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Compare Macau (2004) - British Virgin Islands (2005)

Compare Macau (2004) z British Virgin Islands (2005)

 Macau (2004)British Virgin Islands (2005)
 MacauBritish Virgin Islands
Administrative divisions none (special administrative region of China) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure 0-14 years: 18% (male 41,460; female 38,595)


15-64 years: 74.2% (male 157,629; female 172,810)


65 years and over: 7.8% (male 14,380; female 20,412) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 21% (male 2,400/female 2,358)


15-64 years: 73.9% (male 8,607/female 8,115)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 614/female 549) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products vegetables, livestock fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 1 (2003 est.) 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 25.4 sq km


land: 25.4 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada
Area - comparative about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC about 0.9 times 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 for the next 50 years. First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate 8.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 14.96 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.9 billion


expenditures: $1.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $194 million (2002)
revenues: $121.5 million


expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997)
Capital - Road Town
Climate subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 41 km 80 km
Constitution Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution" 1 June 1977
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: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Currency pataca (MOP) -
Death rate 4.23 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $121 million (2001 est.) $36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status special administrative region of China overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US none (special administrative region of China) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient NA (1997) NA
Economy - overview Macau's well-to-do economy has remained one of the most open in the world since its reversion to China in 1999. The territory's net exports of goods and services account for roughly 41% of GDP with tourism and apparel exports as the mainstays. Although the territory was hit hard by the 1998 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001, its economy grew 9.5% in 2002. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of restrictions on travel drove the recovery. The budget also returned to surplus in 2002 because of the surge in visitors from China and a hike in taxes on gambling profits, which generated about 70% of government revenue. The liberalization of Macao's gambling monopoly contributes to GDP growth, as the three companies awarded gambling licenses have pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory. Much of Macau's textile industry may move to the mainland as the Multi-Fiber Agreement is phased out. The territory may have to rely more on gambling and trade-related services to generate growth. The government estimated GDP growth at 4% in 2003 with the drop in large measure due to concerns over the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), but private sector analysts think the figure may have been higher because of the continuing boom in tourism. The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption 1.688 billion kWh (2002) 33.74 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 1 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 193 million kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 1.611 billion kWh (2002) 36.28 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues NA limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
Ethnic groups Chinese 95%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry), Portuguese, other black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed
Exchange rates patacas per US dollar - 8.0212 (2003), 8.0334 (2002), 8.0335 (2001), 8.0259 (2000), 7.9919 (1999) the US dollar is used
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 all one government secretary, four legislators, four businessmen, and one pro-Beijing unionist


elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member selection committee for up to two five-year terms


election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected on 29 August 2004; received 296 votes in Election Committee out of 300 possible; 3 members submitted blank ballots; 1 member was absent
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)


head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Exports NA (2001) NA
Exports - commodities clothing, textiles, footwear, cement, machines, and parts rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners US 49.4%, China 14.1%, Germany 8.1%, Hong Kong 6.7%, UK 4.5% (2003) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP purchasing power parity - $9.1 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1%


industry: 12%


services: 87% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $38,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2003 est.) 1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 22 10 N, 113 33 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Highways total: 271 km


paved: 271 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
total: 177 km


paved: 177 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs - transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports NA (2001) NA
Imports - commodities clothing, textiles, yarn, foodstuffs, fuel, automobiles, capital goods building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners China 43%, Hong Kong 12.7%, Japan 8.7%, Taiwan 5.6% (2003) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Independence none (special administrative region of China) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA NA%
Industries tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate total: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) -2.6% (2003 est.) 2.5% (2003)
International organization participation IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (sub-bureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land NA sq km NA
Judicial branch The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force 214,000 (2002) 12,770 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation manufacturing 20%, construction 7%, transport and communications 6%, wholesale and retail trade 15%, restaurants and hotels 12%, gambling 7%, public sector 8%, other services and agriculture 25% (2002 est.) agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries total: 0.34 km


regional border: China 0.34 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100%


note: "green areas" represent 22.4% (2001)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2001)
Languages Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese) English (official)
Legal system based on Portuguese civil law system English law
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (27 seats; 10 elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and sevem appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms); number of legislators will increase to 29 from September 2005


elections: last held 23 September 2001 (next to be September 2005)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by political bloc - Entertainment Industry 3, pro-democracy 2, pro-Beijing Labor Union 2, pro-Beijing Neighborhood Association 2, pro-business 1
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 82.03 years


male: 79.2 years


female: 84.99 years (2004 est.)
total population: 76.49 years


male: 75.41 years


female: 77.62 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 94.5%


male: 97.2%


female: 92% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Southeast Asia Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims not specified territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine none total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT


by type: cargo 1


registered in other countries: 7 (2005)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches responsibility for defense reverted to China on 20 December 1999; there are local police forces -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 125,060 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 68,913 (2004 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 Territory Day, 1 July
Nationality noun: Chinese


adjective: Chinese
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards typhoons hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources NEGL NEGL
Net migration rate 4.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders Some civic associations operate as de facto political parties: Electoral Union; Pro-Macao and Flower of Friendship and Development of Macao; Associacao para a Defesa dos Interesses de Macao; Centro Democratico de Macao; Grupo Independente de Macao; Macau Economic Promotion Association; Progress Promotion Union; Development Union Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders Catholic Church [LAI Hung-sing, bishop]; Macau Society of Tourism and Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO, managing director]; Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong, leader] NA
Population 445,286 (July 2004 est.) 22,643 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA
Population growth rate 0.87% (2004 est.) 2.06% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Macau Road Town
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.) Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)
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: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 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: country code - 853; HF radiotelephone communication facility; access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use 174,600 (2003) 11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 364,000 (2003) 8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2003) 1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Terrain generally flat coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate 0.93 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 6.3% (2003) 3% (1995)
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