Macau Peninsula

22°11′53″N 113°32′50″E / 22.1980°N 113.5473°E / 22.1980; 113.5473

Macau Peninsula
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese澳門半島
Simplified Chinese澳门半岛
JyutpingOu3mun2 Bun3dou2
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinAōmén Bàndǎo
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationOumún Bundóu
JyutpingOu3mun2 Bun3dou2
IPA[ɔw˧.mun˧˥ pun˧.tɔw˧˥]
Portuguese name
PortuguesePenínsula de Macau

The Macau Peninsula is the historical and most populous part of Macau. It has an area of 8.5 square kilometers (3.3 sq mi) (4 by 1.8 kilometers (2.5 mi × 1.1 mi)) and is geographically connected to Guangdong Province at the northeast through an isthmus 200 meters (660 ft) wide. The peninsula, together with downtown Zhuhai, sits on an island separated from the continent by distributaries of the Pearl River. The Border Gate (Chinese: 關閘; Portuguese: Portas do Cerco) was built on the northern isthmus. At the south, the peninsula is connected to Taipa Island by three bridges, the Friendship Bridge (Ponte da Amizade); the Macau-Taipa Bridge (Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho); and the Sai Van Bridge (Ponte de Sai Van). The longest axis extends 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) from the Border Gate to the southwestern edge, Barra (媽閣嘴). There is a western "Inner Harbor" (內港) paralleled by an "Outer Harbor" (外港) to the east. The 93 meters (305 ft) Guia Hill (松山) is the highest point on the peninsula, which has an average elevation of 50 to 75 meters (164 to 246 ft). Many coastal places are reclaimed from the sea. The Historic Centre of Macau, which is entirely on the Macau Peninsula, became a World Heritage Site in 2005.