People and Languages
Macau's population consists of mostly Han Chinese (95%) and Portuguese (2%), with a minority of other ethnicities. Although both Chinese (Cantonese) and Portuguese are the official languages of the region, most of the residents speak Cantonese. Currently there is only one school in Macau where Portuguese is the medium of instruction.
The Macanese language, generally known as Patuá, is a distinctive Creole that is still spoken by several dozen Macanese, an ethnic group of mixed Asian and Portuguese ancestry that accounts for a small percentage of Macau's population.
Signs in Macau are displayed in both Traditional Chinese and Portuguese. In contrast to mainland China, Macau, along with Hong Kong and Taiwan, generally does not use Simplified Chinese Characters.
Read more about this topic: Culture Of Macau
Famous quotes containing the words people and/or languages:
“When men and women across the country reported how happy they felt, researchers found that jugglers were happier than others. By and large, the more roles, the greater the happiness. Parents were happier than nonparents, and workers were happier than nonworkers. Married people were much happier than unmarried people. Married people were generally at the top of the emotional totem pole.”
—Faye J. Crosby (20th century)
“It is time for dead languages to be quiet.”
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