Municipalities and parishes of Macau

By the end of Portuguese rule, Macau was administratively divided into two municipalities (Portuguese: concelhos) and seven civil parishes (Portuguese: freguesias). Parishes were administrative subdivisions of the municipalities. After the 1999 handover to China, parishes are still officially recognized divisions but for symbolic reasons only.

Parishes were formerly administrative divisions falling under the former two municipalities of Macau: Macau and Ilhas. Following the 1999 transfer of sovereignty over Macau from Portugal to China, these municipalities were formally abolished on 31 December 2001 by Law No. 17/2001. While their administrative functions have since been removed, these parishes are still retained nominally. Since the abolition of the municipalities, some of the municipal services are now handled by the Municipal Affairs Bureau.