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Macau is a Special Administrative Region on the southern coast of China. It is located at the south of Guangdong Province, on the tip of the peninsula formed by the Zhujiang (Pearl River) estuary on the east and the Xijiang (West River) on the west. Macau is situated west of Hong Kong, and southwest of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province. It is situated immediately east and south of Zhuhai.
The region comprises the Macau Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane. Macau was once an island but gradually a connecting sandbar turned into a narrow isthmus. Land reclamation in the 17th century made Macau into a peninsula, and a barrier gate was built to mark the separation between the peninsula and the mainland. Pre-colonial records show that Macau totalled only but began to increase as a result of Portuguese settlement. Land growth has accelerated since the last quarter of the 20th century, from in 1972 to in 1983 to in 1994. Macau's size has gradually increased as result of continued land reclamation, especially on Taipa and Coloane. In 2014, the total land area was approximately .
There is a long border between Macau and mainland China and a forty-kilometre-long coastline. The main border crossing between Macau and China is the Portas do Cerco (Barrier Gate) Frontier Checkpoint on the Macau side, and the Gongbei checkpoint on the Chinese side.
Location, size, border, and coastline
thumb|Macau borders the city of [[Zhuhai in Guangdong Province. The map also shows Macau's maritime boundaries, the western end of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, the leased territory in Zhuhai (the University of Macau) and Macau Light Rapid Transit.]]
Geographic coordinates:
Area
- Total: 115.4 km<sup>2</sup>
- Land: 30.4 km<sup>2</sup>
- Water: 85 km<sup>2</sup>
To address salinity issues, as of 2018 three water supply pipelines to Macau have been built and a fourth pipeline was planned for completion in 2019.
Land use and reclamation
thumb|120px|Macau Peninsula and [[Ilha Verde in 1889]]
thumb|120px|Macau Peninsula, [[Taipa and Coloane in 1912]]
thumb|120px|Macau Peninsula, [[Taipa and Coloane in 1986]]
thumb|120px|Land reclamation in Macau from 1555 to 2011
Until early 20th century, the Macau peninsula was dotted with small farms on its northern area, beyond the walls protecting the city. Currently, in the Macau peninsula, no arable land, natural pastures or woodland exists and forests have been cleared and plant species have been subjected to profound changes. Coloane on the other hand, due to its later colonisation, still has its forests and is dotted with small farms, namely around the Coloane, Hac Sa and Ka Ho villages.
arable land: 0%
<br>permanent crops: 0%
<br>other: 100% (2011)
In 2010 plans were announced for an additional 3.5 square kilometres of land reclamation in Macau, to be carried out over five years and divided into six phases. These areas cover an area east of the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, an area south of Avenida Sun Yat Sen, and the north side of Taipa Island.
The change of total area of Macau (in km square) since the year of 1912:
;Note
:<nowiki>*</nowiki> - not included in "Total area of Macau"
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Area of Macau Peninsula
! Area of Taipa
! Area of Coloane
! Area of Cotai
! Total area of Macau
! Area of UM Hengqin*
|-
| 1912
| 3.4*
| 2.3
| 5.9
| —
| 11.6
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 1936
| 5.2
| 2.6
| 6.0
| —
| 13.8
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 1957
| 5.5
| 3.3
| 6.3
| —
| 15.1
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 1986
| 5.8
| 3.7
| 7.1
| —
| 16.6
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 1991
| 6.5
| 4.0
| 7.6
| —
| 18.1
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 1996
| 7.7
| 5.8
| 7.6
| —
| 21.3
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 1999
| 7.8
| 6.2
| 7.6
| 2.2
| 23.8
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2000
| 8.5
| 6.2
| 7.6
| 3.1
| 25.4
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2001
| 8.5
| 6.2
| 7.6
| 3.5
| 25.8
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2002
| 8.5
| 6.2
| 7.6
| 4.5
| 26.8
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2003
| 8.7
| 6.2
| 7.6
| 4.7
| 27.3
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2004
| 8.8
| 6.4
| 7.6
| 4.7
| 27.5
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2005
| 8.9
| 6.5
| 7.6
| 5.2
| 28.2
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2006
| 9.3
| 6.5
| 7.6
| 5.2
| 28.6
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2007–08
| 9.3
| 6.7
| 7.6
| 5.6
| 29.2
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2009
| 9.3
| 6.8
| 7.6
| 5.8
| 29.5
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2010
| 9.3
| 6.8
| 7.6
| 6.0*
| 29.7
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2011–12
| 9.3
| 7.4
| 7.6
| 5.6
| 29.9
| bgcolor="yellow"| —
|-
| 2013–14
| 9.3
| 7.6
| 7.6
| 5.8
| 30.3
| bgcolor="yellow"| 1.0
|-
| 2015 (Sept.)
| 9.3
| 7.6
| 7.6
| 5.9
| 30.4
| bgcolor="yellow"| 1.0
|}
Environmental factors
Dense urban environment.
Geography – note: essentially urban; three bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland, and an isthmus connects Coloane and Taipa.
See also
- Geography of China
- Geography of Hong Kong
References
External links
- Map of Macau in 1997 - University of Macau