2001 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2001 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Administrative divisions
none (special administrative region of China)
Age structure
0-14 years: 22.68% (male 53,291; female 49,615) 15-64 years: 70.08% (male 150,538; female 167,431) 65 years and over: 7.24% (male 13,287; female 19,571) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products
rice, vegetables
Airports
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) Macau Military
Area
total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
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. Macau Geography
Birth rate
12.36 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget
revenues: $1.26 billion expenditures: $1.22 billion, including capital expenditures of $175 million (1999 est.)
Climate
subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Coastline
40 km
Constitution
Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"
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)
Currency
pataca (MOP)
Currency code
MOP
Death rate
3.71 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external
$1.7 billion (1997)
Dependency status
special administrative region of China
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US has no offices in Macau, and US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (special administrative region of China)
Disputes - international
none
Economic aid - recipient
$NA
Economy - overview
The economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling) and textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small industries - toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The tourist sector has accounted for roughly 25% of GDP, and the clothing industry has provided about three-fourths of export earnings; the gambling industry probably represents over 40% of GDP. More than 8 million tourists visited Macau in 2000. Macau depends on China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods. Output dropped 5% in 1998 and 3% in 1999, with a small 2% gain in 2000. Macau reverted to Chinese administration on 20 December 1999. Gang violence, a dark spot in the economy, probably will be reduced in 2000-01 to the advantage of the tourism sector.
Electricity - consumption
1.422 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports
3 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports
165 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production
1.355 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Coloane Alto 174 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Ethnic groups
Chinese 95%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry), Portuguese, other
Exchange rates
patacas per US dollar - 8.033 (January 2001), 8.025 (2000), 7.990 (1999), 7.978 (1998), 7.974 (1997), 7.966 (1996); note - linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar
Executive branch
chief of state: President of China JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20 December 1999) cabinet: Executive Council consists of all five government secretaries, three legislators, and two businessmen elections: NA
Exports
$2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities
textiles, clothing, toys, electronics, cement, footwear, machinery
Exports - partners
US 47%, EU 30%, China 9.2%, Hong Kong 6.7% (1999)
Fiscal year
calendar year Macau Communications
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 Macau Economy
GDP
purchasing power parity - $7.82 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 1% industry: 25% services: 74% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates
22 10 N, 113 33 E
Geography - note
essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland Macau People
Government type
NA
Highways
total: 50 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (2001)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$2.4 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities
raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods, fuels, consumer goods
Imports - partners
China 36%, Hong Kong 18%, EU 13%, Taiwan 10%, Japan 7% (1999)
Independence
none (special administrative region of China)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
clothing, textiles, toys, electronics, footwear, tourism, gambling
Infant mortality rate
4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-1.8% (2000 est.)
International organization participation
CCC, ESCAP (associate), IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), UNESCO (associate), WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Internet country code
.mo
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
40,000 (2000) Macau Transportation
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Judicial branch
The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region
Labor force
283,450 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation
restaurants and hotels 26%, manufacturing 22%, other services 52% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 0.34 km border countries: China 0.34 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 98% (1998 est.)
Languages
Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese)
Legal system
based on Portuguese civil law system
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (23 seats; 8 elected by popular vote, 8 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held by 15 October 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - APPEM 2, UNIPRO 2, CODEM 1, UDM 1, UPD 1, ANMD 1
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81.69 years male: 78.88 years female: 84.64 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 93% female: 86% (1981 est.) Macau Government
Location
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
not specified
Merchant marine
none (2000 est.)
Military - note
responsibility for defense reverted to China on 20 December 1999 Macau Transnational Issues
Military branches
Macau garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes about 500 troops
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 125,737 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 69,191 (2001 est.)
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
Nationality
noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese
Natural hazards
typhoons
Natural resources
NEGL
Net migration rate
9.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders
the following is a listing of those associations that participated in the last legislative elections: Associacao de Novo Macau Democratico or ANMD [leader NA]; Associacao Promotora para a Economia de Macau or APPEM [leader NA]; Convergencia para o Desenvolvimento or CODEM [leader NA]; Uniao Geral para o Desenvolvimento de Macau or UDM [leader NA]; Uniao para o Desenvolvimento or UPD [leader NA]; Uniao Promotora para o Progresso or UNIPRO [leader NA] note: there are no formal political parties, but civic associations are used instead
Political pressure groups and leaders
Catholic Church [Domingos LAM, bishop]; Macau Society of Tourism and Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO, managing director]; Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong, leader]
Population
453,733 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Population growth rate
1.79% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors
Macau
Radio broadcast stations
AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
160,000 (1997)
Railways
0 km
Religions
Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
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
Telephone system
general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services domestic: NA international: HF radiotelephone communication facility; access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use
176,837 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular
120,957 (2000)
Television broadcast stations
0 (receives Hong Kong broadcasts) (1997)
Televisions
49,000 (1997)
Terrain
generally flat
Total fertility rate
1.31 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
6.6% (2000)
Waterways
none