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This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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| Introduction | Macau | Top of Page

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 | Top of Page

Location: | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates: | 22 10 N, 113 33 E
Map references: | Southeast Asia
Area: | total: 28.2 sq km land: 28.2 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: | less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: | total: 0.34 km regional border: China 0.34 km
Coastline: | 41 km
Maritime claims: | not specified
Climate: | subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Terrain: | generally flat
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m
Natural resources: | NEGL
Land use: | arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land: | NA
Natural hazards: | typhoons
Environment - current issues: | NA
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

| People | Macau | Top of Page

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 growth rate: | 0.86% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 8.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | 4.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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 mortality rate: | total: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 82.19 years male: 79.36 years female: 85.17 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA
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 | Macau | Top of Page

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
Government type: | limited democracy
Administrative divisions: | none (special administrative region of China)
Independence: | none (special administrative region of 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
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 branch: | 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: | unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected 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 branch: | Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders: | 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
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (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
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 | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most 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 (purchasing power parity): | $10 billion (2004)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $10.05 billion (2004)
GDP - real growth rate: | 2.8% (3rd Quarter 2005)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $22,000 (2004)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 0.1% industry: 7.2% services: 92.7% (2002 est.)
Labor force: | 251,200 (3rd Quarter, 2005)
Labor force - by occupation: | manufacturing 13.7%, construction 10.5%, transport and 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 rate: | 4.1% (3rd Quarter 2005)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3.8% (2nd quarter, 2005)
Budget: | revenues: $3.16 billion expenditures: $3.16 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY05/06)
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
Industries: | tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys
Industrial production growth rate: | NA%
Electricity - production: | 1.893 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - consumption: | 1.899 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: | 153.3 million kWh (2004)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 12,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Exports: | $3.465 billion f.o.b.; note - includes reexports (2004)
Exports - commodities: | clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts
Exports - partners: | US 48.7%, China 14.9%, Hong Kong 9.8%, Germany 5.9% (2005)
Imports: | $3.478 billion c.i.f. (2004)
Imports - commodities: | raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils
Imports - partners: | China 43.1%, Japan 10.9%, Hong Kong 10%, Singapore 5.2%, US 4.1%, Taiwan 4% (2005)
Debt - external: | $3.1 billion (2004)
Economic aid - recipient: | $NA
Currency (code): | pataca (MOP)
Exchange rates: | patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021 (2003), 8.033 (2002), 8.034 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

| Communications | Macau | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 174,400 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 532,800 (2005)
Telephone system: | general assessment: fairly modern communication 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 broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (2006)
Internet country code: | .mo
Internet hosts: | 108 (2006)
Internet users: | 201,000 (2004)

| Transportation | Macau | Top of Page

Airports: | 1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways: | total: 368 km paved: 368 km (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Macau

| Military | Macau | Top of Page

Military branches: | no regular military forces
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 112,744 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 91,299 (2005 est.)
Military - note: | defense is the responsiblity of China

| Transnational Issues | Macau | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none
Trafficking in persons: | 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

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006