The meaning of Macao

proper noun

A special administrative region on the south-eastern coast of china on the west side of the pearl river estuary opposite hong kong; formerly a portuguese dependency and comprising the macao peninsula and the islands of taipa and cologne; population 588,000 (estimated 2015); official languages, portuguese and cantonese; capital, macao city. visited by vasco da gama in 1497, macao was developed by the portuguese as a trading post and became the chief centre of trade between europe and china in the 18th century. under the terms of a 1987 agreement sovereignty passed to china in 1999.