Macau

(Chinese territory under Portuguese administration)

@Macau:Geography

Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates: 22 10 N, 113 33 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

Area: total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area-comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: total: 0.34 km border countries: China 0.34 km

Coastline: 40 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 highest point: Coloane Alto 174 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment-current issues: NA

Environment-international agreements: party to: Ozone Layer Protection (extended from Portugal) signed, but not ratified: NA

Geography-note: essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland

@Macau:People

Population: 429,152 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25% (male 54,845; female 51,354) 15-64 years: 68% (male 138,871; female 153,801) 65 years and over: 7% (male 12,139; female 18,142) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.91% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 12.76 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 3.48 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 9.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 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: 0.67 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.6 years male: 78.66 years female: 84.68 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.27 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality: noun: Macanese (singular and plural) adjective: Macau

Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%, Portuguese 3%, other 2%

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

Languages: Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 93% female: 86% (1981 est.)

@Macau:Government

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Macau local long form: none local short form: Ilha de Macau

Data code: MC

Dependency status: Chinese territory under Portuguese administration; note-scheduled to revert to China on 20 December 1999

Government type: NA

National capital: Macau

Administrative divisions: 2 districts (concelhos, singular-concelho);
Ilhas, Macau

Independence: none (Chinese territory under Portuguese administration; Portugal signed an agreement with China on 13 April 1987 to return Macau to Chinese administration on 20 December 1999; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Macau's existing social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after transition)

National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)

Constitution: 17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau; Macau's future constitution, the "Basic Law", promulgated by China's National People's Congress on 31 March 1993, will go into effect 20 December 1999

Legal system: Portuguese civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President of Portugal Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) head of government: Governor General Vasco Joachim Rocha VIERA (since 20 March 1991) cabinet: Consultative Council consists of a total of 15 members-five appointed by the governor, two nominated by the governor, five elected for a four-year term (two represent administrative bodies, one represents moral, cultural, and welfare interests, and two represent economic interests), and three statutory members elections: none; governor general appointed by the president of Portugal after consultation with the Legislative Assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (23 seats; 8 elected by popular vote, 8 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the governor; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 22 September 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, consisting of five magistrates including the president; lower court judges appointed for three-year terms by the governor

Political parties and leaders: Association to Defend the Interests of
Macau, leader NA; Macau Democratic Center, leader NA; Group to Study
the Development of Macau, leader NA; Macau Independent Group, leader
NA

Political pressure groups and leaders: wealthy Macanese and Chinese representing local interests, wealthy procommunist merchants representing China's interests; in January 1967 the Macau Government acceded to Chinese demands that gave China veto power over administration

International organization participation: CCC, ESCAP (associate), IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), UNESCO (associate), WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (Chinese territory under
Portuguese administration)

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: the flag of Portugal is used

@Macau:Economy

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 two-thirds of export earnings; the gambling industry probably represents over 40% of GDP. 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.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$7.8 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: -0.3% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$15,600 (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Inflation rate-consumer price index: 3.9% (1997 est.)

Labor force: total: 271,228 (1995) by occupation: industry 28%, restaurants and hotels 28%, other services 44%

Unemployment rate: 3.6% (1995)

Budget: revenues: $1.3 billion expenditures: $1.07 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Industries: clothing, textiles, toys, electronics, footwear, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity-capacity: 260,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-production: 1.3 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita: 3,250 kWh (1996 est.)

Agriculture-products: rice, vegetables

Exports: total value: $1.99 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: textiles, clothing, toys, electronics, cement partners: US 42%, EU 31.7%, Hong Kong 10%, China 9.8% (1996)

Imports: total value: $1.99 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods, fuels, lubricants partners: Hong Kong 28.9%, China 21.8%, EU 14.7%, Japan 10.5% (1996)

Debt-external: $0 (1996)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 pataca (P) = 100 avos

Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1-7.99 (1997), 7.962 (1996), 8.034 (1993-95), 7.973 (1992); note-linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 200,000 (1997 est.)

Telephone system: 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)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: 135,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 0 note: TV programs received from Hong Kong

Televisions: 34,000 (1992 est.)

@Macau:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 50 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors: Macau

Merchant marine: none

Airports: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports-with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)

@Macau:Military

Military branches: NA

Military manpower-availability: males age 15-49: 119,102 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 65,530 (1998 est.)

Military-note: defense is the responsibility of Portugal

@Macau:Transnational Issues

Disputes-international: none