weather period when temperatures fall below 5ºC. The average monthly temperature exceeds 22ºC during seven months of the year.

Macao is frequently hit by typhoons. The typhoon season starts in May and ends in October, with July to September as its peak period.

More information: Statistics and Census Service (http://www.dsec.gov.mo) / Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (http://www.smg.gov.mo)