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.

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

22 10 N, 113 33 E

Southeast Asia

total: 28.2 sq km
land: 28.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km

less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC

total: 0.34 km
regional border: China 0.34 km

41 km

not specified

subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

generally flat

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m

NEGL

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)

NA

typhoons

NA

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

453,125 (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 16.2% (male 37,934/female 35,412)
15-64 years: 75.9% (male 163,975/female 179,830)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 15,099/female 20,875) (2006 est.)

total: 36.1 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 36.4 years (2006 est.)

0.86% (2006 est.)

8.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

4.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 82.19 years
male: 79.36 years
female: 85.17 years (2006 est.)

1.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)

NA

NA

NA

noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese

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

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

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

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.5%
male: 97.2%
female: 92% (2003 est.)

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)

special administrative region of China

limited democracy

none (special administrative region of China)

none (special administrative region of China)

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

Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"

based on Portuguese civil law system

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

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 up to two five-year terms; 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

unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 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, United Forces 2, others 2; 10 seats filled by professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief executive

Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region

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

NA

IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO

none (special administrative region of China)

the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong

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

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 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001, its economy grew 10.1% in 2002, 14.2% in 2003, and 28.6% in 2004. During the first three quarters of 2005, Macau registered year-on-year GDP increases of 6.2%. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of travel restrictions, increased public works expenditures, and significant investment inflows associated with the liberalization of Macau's gaming industry drove the four-year recovery. The budget also returned to surplus since 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 led 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 expanded on 1 January 2005.

$10 billion (2004 est.)

$10.05 billion (2004 est.)

2.8% (3rd Quarter 2005)

$22,000 (2004)

agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 7.2%
services: 92.7% (2002 est.)

251,200 (3rd Quarter, 2005)

manufacturing 13.7%, construction 10.5%, transport and communications 5.9%, wholesale and retail trade 14.6%, restaurants and hotels 10.3%, gambling 17.9%, public sector 7.8%, other services and agriculture 19.3% (2005 est.)

4.1% (3rd Quarter 2005)

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

3.8% (2nd quarter, 2005)

revenues: $3.16 billion
expenditures: $3.16 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY05/06)

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

tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys

NA%

1.893 billion kWh (2004)

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

1.899 billion kWh (2004)

0 kWh (2004)

153.3 million kWh (2004)

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

12,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

NA bbl/day

NA bbl/day

0 cu m (2003 est.)

0 cu m (2003 est.)

$3.465 billion f.o.b.; note - includes reexports (2004)

clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts

US 48.7%, China 13.9%, Germany 8.3%, Hong Kong 7.6%, UK 4.4% (2004)

$3.478 billion c.i.f. (2004)

raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils

China 44.4%, Hong Kong 10.6%, Japan 9.6%, Taiwan 4.9%, Singapore 4.1%, US 4.1% (2004)

$3.1 billion (2004)

$NA

pataca (MOP)

MOP

patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021 (2003), 8.033 (2002), 8.034 (2001)

calendar year

173,900 (2004)

432,400 (2004)

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)

AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

160,000 (1997)

1 (2006)

49,000 (1997)

.mo

62 (2005)

1 (2000)

201,000 (2004)

1 (2005)

total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2005)

total: 345 km
paved: 345 km (2003)

Macau

China's People's Revolutionary Army (PLA) constitutes the only armed force in Macau; several police forces constitute the Security Forces of Macau (SFM) that are subordinate to the General Secretariat of Security, a body comparable to a ministry of interior (2004)

males age 18-49: 112,744 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49: 91,299 (2005 est.)

none