In 1999, the 442-year Portuguese rule of Macau ended with a peaceful handover
After nearly half a millennium of colonial rule, the Portuguese flag was lowered in Macau for the last time in 1999, marking the end of Europe's long imperial presence in Asia.
On December 20, 1999, Portugal officially transferred sovereignty of Macau to China, ending a colonial era that began in 1557. Unlike the high-tension negotiations surrounding Hong Kong's handover two years earlier, the transition in Macau was notably peaceful and cooperative. Portugal had actually offered to return the territory decades earlier, but China initially declined.
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