Macau / Macao

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the 17th century the Portuguese gave Macau the official name of Cidade do Sao Nome de Deus de Macau (City of the Holy Name of God of Macau), with the honorific "Nao há outra mais leal" ("There is none more loyal").

The climate is subtropical, the weather warm to hot, with most rain falling between April and October. The average maximum temperature over the year is 28°C/82°F, the minimum 17.4°C/63.3°F. However, a constantly blowing cool sea-breeze makes the hot period of the year more tolerable than in Hong Kong. The winter half of the year (October to March) has low rainfall and is less hot (20°C/68°F). The pleasantest weather conditions are in November and December, but unfortunately there is then often a risk of fog.

The territory has a total area of some 21sq.km/8.1sq.mi - 7sq.km/2.7sq.mi on the hilly Macau peninsula and 5.8sq.km/2.2sq.mi and 7.8sq.km/3sq.mi respectively on the islands of Taipa and Coloane, which are linked with Macau and with each other by two bridges and a causeway. In recent years additional land has been reclaimed from the sea in the eastern part of the peninsula to provide sites for new housing.

Like Lisbon and Rome, Macau is built on seven hills. The highest is the Colina da Guia (174m/571ft), on which is the Fortaleza da Guia, built about 1627.