A Quick Refresher On The Difference Between Macau, Hong Kong, And Mainland China

As the "Occupy Central" protests in Hong Kong continue to unfold, here's a quick refresher on the island's relationship to mainland China.

If you've ever traveled from Macau to Hong Kong to mainland China, you'll notice that your passport gets stamped every time.

That's because Macau and Hong Kong are "Special Administrative Regions" with their own money, police force, schools, languages, and even government; for almost 20 years since rejoining China, Hong Kong has been able to elect its own leaders.

But Hong Kong and Macau are not independent countries. Hong Kong has been under Chinese rule since 1997, and protests have erupted on the island over Beijing's decision to select candidates for a coming Hong Kong election.

Check out the video below for the quick explainer on the differences between Macau, Hong Kong, and China.