from
CIA World Factbook 2006
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.
Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic 22 10 N, 113 33 E
coordinates:
Map Southeast Asia
references:
Area: total: 28.2 sq km
land: 28.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land total: 0.34 km
boundaries: regional border: China 0.34 km
Coastline: 41 km
Maritime not specified
claims:
Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Terrain: generally flat
Elevation lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m
Natural NEGL
resources:
Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural typhoons
hazards:
Environment - NA
current
issues:
Geography - essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the
note: 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
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 0.86% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 8.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 4.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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 total: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 82.19 years
expectancy at male: 79.36 years
birth: female: 85.17 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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.)
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 special administrative region of China
status:
Government limited democracy
type:
Administrative none (special administrative region of China)
divisions:
Independence: none (special administrative region of China)
National National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the
holiday: 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 chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15
branch: 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 unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected
branch: 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 Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative
branch: Region
Political Civil Service Union [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO];
parties and Development Union [KWAN Tsui-hang]; Macau Development
leaders: Alliance [Angela LEONG On-kei]; Macau United Citizens'
Association [CHAN Meng-kam]; New Democratic Macau
Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]; United Forces
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO
organization (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO
participation:
Diplomatic none (special administrative region of China)
representation
in the US:
Diplomatic the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are
representation monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong
from the US:
Flag light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge
description: and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold,
five-pointed stars: one large in center of arc and four
smaller
Economy
Economy - Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most
overview: 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 $10 billion (2004)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $10.05 billion (2004)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.8% (3rd Quarter 2005)
growth rate:
GDP - per $22,000 (2004)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 0.1%
composition by industry: 7.2%
sector: services: 92.7% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 251,200 (3rd Quarter, 2005)
Labor force - manufacturing 13.7%, construction 10.5%, transport and
by occupation: 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 4.1% (3rd Quarter 2005)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 3.8% (2nd quarter, 2005)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $3.16 billion
expenditures: $3.16 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY05/06)
Agriculture - only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable
products: 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 NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 1.893 billion kWh (2004)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 1.899 billion kWh (2004)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 153.3 million kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
production:
Oil - 12,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $3.465 billion f.o.b.; note - includes reexports (2004)
Exports - clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics,
commodities: machinery and parts
Exports - US 48.7%, China 14.9%, Hong Kong 9.8%, Germany 5.9%
partners: (2005)
Imports: $3.478 billion c.i.f. (2004)
Imports - raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer
commodities: goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods,
mineral fuels and oils
Imports - China 43.1%, Japan 10.9%, Hong Kong 10%, Singapore
partners: 5.2%, US 4.1%, Taiwan 4% (2005)
Debt - $3.1 billion (2004)
external:
Economic aid - $NA
recipient:
Currency pataca (MOP)
(code):
Currency code: MOP
Exchange patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004),
rates: 8.021 (2003), 8.033 (2002), 8.034 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 174,400 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 532,800 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: fairly modern communication
system: 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 AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 160,000 (1997)
Television 1 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 49,000 (1997)
Internet .mo
country code:
Internet 108 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 201,000 (2004)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with paved over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 368 km
paved: 368 km (2005)
Ports and Macau
terminals:
Military
Military no regular military forces
branches:
Manpower males age 18-49: 112,744 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 91,299 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Military - defense is the responsiblity of China
note:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international:
Trafficking in current situation: Macau is a transit and destination
persons: 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