East & Southeast Asia :: MACAU

  • Introduction :: MACAU

  • 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 of the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's political and economic system would not be imposed on Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign affairs and defense for the subsequent 50 years.

  • Geography :: MACAU

  • Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
    22 10 N, 113 33 E
    Southeast Asia
    total: 28.2 sq km
    land: 28.2 sq km
    water: 0 sq km
    country comparison to the world: 238
    less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
    total: 3 km
    regional border(s) (1): China 3 km
    41 km
    not specified
    subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
    generally flat
    mean elevation: NA
    elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
    highest point: Alto Coloane 172 m
    NEGL
    agricultural land: 0%
    arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%
    forest: 0%
    other: 100% (urban area) (2011 est.)
    0 sq km (2012)
    population fairly equally distributed
    typhoons
    air pollution; coastal waters pollution; insufficient policies in reducing and recycling solid wastes; increasing population density worsening noise pollution
    party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
    essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges

  • People and Society :: MACAU

  • 601,969 (July 2017 est.)
    note: Macau's statistical agency estimated the total population to be approximately 644,900 as of 31 December 2016
    country comparison to the world: 170
    noun: Chinese
    adjective: Chinese
    Chinese 92.4%, Portuguese 0.6%, mixed 1.1%, other 5.9% (includes Macanese - mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) (2011 est.)
    Cantonese 83.3%, Mandarin 5%, Hokkien 3.7%, English 2.3%, other Chinese dialects 2%, Tagalog 1.7%, Portuguese 0.7%, other 1.3%
    note: Chinese and Portuguese are official languages (2011 est.)
    Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none or other 35% (1997 est.)
    0-14 years: 14.1% (male 44,133/female 40,764)
    15-24 years: 11.73% (male 37,194/female 33,418)
    25-54 years: 50.1% (male 134,244/female 167,318)
    55-64 years: 13.5% (male 40,837/female 40,423)
    65 years and over: 10.57% (male 29,764/female 33,874) (2017 est.)
    total dependency ratio: 26.6
    youth dependency ratio: 15.7
    elderly dependency ratio: 10.9
    potential support ratio: 9.2 (2015 est.)
    total: 39.3 years
    male: 39.5 years
    female: 39.1 years (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 57
    0.74% (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 146
    8.6 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 216
    4.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 205
    3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 33
    population fairly equally distributed
    urban population: 100% of total population (2017)
    rate of urbanization: 1.39% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
    at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
    0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
    15-24 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
    25-54 years: 0.8 male(s)/female
    55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
    65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
    total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
    total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births
    male: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births
    female: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 214
    total population: 84.6 years
    male: 81.6 years
    female: 87.7 years (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 4
    0.95 children born/woman (2017 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 223
    3.11 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
    NA
    NA
    NA
    2% of GDP (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 148
    definition: age 15 and over can read and write
    total population: 96.5%
    male: 98.2%
    female: 95% (2016 est.)
    total: 15 years
    male: 14 years
    female: 15 years (2015)
    total: 4.5%
    male: 5.7%
    female: 3.8% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 123

  • Government :: MACAU

  • conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region
    conventional short form: Macau
    official long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese)
    official short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)
    etymology: name is thought to derive from the A-Ma Temple - built in 1488 and dedicated to Mazu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen - which is referred to locally as "Maa Gok" - and in Portuguese became "Macau"; the Chinese name Aomen means "inlet gates"
    special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
    presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China
    none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)
    none (special administrative region of China)
    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
    previous 1976 (Organic Statute of Macau, under Portuguese authority); latest adopted 31 March 1993, effective 20 December 1999 (Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China serves as Macau's constitution); amended 2005, 2012 (2016)
    civil law system based on the Portuguese model
    see China
    18 years of age in direct elections for some legislative positions, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past 7 years; note - indirect elections are limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" and an election committee for the chief executive drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, central government bodies, and elected Macau officials
    chief of state: President of China XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013)
    head of government: Chief Executive Fernando CHUI Sai On (since 20 December 2009)
    cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the chief executive
    elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chief executive chosen by a 400-member Election Committee for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 August 2014 (next to be held in 2019); note - the Legislative Assembly in August 2012 voted to expand the Election Committee to 400 from 300 seats for the 2014 election
    election results: Fernando CHUI Sai On reelected chief executive; Election Committee vote count - 380 of 396
    description: unicameral Legislative Council or Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (33 seats; 14 members directly elected by proportional representation vote, 12 indirectly elected by an electoral college of professional and commercial interest groups, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve 4-year terms)
    elections: last held on 17 September 2017 (next to be held in 2021)
    election results: percent of vote - UMG 10%, UPD 9.7%, ACUM 8.6%, NE 8.3%, UPP 7.2, ANMD 6.6%, NUDM 6.1%, ACDM 5.9%, APMD 5.8%, Civic Watch 5.6%, ABL 5.5%, ANPM 5.3%, other 15.4%; seats by political group - UMG 2, UPD 2, ABL 1, ACDM 1, ACUM 1, ANMD 1, ANPM 1, APMD 1, Civic Watch 1, NE 1, NUDM 1, UPP 1; 12 seats filled by professional and business groups; 7 members appointed by the chief executive
    highest court(s): Court of Final Appeal of Macau Special Administrative Region (consists of the court president and 2 associate justices)
    judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the Macau chief executive upon the recommendation of an independent commission of judges, lawyers, and "eminent" persons; judge tenure NA
    subordinate courts: Court of Second Instance; Court of First instance; Lower Court; Administrative Court
    Alliance for Change or APM [Melinda CHAN Mei-yi]
    Alliance for a Happy Home or ABL [WONG Kit-cheng] (an electoral list of UPP)
    Civic Watch or Civico [Agnes LAM Iok-fong]
    Macau-Guangdong Union or UMG [MAK Soi-kun]
    Macau Citizens' Development Association or ACDM [Becky SONG Pek-kei] (an electoral list of ACUM)
    New Democratic Macau Association or ANMD [AU Kam-san]
    New Hope or NE [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]
    New Macau Association or AMN [Sulu SOU Ka-hou]
    New Union for Macau's Development or NUDM [Angela LEONG On-kei]
    Prosperous Democratic Macau Association or APMD (an electoral list of the AMN)
    Union for Development or UPD [Ella LEI Cheng-I]
    Union for Promoting Progress or UPP [HO Ion-sang]
    United Citizens Association of Macau or ACUM [CHAN Meng-kam]
    note: there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
    Bar-Bending Workers' Association [WONG Wai-Man]
    Democratic Action [LEE Kin-yun]
    Macau New Chinese Youth Association (Associacao de Nova Juventude Chinesa de Macau) or ANJCM [LEONG Sin-man]
    Macau Workers' Union [HO Heng-kuok]
    New Macau Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]
    Workers' Self-Help Union [CHEONG Weng-fat]
    ICC (national committees), IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO
    none (Special Administrative Region of China)
    the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau
    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 the center of the arc and two smaller on either side; the lotus is the floral emblem of Macau, the three petals represent the peninsula and two islands that make up Macau; the five stars echo those on the flag of China
    lotus blossom; national colors: green, white, yellow
    note: as a Special Administrative Region of China, "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" is the official anthem (see China)

  • Economy :: MACAU

  • Since opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001, Macau has attracted tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment, transforming the territory into one of the world's largest gaming centers. Macau's gaming and tourism businesses were fueled by China's decision to relax travel restrictions on Chinese citizens wishing to visit Macau. In 2016, Macau's gaming-related taxes accounted for more than 76% of total government revenue.
    Macau's economy slowed dramatically in 2009 as a result of the global economic slowdown, but strong growth resumed in the 2010-13 period, largely on the back of tourism from mainland China and the gaming sectors. In 2015, this city of 646,800 hosted nearly 30.7 million visitors. Almost 67% came from mainland China. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has slowed greatly since the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005. Services export — primarily gaming — increasingly has driven Macau’s economic performance. Mainland China’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign has brought Macau’s gambling boom to a halt, with spending in casinos contracting 34.3% in 2015. As a result, Macau's inflation-adjusted GDP contracted 20.3% in 2015, down from double-digit expansion rates in the period 2010-13, and another 4.7% in 2016.
    Macau continues to face the challenges of managing its growing casino industry, risks from money-laundering activities, and the need to diversify the economy away from heavy dependence on gaming revenues. Macau's currency, the pataca, is closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar, which is also freely accepted in the territory.
    $63.75 billion (2016 est.)
    $64.32 billion (2015 est.)
    $81.1 billion (2014 est.)
    note: data are in 2016 dollars
    country comparison to the world: 104
    $44.86 billion (2016 est.)
    -2.1% (2016 est.)
    -21.5% (2015 est.)
    -1.2% (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 212
    $98,800 (2016 est.)
    $100,700 (2015 est.)
    $130,500 (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 6
    household consumption: 26.6%
    government consumption: 10.3%
    investment in fixed capital: 21.6%
    investment in inventories: 0.4%
    exports of goods and services: 75.7%
    imports of goods and services: -34.7% (2016 est.)
    agriculture: 0%
    industry: 12.2%
    services: 87.8% (2016 est.)
    only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers; fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of the catch is exported to Hong Kong
    tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys
    3% (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 86
    397,800 (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 160
    manufacturing: 2.5%
    construction: 9.8%
    transport and communications: 4.4%
    wholesale and retail trade: 12.4%
    restaurants and hotels: 15%
    gambling: 25.9%
    public sector: 7.1%
    financial services: 2.6%
    other services: 20.3% (2013 est.)
    1.9% (2016 est.)
    1.8% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 13
    NA%
    lowest 10%: NA%
    highest 10%: NA%
    35 (2013)
    38 (2008)
    country comparison to the world: 94
    revenues: $12.81 billion
    expenditures: $10.11 billion (2016 est.)
    29% of GDP (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 85
    6.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 6
    0% of GDP (2016 est.)
    0% of GDP (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 206
    calendar year
    2.4% (2016 est.)
    4.6% (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 130
    5.25% (31 December 2016 est.)
    5.25% (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 139
    $7.783 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    $7.561 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 88
    $66.57 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    $59.21 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 62
    $17.16 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    $10.09 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 93
    $85.5 billion (2 March 2012 est.)
    $46.1 billion (31 February 2011 est.)
    $2.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 43
    $12.31 billion (2016 est.)
    $11.56 billion (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 21
    $1.137 billion (2013 est.)
    $1.959 billion (2015 est.)
    note: includes reexports
    country comparison to the world: 155
    clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts
    Hong Kong 64.1%, China 20.2% (2016)
    $14.2 billion (2014 est.)
    $10.13 billion (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 84
    raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, garments and footwear, motor vehicles), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils
    China 36.7%, Hong Kong 8.6%, Italy 7.9%, Switzerland 7.6%, France 7.4%, Japan 6.3%, US 5.8% (2016)
    $19.49 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
    $18.89 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
    note: the Fiscal Reserves Act that came into force on 1 January 2012 requires the fiscal reserves to be separated from the foreign exchange reserves and to be managed separately; the transfer of assets took place in February 2012
    country comparison to the world: 63
    $0 (31 December 2013)
    $0 (31 December 2012)
    country comparison to the world: 204
    $18.91 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
    $14.91 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 80
    $1.166 billion (2012 est.)
    $667.8 million (2011 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 84
    patacas (MOP) per US dollar -
    7.9951 (2016 est.)
    7.9951 (2015 est.)
    7.985 (2014 est.)
    7.9871 (2013 est.)
    7.99 (2012 est.)

  • Energy :: MACAU

  • population without electricity: 59,742
    electrification - total population: 91%
    electrification - urban areas: 91%
    electrification - rural areas: 72% (2012)
    904 million kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 156
    4.834 billion kWh (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 123
    0 kWh (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 164
    4.306 billion kWh (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 44
    472,000 kW (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 148
    100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 11
    0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 134
    0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 185
    0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 195
    0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 164
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 157
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 155
    0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
    country comparison to the world: 161
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 168
    12,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 156
    0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 175
    10,760 bbl/day (2014 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 141
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 163
    355,000 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 115
    0 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 142
    371,000 cu m (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 78
    0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
    country comparison to the world: 165
    1.8 million Mt (2013 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 154

  • Communications :: MACAU

  • total: 142,000
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 133
    total: 1.896 million
    subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 320 (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 154
    general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services
    domestic: termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with mobile-cellular teledensity exceeding 300 per 100 persons; fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now in decline
    international: country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2016)
    local government dominates broadcast media; 2 television stations operated by the government with one broadcasting in Portuguese and the other in Cantonese and Mandarin; 1 cable TV and 4 satellite TV services available; 3 radio stations broadcasting, of which 2 are government-operated (2015)
    .mo
    total: 460,000
    percent of population: 77.6% (July 2016 est.)
    country comparison to the world: 150

  • Transportation :: MACAU

  • number of registered air carriers: 1 (registered in China)
    inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 17 (registered in China)
    annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,276,436
    annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 25.435 million mt-km (2015)
    B-M (2016)
    1 (2013)
    country comparison to the world: 224
    total: 1
    over 3,047 m: 1 (2017)
    2 (2013)
    total: 424 km
    paved: 424 km (2014)
    country comparison to the world: 200
    major seaport(s): Macau

  • Military and Security :: MACAU

  • no regular indigenous military forces
    defense is the responsibility of China

  • Transnational Issues :: MACAU

  • none
    transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines