2010 Edition

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 the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be practiced in Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Area

land

28.2 sq km

total

28.2 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Coastline

41 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Coloane Alto 172 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Environment - international agreements

party to

Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Geographic coordinates

22 10 N, 113 33 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

regional border

China 0.34 km

total

0.34 km

Land use

arable land

0%

other

100% (2005)

permanent crops

0%

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

not specified

Natural hazards

typhoons

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

generally flat

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.1% (male 47,853/female 42,019) 15-64 years: 76.2% (male 199,593/female 227,010) 65 years and over: 7.7% (male 20,245/female 23,126) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

8.98 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

3.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

2.2% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

Chinese 94.3%, other 5.7% (includes Macanese - mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) (2006 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

3.36 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Cantonese 85.7%, Hokkien 4%, Mandarin 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 2.7%, English 1.5%, Tagalog 1.3%, other 1.6% (2001 census)

Life expectancy at birth

female

87.49 years (2010 est.)

male

81.42 years

total population

84.38 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

87.8% (2001 census)

male

95.3%

total population

91.3%

Median age

female

35 years (2010 est.)

male

36.3 years

total

35.6 years

Nationality

adjective

Chinese

noun

Chinese

Net migration rate

3.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

567,957 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

0.89% (2010 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none or other 35% (1997 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2008)

male

15 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female

total population

0.92 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

0.91 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)

Constitution

Basic Law, approved on 31 March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's charter

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (special administrative region of China)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council consists of 1 government secretary, 3 legislators, 4 businessmen, 1 pro-Beijing unionist, and 1 pro-Beijing educator (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)

election results

Fernando CHUI Sai-on elected in 2009 with 282 votes, took office on 20 December 2009

elections

chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held in July 2014)

head of government

Chief Executive Fernando CHUI Sai-on (since 20 December 2009)

Flag description

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 the center of the arc and two smaller on either side; the lotus is the floral emblem of Macau, the three petals represent the peninsula and two islands that make up Macau; the five stars echo those on the flag of China

Government type

limited democracy

Independence

none (special administrative region of China)

International organization participation

IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WTO

Judicial branch

Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region

Legal system

based on Portuguese civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 members elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - UPD 14.9%, ACUM 12%, APMD 11.6%, NUDM 9.9%, UPP 9.9%, ANMD 7.8%, UMG 7.3%, MUDAR 5.5%, others 21.1%; seats by political group - UPD 2, ACUM 2, APMD 2, NUMD 1, UPP 1, ANMD 1, UMG 1, MUDAR 1; 10 seats filled by professional and business groups; 7 members appointed by the chief executive

elections

last held on 20 September 2009 (next to be held in September 2013)

National anthem

note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyonggjun Jinxingqu" is official (see 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

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Change or MUDAR; Macau Development Alliance or NUDM [Angela LEONG On-kei]; Macau-Guangdong Union or UNG; Macau United Citizens' Association or ACUM [CHAN Meng-kam]; New Democratic Macau Association or APMD [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]; New Hope or NE [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]; Union for Promoting Progress or UPP [LEONG Heng-teng] 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

Civic Power [Agnes LAM Lok-fong]; Macau New Chinese Youth Association [LEONG Sin-man]; Macau Society of Tourism and Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO]; Macau Worker's Union [HO Heng-kuok]; Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]

Suffrage

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

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

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.25% (31 December 2009 est.) 5.43% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

$NA

Debt - external

$0 (2009)

Economy - overview

Macau's economy slowed dramatically in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown, but strong growth resumed in 2010, largely on the back of strong tourism and gaming sectors. After opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001, the territory attracted tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment, transforming Macau into one of the world's largest gaming center. Macau's gaming and tourism businesses were fueled by China's decision to relax travel restrictions on Chinese citizens wishing to visit Macau. By 2006, Macau's gaming revenue surpassed that of the Las Vegas strip, and gaming-related taxes accounted for more than 70% of total government revenue. In 2008, Macau introduced measures to cool the rapidly developing sector. This city of nearly 570,000 hosted more than 21 million visitors in 2009. Almost 51% came from mainland China. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has virtually disappeared since the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005. In 2009, total exports were less than US$1 billion, while gaming receipts were almost US$15 billion. By October 2010, gross gaming revenue had already reached US$19 billion for the year. The Macau government plans to tighten control over the opening of new casinos and strengthen supervision of local casino operations in 2011 and has introduced measures to diversify the economy. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came into effect on 1 January 2004 offers Macau-made products tariff-free access to the mainland; nevertheless, China remains Macau's third largest goods export market, behind Hong Kong and the United States. Macau's currency, the Pataca, is closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar, which is also freely accepted in the territory.

Electricity - consumption

3.474 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

2.215 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

1.424 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Exchange rates

patacas (MOP) per US dollar - 7.985 (2009), 7.983 (2008), 8.011 (2007), 8.0015 (2006)

Exports

$950 million (2009 est.) $2 billion (2008); note - includes reexports

Exports - commodities

clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts

Exports - partners

Hong Kong 38.7%, US 17.9%, China 14.4%, Germany 4% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

0.1%

industry

2.8%

services

97.1% (2009 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$33,000 (2009) $31,800 (2008) $28,400 (2006)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2009 est.) 12.9% (2008) 26% (2007)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$22.1 billion (2009 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$18.47 billion (2009 est.) $18.14 billion (2008 est.) $14.4 billion (2006) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$4.5 billion (2009 est.) $5.4 billion (2008 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

China 31.1%, Hong Kong 10.8%, Japan 8.1%, France 8%, US 6.2% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.2% (December 2009) 8.6% (2008)

Labor force

322,000 (2009 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

construction

9.3%

financial services

2.1%

gambling

14.2%

manufacturing

4.9%

other services and agriculture

31.5% (2009 est.)

public sector

6.6%

restaurants and hotels

13.6%

transport and communications

5.2%

wholesale and retail trade

12.6%

Market value of publicly traded shares

$2.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $NA (31 December 2007) $413.1 million (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

91.3 million cu m (2009)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - imports

97.8 million cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

300,000 cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

16,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - imports

9,294 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$NA

Stock of broad money

$26.56 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $23.78 billion (31 December 2008)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$980 million (2009 est.) $1 billion (2008 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$13.6 billion (2008 est.) $11.1 billion (#REF! est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.717 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $847 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$3.831 billion (31 December 2009) $3.099 billion (31 December 2008)

Unemployment rate

3.6% (2009) 3% (2008)

Broadcast media

local government dominates broadcast media; 2 television stations operated by the government with one broadcasting in Portuguese and the other in Cantonese and Mandarin; cable and satellite TV services are available; 3 radio stations broadcasting, of which 2 are government-operated (2008)

Internet country code

.mo

Internet hosts

252 (2010)

Internet users

270,200 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 200 per 100 persons in 2010; fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now in decline

general assessment

fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services

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) (2010)

Telephones - main lines in use

168,903 (2010)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.109 million (2010)

Airports

1 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports

2 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Macau

Roadways

paved

413 km (2009)

total

413 km

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 150,712 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 124,074 females age 16-49: 149,799 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

3,900 (2010 est.)

male

4,488

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of China

Military branches

no regular military forces

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================