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 the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999. In this agreement China promised that under its 'one country two systems' formula China's political and economic system would not be imposed on Macau and that Macau would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign affairs and defense 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

Area
Rank: 237
Comparative: less than one-sixth the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries

Coastline: 41 km

Maritime claims: not specified

Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters warm summers

Terrain: generally flat

Elevation

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use

Irrigated land: NA; note - included in the total for China

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: 578,025 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 169
Growth rate: 0.866% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 129
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

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%

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.866% (2012 est.)
Rank: 129

Birth rate: 9.05 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 209

Death rate: 3.85 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 208

Net migration rate: 3.46 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 27

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
Rank: 217

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 2

Total fertility rate: 0.92 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 223

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: 2.2% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 152

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: limited democracy

Capital

Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region of the People's Republic 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: The Basic Law approved 31 March 1993 by China's National People's Congress is Macau's charter

Legal system: civil law system based on the Portuguese model

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age in direct elections for some legislative positions universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; note - indirect elections are limited to organizations registered as 'corporate voters' (973 were registered in the 2009 legislative elections) and a 300-member Election Committee for the Chief Executive (CE) drawn from broad regional groupings municipal organizations central government bodies and elected Macau officials

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 members elected by popular vote 10 by indirect vote and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms)

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

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Change or MUDAR; Macau Development Alliance or NUDM [Angela LEONG On-kei]; Macau-Guangdong Union or UNG; Macau United Citizens' Association or ACUM [CHAN Meng-kam]; New Macau Association or NMA [Jason CHAO]; New Hope or NE [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]; Union for Promoting Progress or UPP [LEONG Heng-teng]

International organization participation: ICC (national committees) IHO IMF IMO (associate) Interpol (subbureau) ISO (correspondent) UNESCO (associate) UNWTO (associate) UPU WCO 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: 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 the center of the arc and two smaller on either side; the lotus is the floral emblem of Macau the three petals represent the peninsula and two islands that make up Macau; the five stars echo those on the flag of China

National symbols: lotus blossom

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: After opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001 the territory attracted tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment transforming Macau into one of the world's largest gaming centers. Macau's gaming and tourism businesses were fueled by China's decision to relax travel restrictions on Chinese citizens wishing to visit Macau. By 2006 Macau's gaming revenue surpassed that of the Las Vegas strip and gaming-related taxes accounted for more than 70% of total government revenue. In 2008 Macau introduced measures to cool the rapidly developing sector. Macau's economy slowed dramatically in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown but strong growth resumed in 2010-11 largely on the back of tourism from mainland China and the gaming sectors. This city of 550,000 hosted nearly 25 million visitors in 2010. Almost 53% came from mainland China. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry slowed greatly since the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came into effect in January 2004 offers Macau-made products tariff-free access to the mainland; nevertheless China is Macau's second largest goods export market behind Hong Kong and followed by the United States. However exports in 2010 were less than US$900 million while gaming receipts were almost US$24 billion a 58% increase over 2009. Macau's economy expanded at a slower pace in 2012 - around 10% - reflecting continued global economic uncertainties. Macau continues to face the challenges of managing its growing casino industry money-laundering and the need to diversifying the economy away from heavy dependence on gaming revenues. 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:
Rank: 99

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 3

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 4

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3.9% (2011)
Rank: 83

Labor force: 330,900 (2010 est.)
Rank: 163

Unemployment rate: 2.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 15

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: 45.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 1

Taxes and other revenues: 76.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 5

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.8% (2011 est.)
Rank: 147

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 5.25% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 154

Stock of narrow money: $4.532 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 100

Stock of broad money: $37.35 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 72

Stock of domestic credit: $8.612 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 112

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 96

Current account balance: $12.06 billion (2010 est.)
Rank: 23

Exports: $1.053 billion (2010 est.)
Rank: 155
Commodities: clothing textiles footwear toys electronics machinery and parts
Partners: Hong Kong 44.6% China 15.9% US 7.9% (2011)

Imports: $6.552 billion (2010 est.)
Rank: 102
Commodities: raw materials and semi-manufactured goods consumer goods (foodstuffs beverages tobacco) capital goods mineral fuels and oils
Partners: China 30.4% Hong Kong 12% France 10.4% Switzerland 7.5% Italy 7.5% Japan 6.2% US 6.1% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $23.73 billion (2010 est.)
Rank: 48

Debt external: $0 (2010)
Rank: 204

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $10.5 billion (#REF! est.)
Rank: 80

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $964 million (2008)
Rank: 81

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 1.1 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 147
Consumption: 3.66 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 123
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 94
Imports: 2.79 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 45
Installed generating capacity: 472,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 138
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 24
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 131
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 181
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 153

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 160
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 147
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 89
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 159

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 170
Products consumption: 18,180 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 134
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Products exports rank: 196
Products imports: 15,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 120

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 159
Consumption: 154.7 million m³ (2010)
Consumption rank: 103
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 109
Imports: 154.5 million m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 72
Proven reserves: 174,000 m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 105

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 2.537 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 145

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 165,500 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 131
Mobile cellular: 1.353 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 148

Telephone system

Broadcast media: local government dominates broadcast media; 2 television stations operated by the government with one broadcasting in Portuguese and the other in Cantonese and Mandarin; cable and satellite TV services available; 3 radio stations broadcasting of which 2 are government-operated (2010)

Internet
Country code: .mo
Hosts: 327 (2012)
Hosts rank: 190
Users: 270,200 (2009)
Users rank: 134

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 (2012)
Rank: 210

Heliports: 2 (2012)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 199

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