Macau (2001) | Guernsey (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | none (special administrative region of China) | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew |
Age structure | 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.) |
0-14 years: 15.4% (male 5,084/female 4,937)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 21,611/female 22,002) 65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,882/female 6,712) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, vegetables | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands |
Area - comparative | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC | about one-half the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. |
Birth rate | 12.36 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 9.01 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$1.26 billion expenditures: $1.22 billion, including capital expenditures of $175 million (1999 est.) |
revenues: $539.2 million
expenditures: $448.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2002 est.) |
Capital | - | Saint Peter Port |
Climate | subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast |
Coastline | 40 km | 50 km |
Constitution | Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution" | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
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) |
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
Currency | pataca (MOP) | - |
Death rate | 3.71 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 9.95 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.7 billion (1997) | $NA |
Dependency status | special administrative region of China | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US has no offices in Macau, and US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (special administrative region of China) | none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | NA |
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 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. | Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.422 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 3 million kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 165 million kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 1.355 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: Coloane Alto 174 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | Chinese 95%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry), Portuguese, other | UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries |
Exchange rates | 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 | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | 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 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000)
head of government: Chief Minister Laurie MORGAN (since 1 May 2004) cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Delibertion election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA% |
Exports | $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | textiles, clothing, toys, electronics, cement, footwear, machinery | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables |
Exports - partners | US 47%, EU 30%, China 9.2%, Hong Kong 6.7% (1999) | UK (regarded as internal trade) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $7.82 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1% industry: 25% services: 74% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $40,000 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2000 est.) | 3% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 22 10 N, 113 33 E | 49 28 N, 2 35 W |
Geography - note | essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port |
Highways | total:
50 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $2.4 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods, fuels, consumer goods | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment |
Imports - partners | China 36%, Hong Kong 18%, EU 13%, Taiwan 10%, Japan 7% (1999) | UK (regarded as internal trade) |
Independence | none (special administrative region of China) | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | clothing, textiles, toys, electronics, footwear, tourism, gambling | tourism, banking |
Infant mortality rate | 4.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -1.8% (2000 est.) | 4.9% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | CCC, ESCAP (associate), IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), UNESCO (associate), WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO | UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region | Royal Court |
Labor force | 283,450 (1999) | 32,290 (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | restaurants and hotels 26%, manufacturing 22%, other services 52% (2000 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | total:
0.34 km border countries: China 0.34 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 98% (1998 est.) |
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% |
Languages | Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese) | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts |
Legal system | based on Portuguese civil law system | English law and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court |
Legislative branch | 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 |
unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for 4 years); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
81.69 years male: 78.88 years female: 84.64 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 80.3 years
male: 77.3 years female: 83.41 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90% male: 93% female: 86% (1981 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | not specified | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | - |
Military - note | responsibility for defense reverted to China on 20 December 1999 | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Macau garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes about 500 troops | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
125,737 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
69,191 (2001 est.) |
- |
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 | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) |
Nationality | noun:
Chinese adjective: Chinese |
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
Natural hazards | typhoons | NA |
Natural resources | NEGL | cropland |
Net migration rate | 9.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 3.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | 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 |
none; all independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | 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] | none |
Population | 453,733 (July 2001 est.) | 65,228 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.79% (2001 est.) | 0.29% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Macau | Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 160,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.) | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist |
Sex ratio | 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.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 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 | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | 176,837 (2000) | 55,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 120,957 (2000) | 31,500 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (receives Hong Kong broadcasts) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | generally flat | mostly level with low hills in southwest |
Total fertility rate | 1.31 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.38 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6.6% (2000) | 0.5% (1999 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |