Coat of arms of Macau
Encyclopedia
The current devised emblem of Macau came into use in 20 December 1999, when the sovereignty
of Macau
was transferred from Portugal
to the People's Republic of China
. The emblem
is now referred to officially as the "Regional Emblem".
in a circular setting. The outer white ring is shown with the caption of the official name of the territory in traditional Chinese character
s (as opposed to the simplified form
): "中華人民共和國澳門特別行政區" (Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China) and the Portuguese short form, "Macau".
followed traditional Europe
an styles:
The first coat of arms of Macau was used until the end of the 19th century. It's just the arms of Portugal surrounded by the saying Cidade do nome de Deus, não há outra mais Leal (Portuguese
for "City of the Name of God, there is none more Loyal").
The second coat of arms was used until 1935, when most of Portuguese colonies had their coat of arms reformed. It shows a dragon in light orange color, similar to the pattern found on Imperial China flags.
The last coat of arms of colonial Macau, used until 1999, shown here in its most simple form, was used in banknotes, coins, stamps, official documents and appears also in the facade of the "Banco Nacional Ultramarino" in Lisbon.
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
of Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
was transferred from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
is now referred to officially as the "Regional Emblem".
Description
The regional emblem features the same design elements as the regional flag of MacauFlag of Macau
The Regional flag of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China , is light green with a lotus flower above the stylized Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large in the center of the arc and four...
in a circular setting. The outer white ring is shown with the caption of the official name of the territory in traditional Chinese character
Traditional Chinese character
Traditional Chinese characters refers to Chinese characters in any character set which does not contain newly created characters or character substitutions performed after 1946. It most commonly refers to characters in the standardized character sets of Taiwan, of Hong Kong, or in the Kangxi...
s (as opposed to the simplified form
Simplified Chinese character
Simplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters prescribed in the Xiandai Hanyu Tongyong Zibiao for use in Mainland China. Along with traditional Chinese characters, it is one of many standard character sets of the contemporary Chinese written language...
): "中華人民共和國澳門特別行政區" (Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China) and the Portuguese short form, "Macau".
History
The coat of arms used by PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
followed traditional Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an styles:
The first coat of arms of Macau was used until the end of the 19th century. It's just the arms of Portugal surrounded by the saying Cidade do nome de Deus, não há outra mais Leal (Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
for "City of the Name of God, there is none more Loyal").
The second coat of arms was used until 1935, when most of Portuguese colonies had their coat of arms reformed. It shows a dragon in light orange color, similar to the pattern found on Imperial China flags.
The last coat of arms of colonial Macau, used until 1999, shown here in its most simple form, was used in banknotes, coins, stamps, official documents and appears also in the facade of the "Banco Nacional Ultramarino" in Lisbon.