Macau 🇲🇴

Macau belongs to Eastern Asia, and it is a dependent territory rather than a country in the political sense. In formal use it is Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. No capital is recorded for it — there is no permanent seat of government to name.

By land area it covers 30 km², which ranks it 242nd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Sint Maarten and just ahead of Tuvalu. That makes it around a quarter larger than Tuvalu.

Around 687,000 people live there, placing it 168th of 250 by population — between Bhutan above it and Luxembourg below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 8th of 8 in size and 8th in population.

Location, borders and position

The coordinates the dataset gives are 22.2° N, 113.5° E, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 2,468 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.

Mexico, Oman and Cuba sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.

It borders 1 neighbour: China.

With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked territory does not.

Population, density and language

Density comes out at around 22,900 people per square kilometre, which makes it among the most densely populated places on earth. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.

The demonym is Macanese, so residents are Macanese.

2 languages carry official status: Chinese and Portuguese. Chinese, the first listed, is shared with 4 other entries worldwide.

Inside Asia it places 48th of 50 by population, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Eastern Asia.

Currency, domain and dialling code

It uses the Macanese pataca (P, MOP). That currency appears nowhere else on this list.

The top-level domain is .mo. Calls from overseas start with +853. In ISO terms it is mo in two letters and MAC in three.

On the UN list it does not appear as a member. Its official name points to China as the administering state. Of the 250 entries here, 57 are territories or observers rather than member states.

Neighbouring countries

Macau shares borders with 1 country:

• 🇨🇳 China

Fun facts about Macau

• The Macanese pataca is used here and nowhere else on this list.
• Population density works out at roughly 22,900 people per square kilometre.
• It shares land borders with 1 country: China.
• Within Eastern Asia it is the 8th largest of 8.
• In land area it is around a quarter larger than Tuvalu.
• It is a territory rather than a UN member state.
• Ranked by land area, Macau is 242nd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.

Macau — frequently asked questions

What is the population of Macau?

Macau has a population of about 687,000, which makes it the 168th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Bhutan sits just above it and Luxembourg just below.

How big is Macau?

Macau covers 30 km², ranking 242nd of 250 by land area. That makes it around a quarter larger than Tuvalu.

What language is spoken in Macau?

Macau lists 2 official languages: Chinese and Portuguese.

Where is Macau located?

Macau is in Eastern Asia, part of Asia. Its reference coordinates are 22.2° north and 113.5° east, roughly 2,468 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.

What currency does Macau use?

Macau uses the Macanese pataca, written P (currency code MOP). No other entry in this dataset uses it.

Is Macau a country?

Not in the political sense. Macau is a dependent territory rather than a sovereign state, and it is not a UN member. The dataset points to China as the administering state. It appears on this site because it has its own flag, codes and statistics, but it does not have a seat at the United Nations.

Which countries border Macau?

Macau borders 1 country: China.