Map of Macau | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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 for the next 50 years.


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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: 25.4 km²
Land: 25.4 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.1 times 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
Extremes highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100%
Note: 'green areas' represent 22.4% (2001)

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: 449,198 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 0.87% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Chinese
Adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups: Chinese 95.7% Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) 1% other 3.3% (2001 census)

Languages: Cantonese 87.9% Hokkien 4.4% Mandarin 1.6% other Chinese dialects 3.1% other 3% (2001 census)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17% (male 39,564/female 36,947)
15-64 years: 75.1% (male 160,957/female 176,386)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 14,713/female 20,631) (2005 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 35.2 years
Male: 34.9 years
Female: 35.4 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.87% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 8.04 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 4.23 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.86 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male/female
Total population: 0.92 male/female (2005 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.39 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.59 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.19 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.12 years
Male: 79.29 years
Female: 85.09 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 0.93 children born/woman (2005 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: 94.5%
Male: 97.2%
Female: 92% (2003 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: limited democracy

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 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, four legislators, four businessmen, and one pro-Beijing unionist
Elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee for up to two five-year terms
Election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected on 29 August 2004; received 296 votes in Election Committee out of 300 possible; 3 members submitted blank ballots; 1 member was absent

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 26 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, Union 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 [leader NA]

International organization participation: IMF IMO (associate) Interpol (sub-bureau) ISO (correspondent) UNESCO (associate) UPU WCO WMO WToO (associate) WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (special administrative region of China)
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 1998 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001 its economy grew 9.5% in 2002 and 15.6% in 2003. During the first three quarters of 2004 Macau registered year-on-year GDP increases of more than 20 percent. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of restrictions on travel increased public works expenditures and significant investment inflows associated with the liberalization of Macau's gaming industry 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 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 will bolster 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 to be expanded on 1 January 2005.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $9.1 billion (2003)

Real gdp growth rate: 15.6% (2003)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2003)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.1%
Industry: 7.2%
Services: 92.7% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: only 2% of land area is cultivated mainly by vegetable growers; fishing mostly for crustaceans is important some of catch is exported to Hong Kong; most food requirements are met by imports primarily from China

Industries: tourism gambling clothing textiles electronics footwear toys

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 231,500 (3rd Quarter 2004)
By occupation: manufacturing 18.3% construction 8% transport and communications 7% wholesale and retail trade 16.2% restaurants and hotels 10.9% gambling 11.6% public sector 8.8% other services and agriculture 19.2% (2003 est.)