Communications
Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]
1 (2000)
Internet country code [time series]
.mo
Internet users [time series]
40,000 (2000)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios [time series]
160,000 (1997)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
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)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
176,837 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
120,957 (2000)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
0 (receives Hong Kong broadcasts) (1997)
Televisions [time series]
49,000 (1997)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
rice, vegetables
Budget [time series]
revenues: $1.26 billion expenditures: $1.22 billion, including capital expenditures of $175 million (1999 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
pataca (MOP)
Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]
MOP
Debt - external [time series]
$1.7 billion (1997)
Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]
$NA
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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.
Electricity - consumption [time series]
1.422 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports [time series]
3 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports [time series]
165 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production [time series]
1.355 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source [time series]
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)
Exchange rates [time series]
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
Exports [time series]
$2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities [time series]
textiles, clothing, toys, electronics, cement, footwear, machinery
Exports - partners [time series]
US 47%, EU 30%, China 9.2%, Hong Kong 6.7% (1999)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $7.82 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 1% industry: 25% services: 74% (2000 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2000 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
2% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$2.4 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities [time series]
raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods, fuels, consumer goods
Imports - partners [time series]
China 36%, Hong Kong 18%, EU 13%, Taiwan 10%, Japan 7% (1999)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
clothing, textiles, toys, electronics, footwear, tourism, gambling
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
-1.8% (2000 est.)
Labor force [time series]
283,450 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
restaurants and hotels 26%, manufacturing 22%, other services 52% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Unemployment rate [time series]
6.6% (2000)
Geography
total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Coastline [time series]
40 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Coloane Alto 174 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
22 10 N, 113 33 E
Geography - note [time series]
essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 0.34 km border countries: China 0.34 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 98% (1998 est.)
Location [time series]
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Map references [time series]
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims [time series]
not specified
Natural hazards [time series]
typhoons
Natural resources [time series]
NEGL
Terrain [time series]
generally flat
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (special administrative region of China)
Constitution [time series]
Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"
Country name [time series]
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)
Dependency status [time series]
special administrative region of China
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
the US has no offices in Macau, and US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (special administrative region of China)
Executive branch [time series]
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
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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
Government type [time series]
NA
Independence [time series]
none (special administrative region of China)
International organization participation [time series]
CCC, ESCAP (associate), IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), UNESCO (associate), WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
Judicial branch [time series]
The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region
Legal system [time series]
based on Portuguese civil law system
Legislative branch [time series]
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
National holiday [time series]
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
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
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 parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
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]
Suffrage [time series]
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
Introduction
Background [time series]
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.
Military
Military - note [time series]
responsibility for defense reverted to China on 20 December 1999
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Macau garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes about 500 troops
Military manpower - availability [time series]
males age 15-49: 125,737 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]
males age 15-49: 69,191 (2001 est.)
People
Age structure [time series]
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.)
Birth rate [time series]
12.36 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate [time series]
3.71 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Chinese 95%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry), Portuguese, other
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
NA%
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Infant mortality rate [time series]
4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Languages [time series]
Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 81.69 years male: 78.88 years female: 84.64 years (2001 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 93% female: 86% (1981 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Chinese adjective: Chinese
Net migration rate [time series]
9.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Population [time series]
453,733 (July 2001 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
1.79% (2001 est.)
Religions [time series]
Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.)
Sex ratio [time series]
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.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.31 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
none
Transportation
Airports [time series]
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 50 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (2001)
Merchant marine [time series]
none (2000 est.)
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Macau
Railways [time series]
0 km
Waterways [time series]
none