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.

Geographic coordinates: 22 10 N 113 33 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 28.2 km²
Rank: 236
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 m

Natural resources: NEGL

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

Irrigated land: NA; note - included in the total for China (2008)

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

Population: 573,003 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 168
Growth rate: 0.879% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 126
Below poverty line: NA%

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%
Note: Chinese and Portuguese are the official language (2001 census)

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 15%
15-64 years: 76.8% (male 205,998/female 233,820)
65 years and over: 8.2% (male 22,043/female 24,984) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 36.2 years
Male: 36.8 years
Female: 35.6 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.879% (2011 est.)
Rank: 126

Birth rate: 9.03 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 208

Death rate: 3.72 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 207

Net migration rate: 3.49 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 26

Urbanization
Urban population: 100% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.7% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.18 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 216
Male: 3.34 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.02 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 84.41 years
Rank: 2
Male: 81.45 years
Female: 87.52 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 0.92 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 222

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

Education expenditures: 2.2% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 152

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: 14 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 14 years (2009)

Country name
Conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region
Conventional short form: Macau
Official long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese)
Official short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)

Government type: limited democracy

Administrative divisions: none (special administrative region of the People's Republic 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: 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

Suffrage: direct election 18 years of age for some legislative 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 for the Chief Executive (CE) drawn from broad regional groupings municipal organizations central government bodies and elected Macau officials

Executive branch
Chief of state: President of China HU Jintao
Head of government: Chief Executive Fernando CHUI Sai-on (since 20 December 2009)
Cabinet: Executive Council consists of 1 government secretary 3 legislators 4 businessmen 1 pro-Beijing unionist and 1 pro-Beijing educator
Elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee for a five-year term (current CE is eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held in July 2014)
Election results: Fernando CHUI Sai-on elected in 2009 with 282 votes took office on 20 December 2009

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)
Elections: last held on 20 September 2009 (next to be held in September 2013)
Election results: percent of vote - UPD 14.9% ACUM 12% APMD 11.6% NUDM 9.9% UPP 9.9% ANMD 7.8% UMG 7.3% MUDAR 5.5% others 21.1%; seats by political group - UPD 2 ACUM 2 APMD 2 NUMD 1 UPP 1 ANMD 1 UMG 1 MUDAR 1; 10 seats filled by professional and business groups; 7 members appointed by the chief executive

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]
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: ICC 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
Note: as a Special Administrative Region of China 'Yiyonggjun Jinxingqu' is the official anthem

Economy overview: Macau's economy slowed dramatically in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown but strong growth resumed in 2010 largely on the back of strong tourism and gaming sectors. 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 center. 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. This city of nearly 552,300 hosted nearly 25 million visitors in 2010. Almost 53% came from mainland China. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has virtually disappeared since the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005. In 2010 total exports were less than US$900 million while gaming receipts were almost US$24 billion a 58% increase over 2009. The Macau government plans to tighten control over the opening of new casinos and strengthen supervision of local casino operations in 2011 and has introduced measures to diversify the economy. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came into effect on 1 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. 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: 128
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 172

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 40

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.1%
Industry: 2.8%
Services: 97.1% (2009 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: -23.7%
Rank: 167

Labor force: 330,900 (2010 est.)
Rank: 162
By occupation manufacturing: 4.3%
By occupation construction: 8.7%
By occupation transport and communications: 5.5%
By occupation wholesale and retail trade: 13.3%
By occupation restaurants and hotels: 12.7%
By occupation gambling: 13.3%
By occupation public sector: 6.7%
By occupation financial services: 2.4%
By occupation other services and agriculture: 33.2% (2010)

Unemployment rate: 3.6% (2009)
Rank: 23

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $8.998 billion
Expenditures: $3.862 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 23.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 1

Taxes and other revenues: 40.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 41

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.1% (2009 est.)
Rank: 98

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 5.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 161

Stock of narrow money: $2.38 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 117

Stock of broad money: $26.56 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 75

Stock of domestic credit: $701.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 143

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 94

Current account balance: $6.23 billion (2009)
Rank: 31

Exports: $973 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 157
Note: includes reexports
Commodities: clothing textiles footwear toys electronics machinery and parts
Partners: Hong Kong 43.1% China 15.8% US 11.2% Germany 4% (2010 est.)

Imports: $4.5 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 109
Commodities: raw materials and semi-manufactured goods consumer goods (foodstuffs beverages tobacco) capital goods mineral fuels and oils
Partners: China 31.1% Hong Kong 10.5% France 9.2% Japan 8.6% US 5.9% (2010 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $23.73 billion (2010) (2010)
Rank: 53

Debt external: $0 (2010)
Rank: 201

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $10.5 billion (#REF! est.)
Rank: 79

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $964 million (2008)
Rank: 80

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 1.1 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 145
Consumption: 3.66 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 121
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports: 2.79 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 211
Consumption: 154.7 million m³ (2010)
Consumption rank: 101
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 136
Imports: 154.5 million m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 68
Proven reserves: 174,000 m³ (2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 104

Telephones
Main lines in use: 167,500 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 132
Mobile cellular: 1.122 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 149

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 200 per 100 persons in 2010; 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) (2010)

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 are available; 3 radio stations broadcasting of which 2 are government-operated (2010)

Internet
Country code: .mo
Hosts: 252 (2010)
Hosts rank: 189
Users: 270,200 (2009)
Users rank: 134

Airports: 1 (2010)
Rank: 225
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports: 2 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 413 km
Rank: 198
Paved: 413 km (2009)

Ports and terminals: Macau

Disputes international: none

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