Macau (also spelled Macao, traditional Chinese: 澳門 simplified Chinese: 澳门) is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. Located across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong, until 1999 Macau was an overseas territory of Portugal. One of the world's most densely populated spots, Macau generates more revenue from gambling than anywhere else on the planet, including more than seven times the revenue generated by "The Strip" in Las Vegas.