Macau

Branches

NA

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of Portugal

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 142,704 males fit for military service: 79,225 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios

135,000 (1992 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)

Telephones

170,021 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 note: TV programs received from Hong Kong

Televisions

34,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Agriculture

rice, vegetables

Budget

revenues: $305 million expenditures: $298 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Currency

1 pataca (P) = 100 avos

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic 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.

Electricity

capacity: 258,000 kW production: 950 million kWh consumption per capita: 2,093 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

patacas (P) per US$1 - 8.034 (1991-95), 8.024 (1990), 8.030 (1989); note - linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar

Exports

$1.9 billion (1995 est.) commodities: textiles, clothing, toys partners: US 35%, Hong Kong 12.5%, Germany 12%, China 9.9%, France 8% (1992 est.)

External debt

$0 (1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $6.4 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$13,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

4% (1995 est.)

Imports

$2 billion (1992 est.) commodities: raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods partners: Hong Kong 33%, China 20%, Japan 18% (1992 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

clothing, textiles, toys, plastic products, furniture, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.6% (1995 est.)

Labor force

180,000 (1986) by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate

2% (1992 est.)

Area

total area: 16 sq km land area: 16 sq km comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Coastline

40 km

Environment

current issues: NA natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Ozone Layer Protection (extended from Portugal)

Geographic coordinates

22 10 N, 113 33 E

Geographic note

essentially urban; one causeway and one bridge connect the two islands to the peninsula on mainland

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

total: 0.34 km border country: China 0.34 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%

Location

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

not specified

Natural resources

NEGL

Terrain

generally flat lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Coloane Alto 174 m

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Macau

Constitution

17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau; basic law drafted primarily by Beijing promulgated 31 March 1993

Data code

MC

Diplomatic representation in US

none (Chinese territory under Portuguese administration)

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) was appointed by the President of Portugal after consultation with the Legislative Assembly 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

Flag

the flag of Portugal is used

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 years after transition)

International organization participation

CCC, ESCAP (associate), IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), UNESCO (associate), WToO (associate), WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, consisting of five magistrates including the president; lower court judges appointed for three years by governor

Legal system

Portuguese civil law system

Legislative Assembly

elections last held 10 March 1991 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (23 total, 8 elected by direct vote, 8 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the governor) number of seats by party NA

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

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

National holiday

Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)

Other political or pressure groups

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

Political parties and leaders

Association to Defend the Interests of Macau; Macau Democratic Center; Group to Study the Development of Macau; Macau Independent Group

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

overseas territory of Portugal scheduled to revert to China in 1999

US diplomatic representation

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 24% (male 60,709; female 57,004) 15-64 years: 68% (male 167,466; female 169,486) 65 years and over: 8% (male 17,569; female 24,603) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

14.16 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

4.31 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Chinese 95%, Portuguese 3%, other 2%

Infant mortality rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Portuguese (official) 4%, Chinese (Cantonese) is the language of commerce

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.95 years male: 77.49 years female: 82.54 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Macanese (singular and plural) adjective: Macau

Net migration rate

1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

496,837 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.15% (1996 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 45%, Roman Catholic 7%, Protestant 1%, none 45.8%, other 1.2% (1981)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.51 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

new international airport completed in 1995; 1 seaplane station

Highways

total: 90 km paved: 42 km unpaved: 48 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Macau

Railways

0 km