Macau Yearbook 2013 - Macao Yearbook

Geography, Environment and PopulationGeography, Environment and PopulationLocationThe Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is an integral part of the People’s Republic ofChina. Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and bordering on Guangdong Province,Macao is 60 kilometres from Hong Kong, and located at latitude 22º12’40”N and longitude113º32’22”E. Macao time is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The MSAR consistsof the Macao peninsula and two islands: Taipa and Coloane. Three bridges – Nobre de CarvalhoBridge, Friendship Bridge (Ponte da Amizade) and Sai Van Bridge – link the peninsula to Taipa;while the COTAI Reclamation Area links Taipa and Coloane islands.AreaDue to reclamation along its coastline, Macao’s total land area has grown from 11.6 squarekilometres in 1912, when measurements were first taken, to 29.9 square kilometres in 2012. TheMacao peninsula accounts for 9.3 square kilometres (31.1 percent) of the current area, Taipa islandfor 7.4 square kilometres (24.8 percent), Coloane island for 7.6 square kilometres (25.4 percent),and the COTAI Reclamation Area for 5.6 square kilometres (18.7 percent).Geology and TopographyMacao mainly comprises flat land, terraces and hills. The area of flat land (including reclaimed land)is 20.8 square kilometres, accounting for 69.6 percent of the total; granite hills cover six squarekilometres, or 20.1 percent; and terraces cover 1.2 square kilometres, or four percent. The terracesare historically areas of denudation, extending along St Augustine, Luis de Camoes Garden, the hillbehind Mong Ha Kun Iam Tong Temple, Russa Hill, and the southern part of Taipa island. Theirrelatively small area, low elevation (20-25 metres) and gentle slopes mean that most of the terracesare fully utilised. The remaining land – including reserves, monument sites and forests – occupiesapproximately 1.9 square kilometres, accounting for 6.3 percent of the total land area.The elevation of Macao increases from the north to the south. Guia Hill, in the north, is thehighest point on the Macao peninsula, with an altitude of 90 metres. To the south, Alto de Coloaneis the highest hill on Coloane island, as well as the highest point in Macao, with an altitude of 170.6metres. Taipa Grande, the main peak of Taipa island, has an altitude of 158.2 metres.CoastlineMacao is a typical coastal area, with 50.4 kilometres of coastline, of which 15 kilometres is aroundthe Macao peninsula and 35.4 kilometres is around the two islands.AirPopulation density, scarcity of land, narrow streets and busy traffic all affect Macao’s air quality.However, this is offset to some extent by the low discharge of industrial pollutants. The air quality373