Macau

§1. Macau Introduction

Background:
  Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first
  European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by
  China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special
  Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999. China has
  promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's
  socialist economic system will not be practiced in Macau, and that Macau
  will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and
  defense affairs for the next 50 years.

§2. Macau Geography

Location:
  Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates:
  22 10 N, 113 33 E

Map references:
  Southeast_Asia

Area:
  total: 25.4 km²
  land: 25.4 km²
  water: 0 km²

Area - comparative:
  about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  total: 0.34 km
  regional border: China 0.34 km

Coastline:
  41 km

Maritime claims:
  not specified

Climate:
  subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Terrain:
  generally flat

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
  highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m

Natural resources:
  NEGL

Land use:
  arable land: 0%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA km²

Natural hazards:
  typhoons

Environment - current issues:
  NA

Geography - note:
  essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of
  Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland

§3. Macau People

Population:
  453,125 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.2% (male 37,934/female 35,412)
  15-64 years: 75.9% (male 163,975/female 179,830)
  65 years and over: 7.9% (male 15,099/female 20,875) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 36.1 years
  male: 35.7 years
  female: 36.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.86% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  8.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  4.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 82.19 years
  male: 79.36 years
  female: 85.17 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: Chinese
  adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups:
  Chinese 95.7%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) 1%, other
  3.3% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.)

Languages:
  Cantonese 87.9%, Hokkien 4.4%, Mandarin 1.6%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%,
  other 3% (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 94.5%
  male: 97.2%
  female: 92% (2003 est.)

§4. Macau Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region
  conventional short form: Macau
  local long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao Administrativa
    Especial de Macau (Portuguese)
  local short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)

Dependency status:
  special administrative region of China

Government type:
  limited democracy

Administrative divisions:
  none (special administrative region of China)

Independence:
  none (special administrative region of China)

National holiday:
  National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of
  China), 1 October (1949); note - 20 December 1999 is celebrated as Macau
  Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

Constitution:
  Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is
  Macau's "mini-constitution"

Legal system:
  based on Portuguese civil law system

Suffrage:
  direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents living
  in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to
  organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently
  registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional
  groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
  head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20 December
    1999)
  cabinet: Executive Council consists of one government secretary, three
    legislators, four businessmen, one pro-Beijing unionist, and one
    pro-Beijing educator
  elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee for up
    to two five-year terms; election last held 29 August 2004 (next to be
    held in 2009)
  election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected received 296 votes; three
    members submitted blank ballots; one member was absent

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected by popular vote, 10
  by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)
  election results: percent of vote - Development Union 12.8%, Macau
    Development Alliance 9%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16%, New
    Democratic Macau Association 18.2%, others NA; seats by political group -
    Development Union 2, Macau Development Alliance 1, Macau United Citizens'
    Association 2, New Democratic Macau Association 2, New Hope 1, United
    Forces 2, others 2; 10 seats filled by professional and business groups;
    seven members appointed by chief executive

Judicial branch:
  Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders:
  Civil Service Union [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]; Development Union [KWAN
  Tsui-hang]; Macau Development Alliance [Angela LEONG On-kei]; Macau United
  Citizens' Association [CHAN Meng-kam]; New Democratic Macau Association
  [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]; United Forces [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UPU,
  WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (special administrative region of China)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by the US
  Consulate General in Hong Kong

Flag description:
  light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white,
  beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed
  stars: one large in center of arc and four smaller

§5. Macau Economy

Economy - overview:
  Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most open in the world
  since its reversion to China in 1999. Apparel exports and tourism are
  mainstays of the economy. Although the territory was hit hard by the
  1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001, its economy
  grew 10.1% in 2002, 14.2% in 2003, and 28.6% in 2004. During the first
  three quarters of 2005, Macau registered year-on-year GDP increases of
  6.2%. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's
  easing of travel restrictions, increased public works expenditures, and
  significant investment inflows associated with the liberalization of
  Macau's gaming industry drove the four-year recovery. The budget also
  returned to surplus since 2002 because of the surge in visitors from China
  and a hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about 70% of
  government revenue. The three companies awarded gambling licenses have
  pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory, which will boost GDP
  growth. Much of Macau's textile industry may move to the mainland as the
  Multi-Fiber Agreement is phased out. The territory may have to rely more on
  gambling and trade-related services to generate growth. Two new casinos
  were opened by new foreign gambling licensees in 2004; development of new
  infrastructure and facilities in preparation for Macau's hosting of the
  2005 East Asian Games led the construction sector. The Closer Economic
  Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came
  into effect on 1 January 2004 offers many Macau-made products tariff-free
  access to the mainland, and the range of products covered by CEPA was
  expanded on 1 January 2005.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $10 billion (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $10.05 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  2.8% (3rd Quarter 2005)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $22,000 (2004)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 0.1%
  industry: 7.2%
  services: 92.7% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
  251,200 (3rd Quarter, 2005)

Labor force - by occupation:
  manufacturing 13.7%, construction 10.5%, transport and communications 5.9%,
  wholesale and retail trade 14.6%, restaurants and hotels 10.3%, gambling
  17.9%, public sector 7.8%, other services and agriculture 19.3% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  4.1% (3rd Quarter 2005)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.8% (2nd quarter, 2005)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.16 billion
  expenditures: $3.16 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
    (FY05/06)

Agriculture - products:
  only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers; fishing,
  mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of the catch is exported to Hong
  Kong

Industries:
  tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  1.893 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
  1.899 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
  153.3 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  12,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $3.465 billion f.o.b.; note - includes reexports (2004)

Exports - commodities:
  clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts

Exports - partners:
  US 48.7%, China 13.9%, Germany 8.3%, Hong Kong 7.6%, UK 4.4% (2004)

Imports:
  $3.478 billion c.i.f. (2004)

Imports - commodities:
  raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs,
  beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils

Imports - partners:
  China 44.4%, Hong Kong 10.6%, Japan 9.6%, Taiwan 4.9%, Singapore 4.1%, US
  4.1% (2004)

Debt - external:
  $3.1 billion (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $NA

Currency (code):
  pataca (MOP)

Exchange rates:
  patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021 (2003), 8.033
  (2002), 8.034 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Macau Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  173,900 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  432,400 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for
    domestic and international services
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 853; HF radiotelephone communication
    facility; access to international communications carriers provided via
    Hong Kong and China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (2003)

Internet country code:
  .mo

Internet hosts:
  62 (2005)

Internet users:
  201,000 (2004)

§7. Macau Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  over 3,047 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 345 km
  paved: 345 km (2003)

Ports and terminals:
  Macau

§8. Macau Military

Military branches:
  China's People's Revolutionary Army (PLA) constitutes the only armed force
  in Macau; several police forces constitute the Security Forces of Macau
  (SFM) that are subordinate to the General Secretariat of Security, a body
  comparable to a ministry of interior (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 112,744 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 91,299 (2005 est.)

§9. Macau Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
