Affiliation: (overseas territory
of Portugal)
Location: Eastern Asia, 27 km west-southwest
of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China bordering the South China Sea
Map references: Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard
Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area 16
sq km
land area 16 sq km
comparative area about
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total
0.34 km, China 0.34 km
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims: not specified
International disputes:
none
Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters,
warm summers
Terrain: generally flat
Natural resources:
negligible
Land use:
arable land 0%
permanent crops 0%
meadows and pastures 0%
forest and woodland
0%
other 100%
Irrigated land: NA sq
km
Environment:
current issues NA
natural hazards NA
international agreements party to - Ozone
Layer Protection
Note: essentially urban; one causeway
and one bridge connect the two islands to the peninsula on mainland
Population: 484,557 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.35% (1994 est.)
Birth rate: 14.78 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate: 4.12 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population 79.75 years
male 77.33 years
female 82.3 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.46 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun Macanese (singular and plural)
adjective Macau
Ethnic divisions: Chinese 95%, Portuguese
3%, other 2%
Religions: Buddhist 45%, Roman Catholic 7%,
Protestant 1%, none 45.8%, other 1.2% (1981)
Languages:
Portuguese (official), Cantonese is the language of commerce
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
total population
90%
male 93%
female 86%
Labor force:
180,000 (1986)
by occupation NA
Names:
conventional long form none
conventional short form Macau
local long form none
local short form Ilha de Macau
Digraph: MC
Type: overseas territory of Portugal scheduled to revert to China in
1999
Capital: Macau
Administrative divisions:
2 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Ilhas, Macau
Independence: none (territory of Portugal; Portugal signed an agreement
with China on 13 April 1987 to return Macau to China on 20 December 1999;
in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Macau's existing social
and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 year after transition)
National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)
Constitution:
17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau; basic law drafted primarily by
Beijing awaiting final approval
Legal system: Portuguese
civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state President (of Portugal)
Mario Alberto SOARES (since 9 March 1986)
head of government
Governor Gen. Vasco Joachim Rocha VIEIRA (since 20 March 1991)
cabinet
Consultative Council; consists of five members appointed by the governor,
two nominated by the governor, five members elected for a four-year term (2
represent administrative bodies, 1 represents moral, cultural, and welfare
interests, and 2 economic interests), and three statuatory members
Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Assembly elections
last held on 10 March 1991; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(23 total; 8 elected by universal suffrage, 8 by indirect suffrage, and 7
appointed by the governor) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Association
to Defend the Interests of Macau; Macau Democratic Center; Group to Study
the Development of Macau; Macau Independent Group
Other political or pressure groups:
wealthy Macanese and Chinese representing local interests, wealthy pro-Communist
merchants representing China's interests; in January 1967 the Macau Government
acceded to Chinese demands that gave China veto power over administration
Member of: ESCAP (associate), GATT, IMO (associate), INTERPOL
(subbureau), WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (Chinese territory under Portuguese administration)
US diplomatic representation: the US has no offices in Macau, and US
interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong
Flag: the flag of Portugal is used
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 two-thirds of export earnings; the gambling industry represented
well over 40% of GDP in 1992. 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.
National product: GDP
- exchange rate conversion - $3.5 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
12% (1992)
National product per capita: $7,300 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.7% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues $305 million
expenditures $298 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $1.8 billion
(1992 est.)
commodities textiles, clothing, toys
partners
US 35%, Hong Kong 12.5%, Germany 12%, China 9.9%, France 8% (1992 est.)
Imports: $2 billion (1992 est.)
commodities
raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods
partners Hong Kong 33%,
China 20%, Japan 18% (1992 est.)
External debt: $91 million
(1985)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity 258,000 kW
production
855 million kWh
consumption per capita 1,806 kWh (1992)
Industries: clothing, textiles, toys, plastic products, furniture, tourism
Agriculture: rice, vegetables; food shortages - rice, vegetables,
meat; depends mostly on imports for food requirements
Economic aid:
none
Currency: 1 pataca (P) = 100 avos
Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1 - 8.034 (1991-93), 8.024 (1990),
8.030 (1989); note - linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas
per Hong Kong dollar
Fiscal year: calendar year
Highways:
total 42
km
paved 42 km
Ports: Macau
Airports: none usable, 1 under construction; 1 seaplane station
Telecommunications: fairly modern communication facilities maintained
for domestic and international services; 52,000 telephones; broadcast stations
- 4 AM, 3 FM, no TV (TV programs received from Hong Kong); 115,000 radio receivers
(est.); international high-frequency radio communication facility; access
to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China;
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 139,499; fit for military service
77,887
Note: defense is responsibility of Portugal