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.

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

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

Population: 445,286 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.87% (2004 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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 18% (male 41,460; female 38,595)
15-64 years: 74.2% (male 157,629; female 172,810)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 14,380; female 20,412) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 35.2 years
Male: 34.9 years
Female: 35.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.87% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 8.04 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 4.23 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.86 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male/female
Total population: 0.92 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.39 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.59 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.19 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.03 years
Male: 79.2 years
Female: 84.99 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 0.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 94.5%
Male: 97.2%
Female: 92% (2003 est.)

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

Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region of China)

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

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 all one government secretary, four legislators, four businessmen, and one pro-Beijing unionist
Elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member selection 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 23 September 2001 (next to be September 2005)
Election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by political bloc - Entertainment Industry 3, pro-democracy 2, pro-Beijing Labor Union 2, pro-Beijing Neighborhood Association 2, pro-business 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Some civic associations operate as de facto political parties: Electoral Union; Pro-Macao and Flower of Friendship and Development of Macao; Associacao para a Defesa dos Interesses de Macao; Centro Democratico de Macao; Grupo Independente de Macao; Macau Economic Promotion Association; Progress Promotion Union; Development Union

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

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. The territory's net exports of goods and services account for roughly 41% of GDP with tourism and apparel exports as the mainstays. 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. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of restrictions on travel 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 liberalization of Macao's gambling monopoly contributes to GDP growth as the three companies awarded gambling licenses have pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory. 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. The government estimated GDP growth at 4% in 2003 with the drop in large measure due to concerns over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) but private sector analysts think the figure may have been higher because of the continuing boom in tourism.

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2003 est.)

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

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 12%
Services: 87% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: vegetables livestock

Industries: tourism gambling clothing textiles electronics footwear toys

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 214,000 (2002)
By occupation: manufacturing 20% construction 7% transport and communications 6% wholesale and retail trade 15% restaurants and hotels 12% gambling 7% public sector 8% other services and agriculture 25% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6.3% (2003)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Budget
Revenues: $1.9 billion
Expenditures: $1.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $194 million (2002)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: -2.6% (2003 est.)

Exports: $2.356 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Commodities: clothing textiles footwear cement machines and parts
Partners: US 49.4% China 14.1% Germany 8.1% Hong Kong 6.7% UK 4.5% (2003)

Imports: $2.53 billion c.i.f. (2002)
Commodities: clothing textiles yarn foodstuffs fuel automobiles capital goods
Partners: China 43% Hong Kong 12.7% Japan 8.7% Taiwan 5.6% (2003)

Debt external: $121 million (2001 est.)

Exchange rates: patacas per US dollar - 8.0212 (2003) 8.0334 (2002) 8.0335 (2001) 8.0259 (2000) 7.9919 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 1.611 billion kWh (2002)
Consumption: 1.688 billion kWh (2002)
Exports: 1 million kWh (2001)
Imports: 193 million kWh (2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 174,600 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 364,000 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 853; HF radiotelephone communication facility; access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .mo
Hosts: 89 (2003)
Users: 120,000 (2003)

Airports: 1 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Merchant marine: none

Disputes international: none