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. 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.


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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: 28.2 km²
Land: 28.2 km²
Water: 0 km²
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
Extremes highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons

Geography
Note: essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 km² and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges


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Population: 545,674 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 3.148% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Chinese
Adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups: Chinese 94.3% other 5.7% (includes Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry)) (2006 census)

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)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.5% (male 47,935/female 42,301)
15-64 years: 75.8% (male 193,571/female 220,108)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 19,340/female 22,419) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 35 years
Male: 35.6 years
Female: 34.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.148% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 8.69 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 3.43 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 26.21 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.13 male/female
15-64 years: 0.88 male/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male/female
Total population: 0.92 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.23 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.39 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.07 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 84.33 years
Male: 81.36 years
Female: 87.45 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 0.9 children born/woman (2008 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: 2.4% of GDP (2005)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91.3%
Male: 95.3%
Female: 87.8% (2001 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 14 years (2006)

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 on 31 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 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

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
Elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)
Election results: percent of vote - New Democratic Macau Association 18.8%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16.6%, Union for Development 13.3%, Union for Promoting Progress 9.6%, Macau Development Alliance 9.3%, others 32.4%; seats by political group - New Democratic Macau Association 2, Macau United Citizens' Association 2, Union for Development 2, Union for Promoting Progress 2, Macau Development Alliance 1, others 3; 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
Note: there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies

International organization participation: IHO IMF IMO (associate) ISO (correspondent) UNESCO (associate) UNWTO (associate) UPU WCO WFTU WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (special administrative region of China)
From the us: the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau

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 economy has enjoyed strong growth in recent years on the back of its expanding tourism and gaming sectors. Since opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001 the territory has attracted tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment that have helped transform it into the world's largest gaming center. In 2006 Macau's gaming revenue surpassed that of the Las Vegas strip and gaming-related taxes accounted for 75% of total government revenue. The expanding casino sector and China's decision beginning in 2002 to relax travel restrictions have reenergized Macau's tourism industry which saw total visitors grow to 27 million in 2007 up 62% in three years. Macau's strong economic growth has put pressure its labor market prompting businesses to look abroad to meet their staffing needs. The resulting influx of non-resident workers who totaled one-fifth of the workforce in 2006 has fueled tensions among some segments of the population. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has been in a slow decline. In 2006 exports of textiles and garments generated only $1.8 billion compared to $6.9 billion in gross gaming receipts. Macau's textile industry will continue to move to the mainland because of the termination in 2005 of the Multi-Fiber Agreement which provided a near guarantee of export markets leaving the territory more dependent on gambling and trade-related services to generate growth. However 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. Macau's currency the Pataca is closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar which is also freely accepted in the territory.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $12.5 billion (2006)

Real gdp growth rate: 16.6% (2006)

Real gdp per capita: $28,400 (2006)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.1%
Industry: 3.9%
Services: 96% (2006 est.)

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: 3.8% (3rd quarter 2007)

Labor force: 275,000 (2006)
By occupation: manufacturing 11.1% construction 11.7% transport and communications 6.3% wholesale and retail trade 13.7% restaurants and hotels 11.3% gambling 19.8% public sector 7.7% financial services 2.6% other services and agriculture 15.7% (2006)

Unemployment rate: 3.1% (2006)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $4.6 billion
Expenditures: $3.4 billion (2006)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.2% (2006)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.81% (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: NA (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $413.1 million (2004)

Current account balance

Exports: $2.557 billion f.o.b.; note - includes reexports (2006)
Commodities: clothing textiles footwear toys electronics machinery and parts
Partners: US 40.6% China 14.8% Hong Kong 13.1% Germany 6.4% UK 4% (2007)

Imports: $4.559 billion c.i.f. (2006)
Commodities: raw materials and semi-manufactured goods consumer goods (foodstuffs beverages tobacco) capital goods mineral fuels and oils
Partners: China 42.6% Hong Kong 10.1% Japan 9% US 5.6% Germany 4.4% France 4.2% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $0 (2006)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $6.5 billion (2006)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $1.1 billion (2006)

Exchange rates: patacas (MOP) per US dollar - 8.011 (2007) 8.0015 (2006) 8.011 (2005) 8.022 (2004) 8.021 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 1.454 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption: 2.984 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 1.683 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 177,851 (2008)
Mobile cellular: 856,200 (2008)

Telephone system
General assessment: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services
Domestic: termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 190 per 100 persons in 2008; fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now in decline
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) (2008)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .mo
Hosts: 263 (2008)
Users: 300,000 (2007)

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: 1 (2007)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports: 1 (2007)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 384 km
Paved: 384 km (2006)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Macau


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines