Macau
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)
NAIndependence none (special administrative region of China)
Macau as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
17 fieldsLand use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 98% (1998 est.)
Geography - note
essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Religions(1997 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 22.68% (male 53,291; female 49,615) 15-64 years: 70.08% (male 150,538; female 167,431) 65 years and over: 7.24% (male 13,287; female 19,571) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81.69 years male: 78.88 years female: 84.64 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 93% female: 86% (1981 est.)
Government
NA
18 fieldsLegislative Council or LEGCO, 8 seatsone dot, one seat
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)
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"
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 JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20 December 1999) cabinet: Executive Council consists of all five government secretaries, three legislators, and two businessmen elections: NA
Legislative branch
- unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (23 seats; 8 elected by popular vote, 8 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held by 15 October 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
- seats by party - APPEM 2, UNIPRO 2, CODEM 1, UDM 1, UPD 1, ANMD 1
Political parties and leaders
- the following is a listing of those associations that participated in the last legislative elections: Associacao de Novo Macau Democratico or ANMD [leader NA];
- Associacao Promotora para a Economia de Macau or APPEM [leader NA];
- Convergencia para o Desenvolvimento or CODEM [leader NA];
- Uniao Geral para o Desenvolvimento de Macau or UDM [leader NA];
- Uniao para o Desenvolvimento or UPD [leader NA];
- Uniao Promotora para o Progresso or UNIPRO [leader NA] note: there are no formal political parties, but civic associations are used instead
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Catholic Church [Domingos LAM, bishop];
- Macau Society of Tourism and Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO, managing director];
- Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong, leader]
International organization participation
CCC, ESCAP (associate), IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), UNESCO (associate), WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US has no offices in Macau, and 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
The economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling) and textile and fireworks manufacturing.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
The economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling) and textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small industries - toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The tourist sector has accounted for roughly 25% of GDP, and the clothing industry has provided about three-fourths of export earnings;
the gambling industry probably represents over 40% of GDP. More than 8 million tourists visited Macau in 2000. Macau depends on China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods. Output dropped 5% in 1998 and 3% in 1999, with a small 2% gain in 2000.
Macau reverted to Chinese administration on 20 December 1999. Gang violence, a dark spot in the economy, probably will be reduced in 2000-01 to the advantage of the tourism sector.
Labor force - by occupation
restaurants and hotels 26%, manufacturing 22%, other services 52% (2000 est.)
Budget
revenues: $1.26 billion expenditures: $1.22 billion, including capital expenditures of $175 million (1999 est.)
Exchange rates
- patacas per US dollar - 8.033 (January 2001), 8.025 (2000), 7.990 (1999), 7.978 (1998), 7.974 (1997), 7.966 (1996);
- note - linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services domestic: NA international: HF radiotelephone communication facility;
- access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Transportation
7 fieldsMilitary
Macau garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes about 500 troops
4 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Macau.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/macau/2001.