Macau (The Dragon Splits)

Macau (澳門; 澳门; literally: "Bay Gate"), also spelled Macao, officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the western side of the Pearl River Delta in East Asia. Macau is bordered by the city of Zhuhai in Mainland China to the north and the Pearl River Estuary to the east and south. Hong Kong lies about 64 kilometers (40 mi) to its east across the Delta. With a population of 650,900 living in an area of 30.5 km2 (11.8 sq mi), it is the most densely populated region in the world.

It was formerly a Portuguese colony from 1557 to December 20, 1999, when its sovereignty was transferred to the People's Republic of China. It is under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy of which it has its own legal system, public security force, currency, customs policy, and immigration policy. Foreign affairs and military defense in under the jurisdiction of the State Council of the PRC.