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 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.


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Location: Eastern Asia bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates: 22 10 N 113 33 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 21 km²
Land: 21 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries
Total: 0.34 km
Border countries: (1) China 0.34 km

Coastline: 40 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
Extremes highest point: Coloane Alto 174 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 2%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 98% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons

Geography
Note: essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland


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Population: 453,733 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.79% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Chinese
Adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups: Chinese 95% Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) Portuguese other

Languages: Portuguese Chinese (Cantonese)

Religions: Buddhist 50% Roman Catholic 15% none and other 35% (1997 est.)

Demographic profile

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) (2000 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.79% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 12.36 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 3.71 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 9.25 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 0.92 male/female (2000 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 4.47 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.69 years
Male: 78.88 years
Female: 84.64 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.31 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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)

Government type: NA

Capital

Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region of China)

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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 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

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held by 15 October 2000)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - APPEM 2, UNIPRO 2, CODEM 1, UDM 1, UPD 1, ANMD 1

Judicial branch: The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders
Note: there are no formal political parties, but civic associations are used instead

International organization participation: CCC ESCAP (associate) IMO (associate) Interpol (subbureau) UNESCO (associate) WMO WToO (associate) WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (special administrative region of China)
From the us: the US has no offices in Macau and 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

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 25%
Services: 74% (2000 est.)

Agriculture products: rice vegetables

Industries: clothing textiles toys electronics footwear tourism gambling

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 283,450 (1999)
By occupation: restaurants and hotels 26% manufacturing 22% other services 52% (2000 est.)