Macau: Asia's Gambling Capital

The continent of Asia has always been known to be exotic and reserved. However, times are changing and Asian countries show the highest level of growth and development. In the world of gambling, Macau is the word of mouth by tourists and gamblers as the European city in China. Let us know the reasons for the recent global interest in Macau.

Macau or Macao used to be a special territory of Portugal. It covers a meager 15.5 sq. km at the tip of the Macau Peninsula on the Chinese mainland. Hong Kong, another popular former colony by the British, lies just to the east of Macau. Tourists visiting Macau can always choose to sidetrip to Hong Kong to shop and sight-see.

Macau is 90% urban and the rest is used for agriculture. The people are mainly Chinese with a very small Portuguese population. The economy's growth are spurred the manufacture of textile, toys and electronics and more importantly, by tourism and gambling. Illegal in nearby Hong Kong, gambling is one of the biggest contributors to Macau's growth in the recent years. Macau is heavily dependent on China for its food imports but its economy is boosted by its export of its industrial output and the influx of tourists from mainland China, its Asian neighbors like Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines, and even to Western countries in Europe and the United States. Most of the tourists are after the gambling resorts and casinos that are at par with those in Las Vegas.

The Portuguese settled in Macau in the mid-16th century as a base for its economic and missionary activities in China. The Portuguese formally returned Macau to the Chinese government in 1999. Although returned to China, the Chinese do not have authority over Macau's capitalist economic system for fifty years since 1987 when the agreement for Macau's return to China was concurred.

This is why Macau's architecture is very much European. Consumerism is also widespread with a lot of luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci ever present in Macau's high-end malls. The Western idea of clubbing is also very much apparent in bars and clubs where Western pop and club music is played a lot. It is also one of the few places where gambling is widely accepted in the traditionally conservative Asian culture.

Macau is truly a global city in a country where censorship has always been an issue. There rest of the world still has some 30 years left to enjoy what Macau has to freely offer before the Chinese government gets to have a say in Macau's normal operations.