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arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

typhoons

Environment - current issues:

NA

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Geography - note:

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 Macau

Population:

460,823 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.7% (male 35,107/female 32,756)

15-64 years: 77.1% (male 169,317/female 186,069)

65 years and over: 8.2% (male 16,053/female 21,521) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 37 years

male: 36.4 years

female: 37.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.83% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

8.73 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

4.72 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

4.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 4.49 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 4.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 82.35 years

male: 79.52 years

female: 85.33 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.05 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: Chinese

adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups:

Chinese 95.7%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) 1%, other 3.3% (2001 census)

Religions:

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

Languages:

Cantonese 87.9%, Hokkien 4.4%, Mandarin 1.6%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 3% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 91.3%

male: 95.3%

female: 87.8% (2001 census)

Government Macau

Country name:

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:

special administrative region of China

Government type:

limited democracy

Administrative divisions:

none (special administrative region of China)

Independence:

none (special administrative region of China)

National holiday:

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

Constitution:

Basic Law, approved on 31 March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"

Legal system:

based on Portuguese civil law system

Suffrage:

direct election 18 years of age for some non-executive positions, 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

Executive branch:

chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)

head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20 December 1999)

cabinet: Executive Council consists of one government secretary, three legislators, four businessmen, one pro-Beijing unionist, and one pro-Beijing educator

elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 29 August 2004 (next to be held in 2009)

election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected received 296 votes; three members submitted blank ballots; one member was absent

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 members elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)

election results: percent of vote - New Democratic Macau Association 18.8%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16.6%, Union for Development 13.3%, Union for Promoting Progress 9.6%, Macau Development Alliance 9.3%, others 32.4%; seats by political group - New Democratic Macau Association 2, Macau United Citizens' Association 2, Union for Development 2, Union for Promoting Progress 2, Macau Development Alliance 1, others 3; 10 seats filled by professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief executive

Judicial branch:

Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders:

Civil Service Union [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]; Development Union [KWAN Tsui-hang]; Macau Development Alliance [Angela LEONG On-kei]; Macau United Citizens' Association [CHAN Meng-kam]; New Democratic Macau Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]; United Forces

note: there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (special administrative region of China)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau

Flag description:

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

Economy Macau

Economy - overview:

Macau's economy has enjoyed strong growth in recent years on the back of its expanding tourism and gaming sectors. Since opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001, the territory has attracted tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment that have helped transform it into the world's largest gaming center. In 2006, Macau's gaming revenue surpassed that of the Las Vegas strip, and gaming-related taxes accounted for 75% of total government revenue. The expanding casino sector, and China's decision beginning in 2002 to relax travel restrictions, have reenergized Macau's tourism industry, which saw total visitors grow to 27 million in 2007, up 62% in three years. Macau's strong economic growth has put pressure its labor market prompting businesses to look abroad to meet their staffing needs. The resulting influx of non-resident workers, who totaled one-fifth of the workforce in 2006, has fueled tensions among some segments of the population. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has been in a slow decline. In 2006, exports of textiles and garments generated only $1.8 billion compared to $6.9 billion in gross gaming receipts. Macau's textile industry will continue to move to the mainland because of the termination in 2005 of the Multi-Fiber Agreement, which provided a near guarantee of export markets, leaving the territory more dependent on gambling and trade-related services to generate growth. However, the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came into effect on 1 January 2004 offers many Macau-made products tariff-free access to the mainland. Macau's currency, the Pataca, is closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar, which is also freely accepted in the territory.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$12.5 billion (2006)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$14.3 billion (2006)

GDP - real growth rate:

16.6% (2006)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$28,400 (2006)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0.1%

industry: 3.9%

services: 96% (2006 est.)

Labor force:

275,000 (2006)

Labor force - by occupation:

manufacturing 11.1%, construction 11.7%, transport and communications 6.3%, wholesale and retail trade 13.7%, restaurants and hotels 11.3%, gambling 19.8%, public sector 7.7%, financial services 2.6%, other services and agriculture 15.7% (2006)

Unemployment rate:

3.1% (2006)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

7.2% (2006)

Budget:

revenues: $4.6 billion

expenditures: $3.4 billion (2006)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys

Industrial production growth rate:

3.8% (3rd quarter)

Electricity - production:

1.67 billion kWh (2006)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

2.37 billion kWh (2006)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2006)

Electricity - imports:

964.4 million kWh (2006)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption:

13,920 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

21 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

13,870 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2006)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Exports:

$2.557 billion f.o.b.; note - includes reexports (2006)

Exports - commodities:

clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts

Exports - partners:

US 44.1%, China 14.8%, Hong Kong 11.3%, Germany 7.3%, UK 4.1% (2006)

Imports:

$4.559 billion c.i.f. (2006)

Imports - commodities:

raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils

Imports - partners:

China 45.2%, Hong Kong 10.2%, Japan 8.4%, US 5.5%, Singapore 4.1%, France 4% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$13.7 million (2004)

Debt - external:

$0 (2006)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$6.5 billion (2006)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$1.1 billion (2006)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$413.1 million (2004)

Currency (code):

pataca (MOP)

Currency code:

MOP

Exchange rates:

patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2007), 8.0015 (2006), 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021 (2003)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Macau

Telephones - main lines in use:

178,013 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

794,323 (2007)

Telephone system:

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 approaching 140 per 100 persons in 2006; fixed-line teledensity about 40 per 100 persons

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)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:

160,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2006)

Televisions:

49,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.mo

Internet hosts:

232 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

300,000 (2007)

Transportation Macau

Airports:

1 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1

over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports:

1 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 384 km

paved: 384 km (2006)

Ports and terminals:

Macau

Military Macau

Military branches:

no regular military forces

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 121,825 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 100,826 (2008 est.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of China

Transnational Issues Macau

Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for drugs going into mainland China; consumer of opiates and amphetamines

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Macedonia

Introduction Macedonia

Background:

Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations. The United States began referring to Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia, in 2004 and negotiations continue between Greece and Macedonia to resolve the name issue. Some ethnic Albanians, angered by perceived political and economic inequities, launched an insurgency in 2001 that eventually won the support of the majority of Macedonia's Albanian population and led to the internationally-brokered Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting by establishing a set of new laws enhancing the rights of minorities. Fully implementating the Framework Agreement and stimulating economic growth and development continue to be challenges for Macedonia, although progress has been made on both fronts over the past several years.

Geography Macedonia

Location:

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Geographic coordinates:

41 50 N, 22 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 25,333 sq km