Cotai (; ) is a piece of newly reclaimed land on top of Seac Pai Bay between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau, that has made two independent islands become one island, since 2005. The word (a portmanteau of Coloane and Taipa) can also refer to the entire new island which was formed by the reclamation. In the second sense, the Special Administrative Region of Macau now consists of the Macau Peninsula plus Cotai Island, about a mile to the south. Cotai was created to provide Macau with a new gambling and tourism area since Macau is so densely populated and land is scarce, and many hotels and casinos can be found there now. In 2006, a new hospital was founded in the Cotai area, the MUST Hospital, which is associated with the Macau University of Science and Technology Foundation. History In 1968, a causeway (Estrada do Istmo) connecting Taipa and Coloane was inaugurated. Throughout the 90s, a series of landfill works expanded this isthmus, and after the 1999 transfer of sovereignty over Macau from Portugal to China, further landfills began to expand this small isthmus further. Hotels and casinos The "Cotai Strip" is a name dubbed to the entire hotel-casino area, where the term "Cotai Strip" has been trademarked by Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which coined the phrase (USPTO Registration Nos. 4396486 and 4396486 for gaming and hotel services), and only applies to its properties. Galaxy Entertainment Group's Grand Waldo Hotel was the first casino to commence operations in Cotai, opening its doors in May, 2006. The construction of many other casino and hotel projects is currently underway. The largest and most notable property on Cotai so far is Las Vegas Sands' Venetian Macao, which opened its doors on August 28, 2007. Melco PBL Holdings opened the City of Dreams directly across the street from the Venetian on June 1, 2009. As of August 2021, several new hotel-casinos have opened in Cotai, with several more scheduled to fully open in the next few years including the Grand Lisboa Palace and the Lisboeta Macau. List of hotels and casinos Four Seasons Hotel Macao Broadway Macau City of Dreams Galaxy Macau Grand Lisboa Palace Lisboeta Macau MGM Cotai Pousada Marina Infante Studio City Macau The Londoner Macao The Parisian Macao The Plaza Macao The Venetian Macao Wynn Palace Tourist attractions Macau East Asian Games Dome Transportation Cotai Jet – high speed