Ma ‧ cao BrE AmE , Macau /məˈkaʊ/
a small area in southeast China, which was a Portuguese ↑ province but became part of China in 1999. Population: 460,823 (2008). Main city: Macao. Although it is part of China, it has a system of government that is similar to Hong Kong, and this arrangement is described as ‘one country, two systems’. It is a popular place for tourists and a centre for gambling (↑ gamble ).