Macao: the earliest European settlement in China

The Portuguese colony Macao on China's south coast comprises the peninsula Fo Shan and the islands Taipa and Colôane towards the south. The total area is only 15.6 km2. The Portuguese obtained permission to establish this entrepôt in 1557. All through the 18th century Macao was the main trade c...

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Main Author: Johannes Humlum
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Geographical Society of Finland 1981-01-01
Series:Fennia: International Journal of Geography
Online Access:https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/9132
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author Johannes Humlum
author_facet Johannes Humlum
author_sort Johannes Humlum
collection DOAJ
description The Portuguese colony Macao on China's south coast comprises the peninsula Fo Shan and the islands Taipa and Colôane towards the south. The total area is only 15.6 km2. The Portuguese obtained permission to establish this entrepôt in 1557. All through the 18th century Macao was the main trade center between China and Europe. The Macao colony became an overseas province of Portugal and in 1976 it acquired political autonomy. Macao lies on the tropical border and is often hit by typhoons, mostly in July‑August. The 1980 population figure is officially estimated at approx. 400 000. Farming is not of major importance, whereas fishery as in all of South China is an important trade. In 1977 the total catch amounted to 10 100 tons. Industry is significant, most important the textile and clothing industry. One grave problem is the lack of fresh water and Macao therefore imports fresh water from China. The colony has a very intense traffic connection with Hong Kong by ferries, hydrofoil and jetfoil boats. Macao has a large income on tourism. In 1976 the gross national product for Macao was US $ 940 per inhabitant.
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spelling doaj.art-1703e336b8284976940f37c7c617fb272022-12-22T01:08:40ZengGeographical Society of FinlandFennia: International Journal of Geography1798-56171981-01-011591Macao: the earliest European settlement in ChinaJohannes Humlum0Institute of Applied and Economic Geography, University of Aarhus, DenmarkThe Portuguese colony Macao on China's south coast comprises the peninsula Fo Shan and the islands Taipa and Colôane towards the south. The total area is only 15.6 km2. The Portuguese obtained permission to establish this entrepôt in 1557. All through the 18th century Macao was the main trade center between China and Europe. The Macao colony became an overseas province of Portugal and in 1976 it acquired political autonomy. Macao lies on the tropical border and is often hit by typhoons, mostly in July‑August. The 1980 population figure is officially estimated at approx. 400 000. Farming is not of major importance, whereas fishery as in all of South China is an important trade. In 1977 the total catch amounted to 10 100 tons. Industry is significant, most important the textile and clothing industry. One grave problem is the lack of fresh water and Macao therefore imports fresh water from China. The colony has a very intense traffic connection with Hong Kong by ferries, hydrofoil and jetfoil boats. Macao has a large income on tourism. In 1976 the gross national product for Macao was US $ 940 per inhabitant.https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/9132
spellingShingle Johannes Humlum
Macao: the earliest European settlement in China
Fennia: International Journal of Geography
title Macao: the earliest European settlement in China
title_full Macao: the earliest European settlement in China
title_fullStr Macao: the earliest European settlement in China
title_full_unstemmed Macao: the earliest European settlement in China
title_short Macao: the earliest European settlement in China
title_sort macao the earliest european settlement in china
url https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/9132
work_keys_str_mv AT johanneshumlum macaotheearliesteuropeansettlementinchina