Macau (2006) | Gibraltar (2002) | |
Administrative divisions | none (special administrative region of China) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 16.2% (male 37,934/female 35,412)
15-64 years: 75.9% (male 163,975/female 179,830) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 15,099/female 20,875) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 18.5% (male 2,633; female 2,509)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 9,456; female 8,907) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 1,803; female 2,406) (2002 est.) |
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 | none |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 28.2 sq km
land: 28.2 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC | about 11 times the size of The Mall in 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. | Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In referendums held in 1967 and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. |
Birth rate | 8.48 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 11.19 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $3.16 billion
expenditures: $3.16 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY05/06) |
revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est. ) |
Capital | - | Gibraltar |
Climate | subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
Coastline | 41 km | 12 km |
Constitution | Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution" | 30 May 1969 |
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: Gibraltar |
Currency | - | Gibraltar pound (GIP) |
Death rate | 4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 8.88 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $3.1 billion (2004) | $NA |
Dependency status | special administrative region of China | overseas territory of the UK |
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 | Spain and UK are discussing "total shared sovereignty" to resolve 300-year dispute over Gibraltar, but resolution is subject to a constitutional referendum by Gibraltarians, who have largely expressed opposition to any form of cession to Spain |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $NA; note - if an agreement between Spain and the UK is reached, could receive 50 million euros from the EU |
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. Apparel exports and tourism are mainstays of the economy. Although the territory was hit hard by the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001, its economy grew 10.1% in 2002, 14.2% in 2003, and 28.6% in 2004. During the first three quarters of 2005, Macau registered year-on-year GDP increases of 6.2%. A rapid rise in the number of mainland visitors because of China's easing of travel restrictions, increased public works expenditures, and significant investment inflows associated with the liberalization of Macau's gaming industry drove the four-year recovery. The budget also returned to surplus since 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 three companies awarded gambling licenses have pledged to invest $2.2 billion in the territory, which will boost GDP growth. 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. Two new casinos were opened by new foreign gambling licensees in 2004; development of new infrastructure and facilities in preparation for Macau's hosting of the 2005 East Asian Games led the construction sector. 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, and the range of products covered by CEPA was expanded on 1 January 2005. | Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 11% to the local economy. The financial sector accounts for 20% of GDP; tourism (almost 6 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.899 billion kWh (2004) | 90.21 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2004) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 153.3 million kWh (2004) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 1.893 billion kWh (2004) | 97 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m |
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant |
Ethnic groups | Chinese 95.7%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) 1%, other 3.3% (2001 census) | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese |
Exchange rates | patacas per US dollar - 8.011 (2005), 8.022 (2004), 8.021 (2003), 8.033 (2002), 8.034 (2001) | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.8977 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); note - the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound |
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 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor and Commander-in-Chief David DURIE (since 5 April 2000); note - Sir Francis RICHARDS was appointed governor 18 December 2002 and will take office in May 2003
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister 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 bbl/day | $81.1 million f.o.b. (1997) |
Exports - commodities | clothing, textiles, footwear, toys, electronics, machinery and parts | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | US 48.7%, China 14.9%, Hong Kong 9.8%, Germany 5.9% (2005) | UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, Germany |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 7.2% services: 92.7% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.8% (3rd Quarter 2005) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 22 10 N, 113 33 E | 36 8 N, 5 21 W |
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 | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
Highways | - | total: 46.25 km
paved: 46.25 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $492 million c.i.f. (1997) |
Imports - commodities | raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods (foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco), capital goods, mineral fuels and oils | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | China 43.1%, Japan 10.9%, Hong Kong 10%, Singapore 5.2%, US 4.1%, Taiwan 4% (2005) | UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands |
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, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; tobacco, mineral water, beer |
Infant mortality rate | total: 4.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.8% (2nd quarter, 2005) | 1.5% (1998) |
International organization participation | IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO | Interpol (subbureau) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 251,200 (3rd Quarter, 2005) | 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) |
Labor force - by occupation | manufacturing 13.7%, construction 10.5%, transport and communications 5.9%, wholesale and retail trade 14.6%, restaurants and hotels 10.3%, gambling 17.9%, public sector 7.8%, other services and agriculture 19.3% (2005 est.) | services 60%, industry 40%, agriculture NEGL% |
Land boundaries | total: 0.34 km
regional border: China 0.34 km |
total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Cantonese 87.9%, Hokkien 4.4%, Mandarin 1.6%, other Chinese dialects 3.1%, other 3% (2001 census) | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
Legal system | based on Portuguese civil law system | English law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009) election results: percent of vote - Development Union 12.8%, Macau Development Alliance 9%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16%, New Democratic Macau Association 18.2%, others NA; seats by political group - Development Union 2, Macau Development Alliance 1, Macau United Citizens' Association 2, New Democratic Macau Association 2, New Hope 1, United Forces 2, others 2; 10 seats filled by professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief executive |
unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, one appointed for the Speaker, and two ex officio members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 82.19 years
male: 79.36 years female: 85.17 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 79.23 years
male: 76.37 years female: 82.25 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.5% male: 97.2% female: 92% (2003 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: above 80% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | not specified | territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 900,400 GRT/1,277,611 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 35, chemical tanker 6, container 10, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 6, Ireland 1, Monaco 2, Norway 3, United Kingdom 13 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsiblity of China | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | no regular military forces | no regular indigenous military forces; British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force |
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 | National Day, 10 September (1964); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain |
Nationality | noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese |
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
Natural hazards | typhoons | NA |
Natural resources | NEGL | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 4.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | - | 0 km |
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 | Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association |
Population | 453,125 (July 2006 est.) | 27,714 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.86% (2006 est.) | 0.23% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Gibraltar |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 37,000 (1997) |
Religions | Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.) | Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (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: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 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, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more |
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: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 174,400 (2005) | 19,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 532,800 (2005) | 1,620 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2006) | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | generally flat | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
Total fertility rate | 1.02 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4.1% (3rd Quarter 2005) | 13.5% (1996) (1996) |
Waterways | - | none |