|RConstitution:|N Republic. Portuguese enclave by the Canton River in the south of China.
|RNature and climate:|N One peninsula and two small islands.
|RPeople:|N Mainly Chinese.
|REconomy:|N Most important industries are trade, tourism and textile manufacturing. Textile manufacturing accounts for 75% of the export value.
Over 4 million tourists visit Macao every year, mainly to gamble at the dog-races or the casinos. Most tourists come from Hong Kong.
|RHistory:|N 1557 Macao came in Portuguese hands, though still under Chinese sovereignty. The Portuguese built a trading station and up to 1849 paid the lease to China. In 1887 the Portuguese sovereignty was recognised.
Until the foundation of Hong Kong Macao played an important role for the European trade with China.
1975 Portugal transformed the sovereignty to China, but kept the administrative responsibility, and in 1976 Macao became selfgoverning on financial and economic issues.
According to a treaty i 1987 Macao will be completely transferred to China in 1999, with the right to keep the capitalist system for 50 years.
