Macau is located on the western bank of the Pearl River Delta in southern Guangdong Province, China and adjoins the Mainland city of Zhuhai. It lies some 60 kilometres to the east of Hong Kong and is about an hour away by jetfoil. The Macau Special Administrative Region has an area of some 32 sq. km. It comprises Macau Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane islands. Macau Peninsula is the hub of the territory and is connected to Taipa Island by three road bridges.
Macau is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Travelling to Macau:
Visitors can travel to Macau by land, sea and air. You may take a direct or connecting flight to Macau International Airport. However, many visitors travel to Macau from Hong Kong by sea via Shun Tak Centre (Sheung Wan, Hong Kong), Hong Kong International Airport, and China (HK) Ferry Terminal (Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong). Land crossings from Mainland China are made through the Border Gate on Macau Peninsula or the Lotus Bridge in Cotai.
Visa and Entry Permit:
All visitors must hold a passport or a valid travel document for travel to Macau.
All visitors are required to have a visa except nationals of countries which are exempted from a visa or entry permit. For more information on “Visa” and “Entry Permit” Exemption, please visit the website of the Macau Immigration Services of Public Security Police Force: http://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/eng/EDoN.html.
The University of Macau new campus is under the jurisdiction of Macau Special Administrative Regions (SAR), therefore, no visa is required.
Language:
Chinese and Portuguese are the official languages, with Cantonese being most widely spoken. The official languages are used in government departments in all official documents and communications. English is generally used in trade, tourism and commerce.
Climate:
The climate is fairly warm tropical climates. Annual average temperature is about 20ºC (68ºF) and ranges from 16ºC (50ºF) to 25ºC (77ºF). Humidity levels are high and average values vary between 73% and 90%. The average temperature in December ranges from 18ºC (65ºF) to 24ºC (75ºF).
Currency:
The Pataca (MOP) is divided into 100 avos and it is Macau’s official currency. There are banknotes and coins in the following denominations:
Coins: 10, 20 and 50 avos; 1, 2 and 5 Patacas.
Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Patacas.
By the decision of the Government, the Pataca is linked to the Hong Kong dollar (HKD). The exchange rate is MOP103.20 = HKD100.00. There is an acceptable variation up to 10%. Roughly, 8 Patacas is equivalent to 1 US Dollar.
