Macau 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,
bordering Guangdong province to the north and facing
the South China Sea in the east and south.
Macau was a Portuguese colony and both the first and last European colony in China. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on 20 December 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operates with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer.
Under the policy of "one country, two systems",
the Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's
defence and foreign affairs, while Macau maintains its own legal system,
police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy,
and delegates to international organisations and events.
