MACAU (overseas territory of Portugal) GEOGRAPHY Total area: 16 km2; land area: 16 km2 Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundary: 0.34 km with China Coastline: 40 km Maritime claims: not known Disputes: scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999 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% Environment: essentially urban; one causeway and one bridge connect the two islands to the peninsula on mainland Note: 27 km west southwest of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China PEOPLE Population: 446,262 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991) Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 79 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Macanese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Macau Ethnic divisions: Chinese 95%, Portuguese 3%, other 2% Religion: Buddhist 45%, Roman Catholic 7%, Protestant 1%, none 45.8%, other 1.2% (1981) Language: Portuguese (official); Cantonese is the language of commerce Literacy: 90% (male 93%, female 86%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981) Labor force: 180,000 (1986) Organized labor: none GOVERNMENT Long-form name: none 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 years after transition Constitution: 17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau Legal system: Portuguese civil law system National holiday: Day of Portugal, 10 June Executive branch: president of Portugal, governor, Consultative Council (cabinet) Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: 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) 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: universal at age 18 Elections: Legislative Assembly--last held on 9 November 1988 (next to be held November 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(17 total; 6 elected by universal suffrage, 6 by indirect suffrage) number of seats by party NA 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: GATT, WTO (associate) Diplomatic representation: as Chinese territory under Portuguese administration, Macanese interests in the US are represented by Portugal; US--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 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. 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: $2.9 billion, per capita $6,560; real growth rate 6% (1990 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989) Unemployment rate: 2% (1989 est.) Budget: revenues $305 million; expenditures $298 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989) Exports: $1.7 billion (1989 est.); commodities--textiles, clothing, toys; partners--US 33%, Hong Kong 15%, FRG 12%, France 10% (1987) Imports: $1.6 billion (1989 est.); commodities--raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods; partners--Hong Kong 39%, China 21%, Japan 10% (1987) External debt: $91 million (1985) Industrial production: NA Electricity: 203,000 kW capacity; 495 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita (1990) 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: pataca (plural--patacas); 1 pataca (P) = 100 avos Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1--8.03 (1989), 8.044 (1988), 7.993 (1987), 8.029 (1986), 8.045 (1985); note--linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 42 km paved Ports: Macau Civil air: no major transport aircraft Airports: none useable, 1 under construction; 1 seaplane station Telecommunications: fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services; 52,000 telephones; stations--4 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 75,000 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 DEFENSE FORCES Manpower availability: males 15-49, 167,289; 93,142 fit for military service Note: defense is responsibility of Portugal