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  Macau
(special administrative region of China)
 
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This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


Map of Macau



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Macau Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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. In this agreement, 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.
   Geography    Macau Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
22 10 N, 113 33 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Southeast Asia
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 28.2 sq km
land: 28.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 0.34 km
regional border: China 0.34 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
41 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
not specified
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
generally flat
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
NEGL
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
typhoons
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges
   People    Macau Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
456,989 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 15.4% (male 36,413/female 33,981)
15-64 years: 76.6% (male 166,797/female 183,088)
65 years and over: 8% (male 15,541/female 21,169) (2007 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 36.6 years
male: 36 years
female: 36.9 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.841% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.57 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
4.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.072 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.911 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.734 male(s)/female
total population: 0.918 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 82.27 years
male: 79.44 years
female: 85.25 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.03 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Chinese 95.7%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) 1%, other 3.3% (2001 census)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Cantonese 87.9%, Hokkien 4.4%, Mandarin 1.6%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 3% (2001 census)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.3%
male: 95.3%
female: 87.8% (2001 census)
   Government    Macau Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
special administrative region of China
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
limited democracy
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
none (special administrative region of China)
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (special administrative region of China)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
Basic Law, approved on 31 March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on Portuguese civil law system
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
direct election 18 years of age for some non-executive positions, 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:
Definition Field Listing
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 a five-year term (eligible for a second term); 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:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 members elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)
election results: percent of vote - New Democratic Macau Association 18.8%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16.6%, Union for Development 13.3%, Union for Promoting Progress 9.6%, Macau Development Alliance 9.3%, others 32.4%; seats by political group - New Democratic Macau Association 2, Macau United Citizens' Association 2, Union for Development 2, Union for Promoting Progress 2, Macau Development Alliance 1, others 3; 10 seats filled by professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief executive
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
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
note: there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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
   Economy    Macau Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Macau's economy has enjoyed strong growth in recent years on the back of its expanding tourism and gaming sectors. Since opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001, the territory has attracted 10s of billions of dollars in foreign investment that have helped transform it into the world's largest gaming center. In 2006, Macau's gaming revenue surpassed that of the Las Vegas strip, and gaming-related taxes accounted for 75% of total government revenue. The expanding casino sector, and China's decision beginning in 2002 to relax travel restrictions, have reenergized Macau's tourism industry, which saw total visitors grow to 27 million in 2007, up 62% in three years. Macau's strong economic growth has put pressure its labor market prompting businesses to look abroad to meet their staffing needs. The resulting influx of non-resident workers, who totaled one-fifth of the workforce in 2006, has fueled tensions among some segments of the population. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has been in a slow decline. In 2006, exports of textiles and garments generated only $1.8 billion compared to $6.9 billion in gross gaming receipts. Macau's textile industry will continue to move to the mainland because of the termination in 2005 of the Multi-Fiber Agreement, which provided a near guarantee of export markets, leaving the territory more dependent on gambling and trade-related services to generate growth. However, 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. Macau's currency, the Pataca, is closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar, which is also freely accepted in the territory.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$12.5 billion (2006)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$14.3 billion (2006)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
16.6% (2006)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$28,400 (2006)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 3.9%
services: 96% (2006 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
275,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
manufacturing 11.1%, construction 11.7%, transport and communications 6.3%, wholesale and retail trade 13.7%, restaurants and hotels 11.3%, gambling 19.8%, public sector 7.7%, financial services 2.6%, other services and agriculture 15.7% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.1% (2006)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.2% (2006)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $4.6 billion
expenditures: $3.4 billion (2006)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.8% (2006)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.67 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.37 billion kWh (2006)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2006)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
964.4 million kWh (2006)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13,920 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
21 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
13,870 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2008)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2006)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.557 billion f.o.b.; note - includes reexports (2006)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 44.1%, China 14.8%, Hong Kong 11.3%, Germany 7.3%, UK 4.1% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$4.559 billion c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
China 45.2%, Hong Kong 10.2%, Japan 8.4%, US 5.5%, Singapore 4.1%, France 4% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$13.7 million (2004)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$0 (2006)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$6.5 billion
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.1 billion
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$413.1 million (2004)
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
pataca (MOP)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2007), 8.0015 (2006), 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Macau Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
178,013 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
794,323 (2007)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services
domestic: termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 140 per 100 persons in 2006; fixed-line teledensity about 40 per 100 persons
international: country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2006)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.mo
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
232 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
300,000 (2007)
   Transportation    Macau Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 384 km
paved: 384 km (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Macau
   Military    Macau Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular military forces
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 112,744 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 91,299 (2005 est.)
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of China
   Transnational Issues    Macau Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none
Trafficking in persons:
Definition Field Listing
current situation: Macau is a transit and destination territory for women trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; most females in Macau's sizeable sex industry come from the interior regions of China or Mongolia, though a significant number also come from Russia, Eastern Europe, Thailand, and Vietnam; the majority of women in Macau's prostitution trade appear to have entered Macau and the sex trade voluntarily, though there is evidence that some are deceived or coerced into sexual servitude, often through the use of debt bondage; organized criminal syndicates are reportedly involved in bringing women to Macau, and fear of reprisals from these groups may prevent some women from seeking help
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Macau is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for failing to show evidence of increasing efforts to address trafficking since 2004
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines

This page was last updated on 20 March, 2008


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