Map of Macau | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 will become 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.


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Location: Eastern Asia, 27 km west-southwest of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China bordering the South China Sea

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 16 km²
Land: 16 km²

Land boundaries: total 0.34 km, China 0.34 km

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims: not specified

Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Terrain: generally flat

Elevation

Natural resources: negligible

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 100%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: defense is responsibility of Portugal


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Population: 484,557 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.35% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Macanese (singular and plural)

Ethnic groups

Languages: Portuguese (official), Cantonese is the language of commerce

Religions: Buddhist 45%, Roman Catholic 7%, Protestant 1%, none 45.8%, other 1.2% (1981)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.35% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 14.78 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 4.12 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.83 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 5.5 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.75 years
Male: 77.33 years
Female: 82.3 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
Total population: 90%
Male: 93%
Female: 86%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form:

Government type: overseas territory of Portugal scheduled to revert to China in 1999

Capital: Administrative divisions:2 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho; Ilhas, Macau

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence: none (territory of Portugal; Portugal signed an agreement with China on 13 April 1987 to return Macau to China on 20 December 1999; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Macau's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 year after transition)

National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)

Constitution: 17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau; basic law drafted primarily by Beijing awaiting final approval

Legal system: Portuguese civil law system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President (of Portugal) Mario Alberto SOARES (since 9 March 1986)
Head of government: Governor Gen. Vasco Joachim Rocha VIEIRA (since 20 March 1991)

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Assembly: elections last held on 10 March 1991; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (23 total; 8 elected by universal suffrage, 8 by indirect suffrage, and 7 appointed by the governor) number of seats by party NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), GATT, IMO (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), WTO (associate)

Diplomatic representation
From the us:

Flag description: the flag of Portugal is used

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 two-thirds of export earnings; the gambling industry represented well over 40% of GDP in 1992. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 12% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $7,300 (1992)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: rice, vegetables; food shortages - rice, vegetables, meat; depends mostly on imports for food requirements

Industries: clothing, textiles, toys, plastic products, furniture, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 180,000 (1986)
By occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$305 million

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.8 billion (1992 est.)
Commodities: textiles, clothing, toys
Partners: US 35%, Hong Kong 12.5%, Germany 12%, China 9.9%, France 8% (1992 est.)

Imports: $2 billion (1992 est.)
Commodities: raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods
Partners: Hong Kong 33%, China 20%, Japan 18% (1992 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $91 million (1985)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1 - 8.034 (1991-93), 8.024 (1990), 8.030 (1989; note - linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar


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Electricity
Capacity: 258,000 kW
Production: 855 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,806 kWh (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs