2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (special administrative region of China)

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.9% (male 51,078; female 47,118) 15-64 years: 71.8% (male 159,500; female 178,043) 65 years and over: 7.3% (male 13,930; female 20,234) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

vegetables, livestock

Airports

1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2002) Military Macau

total

1

Area

land

25.4 sq km

total

25.4 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 for the next 50 years. Geography Macau

Birth rate

12.07 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.19 billion, including capital expenditures of $194 million (2002)

revenues

$1.41 billion

Climate

subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Coastline

41 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

3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$255 million (2000 est.)

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (special administrative region of China)

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

Macau's economy four years after reversion to China remains one of the most open in the world. The territory's net exports of goods and services account for 39% of GDP with tourism and apparel exports as the mainstays. Although the territory was hit hard by the 1998 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001, its economy grew an estimated 9.5% in 2002. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of restrictions on travel drove the recovery. The budget also returned to surplus in 2002 because of the surge in visitors from China and a hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about 63% of government revenue. The liberalization of Macao's gambling monopoly may contribute to GDP growth, as the three companies awarded gambling licenses have pledged to invest $2.2 billion - roughly 33% of GDP - in the territory. 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. Growth fell to 4% in 2003, according to early government forecasts, with the drop in large measure due to concerns over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Electricity - consumption

1.688 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

193 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

1.611 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Coloane Alto 172.4 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

Chinese 95%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry), Portuguese, other

Exchange rates

patacas per US dollar - 8.03 (2002), 8.03 (2001), 8.03 (2000), 7.99 (1999), 7.98 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council consists of all five government secretaries, three legislators, and two businessmen

chief of state

President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)

elections

chief executive chosen by a 200-member selection committee for up to two five-year terms

head of government

Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20 December 1999)

Exports

$2.36 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

clothing, textiles, footwear, cement, machines, and parts

Exports - partners

US 48.6%, China 15.5%, Germany 7.4%, Hong Kong 5.8%, UK 5.4% (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Macau

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 Economy Macau

GDP

purchasing power parity - $8.6 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

1%

industry

12%

services

87% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $18,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

9.5% (2002 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 People Macau

Government type

limited democracy

Highways

paved

271 km

total

271 km

unpaved

0 km (2000)

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

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$2.53 billion c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

clothing, textiles, yarn, foodstuffs, fuel, automobiles, capital goods

Imports - partners

China 41.7%, Hong Kong 14.5%, Japan 6.7%, Taiwan 6.6%, South Korea 5%, France 4.3%, US 4.1% (2002)

Independence

none (special administrative region of China)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

4.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

4.01 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.42 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-2.6% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

ESCAP (associate), IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (sub-bureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO

Internet country code

.mo

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

101,000 (2002) Transportation Macau

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region

Labor force

214,000 (2002)

Labor force - by occupation

restaurants and hotels 12%, manufacturing 20%, other services and agriculture 68% (2002 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

China 0.34 km

total

0.34 km

Land use

arable land

0%

note

"green areas" represent 22.4% (1998 est.)

other

100%

permanent crops

0%

Languages

Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese)

Legal system

based on Portuguese civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (27 seats; 10 elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA%; seats by political bloc - Entertainment Industry 3, pro-democracy 2, pro-Beijing Labor Union 2, pro-Beijing Neighborhood Association 2, pro-business 1

elections

last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.82 years (2003 est.)

male

79.05 years

total population

81.87 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

92% (2003 est.) Government Macau

male

97.2%

total population

94.5%

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

not specified

Median age

female

33.3 years (2002)

male

32.9 years

total

33.1 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; responsibility for defense reverted to China on 20 December 1999; there is a local police force

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

130,228 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

71,826 (2003 est.) Transnational Issues Macau

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

adjective

Chinese

noun

Chinese

Natural hazards

typhoons

Natural resources

NEGL

Net migration rate

8.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

there are no formal political parties, however, there are civic associations that, for purposes of legislative voting, join together to form political blocs

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

469,903 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

1.72% (2003 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

total population

0.91 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

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

domestic

NA

general assessment

fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services

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

176,902 (November 2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

158,251 (November 2001)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2003)

Televisions

49,000 (1997)

Terrain

generally flat

Total fertility rate

1.32 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.3% (2002)

Waterways

none