Coloane

Coloane (Cantonese: Lou Wan) is a former island in Macau that is united with the island of Taipa by an area of reclaimed land known as Cotai. It is located at the southern part of Macau. Administratively, the boundaries of the traditional civil parish (freguesia) of São Francisco Xavier are coterminous with that of Coloane. Coloane was known in Cantonese as Gau Ou Saan (九澳山 lit. "Nine-inlet Mountain" or transcribed in Portuguese as Ká-Hó) and Yim Jou Waan (鹽灶灣, lit. "Salt-stove Bay"). The Portuguese name "Coloane" is derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of Gwo Lou Waan (過路環, lit. "Passing-road Ring"). Coloane has an area of , is long and is from the Macau Peninsula. The narrowest part of Coloane is . The highest points in Macau are eastern and central Coloane, with the highest point being the Coloane Alto (, Portuguese: Alto de Coloane). In the past, Coloane was separated from Taipa by the Seac Pai Bay, which was crossed by a causeway, the Estrada do Istmo, connecting Coloane to Taipa. However land reclamation has physically connected the two islands and a new area for development called Cotai has been built between Taipa and Coloane, which is home to the Cotai Strip and several other casino projects. The northern shore of the parish is deep, and is the site of the Macau Deepwater Port. The eastern Hac Sa Beach (, Portuguese: Baía de Hác Sá) and the southern Cheoc Van Bay (, Portuguese: Baía de Cheoc Van) are popular swimming beaches. From the Song dynasty onwards and until the Portuguese arrival in 1864, Coloane was a sea salt farm for China. After their arrival, the Portuguese made Macau an important trading port, but Coloane remained largely deserted, and was used as a base by pirates until 1910. The island became more populated after the Estrada do Istmo causeway connecting Coloane with Taipa was completed in 1969. Coloane Village (Portuguese: Vila de Coloane; ), located on the southwestern coast of Coloane, is the island's main settlement.