Turks and Caicos Islands (2002) | Macau (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (special administrative region of China) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 3,101; female 3,004)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 6,266; female 5,651) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 319; female 397) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 21.8% (male 52,262; female 48,439)
15-64 years: 70.9% (male 154,942; female 172,647) 65 years and over: 7.3% (male 13,616; female 19,927) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish | rice, vegetables |
Airports | 8 (2001) | 1 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 25.4 sq km
land: 25.4 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British overseas territory. | 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. |
Birth rate | 24.18 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 12.19 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.) |
revenues: $1.15 billion
expenditures: $1.03 billion, including capital expenditures of $166 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) | - |
Climate | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry | subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers |
Coastline | 389 km | 41 km |
Constitution | introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988 | Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution" |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands |
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) |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | pataca (MOP) |
Death rate | 4.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 3.78 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $1.5 billion (1998) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | special administrative region of China |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | the US has no offices in Macau, and US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (special administrative region of China) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $4.1 million (1997) (1997) | $NA |
Economy - overview | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors in 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. | Macau's economy two years after reversion to China remains one of the most open in the world, according to the World Trade Organization. The government collects no duty on imports and sets no restrictions on exports beyond those required by international agreements. The territory's net exports of goods and services account for 35% of GDP, with tourism and apparel exports as the mainstays. The territory therefore has been hit hard by the 2001 downturn in its key US and EU export markets. Tourism remained strong, however, driven by a surge in visitors from mainland China. In response to the expected contraction of the economy in 2002, the government has announced a stimulative income tax cut and public works program that will push the budget into deficit. China already has extended support by easing restrictions on travel to Macau and is proposing a China-Hong Kong-Macau free trade area. China's economic weight is increasingly felt, with the mainland now holding more than 50% of assets in the financial, real estate, and construction sectors. Mainlanders, however, have been excluded from bidding on the gambling industry licenses that Macau is offering to break up the territory's four-decade-old gambling monopoly. Gambling taxes account for up to 60% of revenue, and the government with Beijing's backing intends to revitalize the industry. |
Electricity - consumption | 4.65 million kWh (2000) | 1.476 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 1 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 175 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 5 million kWh (2000) | 1.4 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater | NA |
Ethnic groups | black | Chinese 95%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry), Portuguese, other |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | patacas per US dollar - 8.033 (January 2002), 8.034 (2001), 8.026 (2000), 7.992 (1999), 7.979 (1998), 7.975 (1997); note - linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January 1995) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the 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 is appointed chief minister by the governor |
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: chief executive chosen by a 200-member selection committee for up to two five-year terms |
Exports | $13.7 million (1999) | $2.5 billion f.o.b. (2000) |
Exports - commodities | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells | clothing, textiles, cement, electronics, cameras |
Exports - partners | US, UK | US 48%, EU 28%, China 10%, Hong Kong 7% (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $128 million (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $8 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 25% services: 74% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $17,600 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 8.7% (1999 est.) | 0.5% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 21 45 N, 71 35 W | 22 10 N, 113 33 E |
Geography - note | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) | essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland |
Highways | total: 121 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000) |
total: 50 km
paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
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 | - |
Imports | $175.6 million (1999) | $2.3 billion c.i.f. (2000) |
Imports - commodities | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials | clothing, textiles, yarn, minerals, electrical machinery, fuel, livestock |
Imports - partners | US, UK | China 41%, Hong Kong 15%, EU 10%, Taiwan 10%, Japan 6% (2000) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (special administrative region of China) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, offshore financial services | tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys |
Infant mortality rate | 17.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 4.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (1995) (1995) | -2% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau) | CCC, ESCAP (associate), IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 14 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region |
Labor force | 4,848 (1990 est.) | 218,000 (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997 est.) | restaurants and hotels 26%, manufacturing 20%, other services and agriculture 54% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 0.34 km
border countries: China 0.34 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: "green areas" represent 22.4% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official) | Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese) |
Legal system | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas | based on Portuguese civil law system |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 52.2%, PNP 40.9%, independent 6.9%; seats by party - PDM 9, PNP 4 |
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (27 seats; 10 elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held NA 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.76 years
male: 71.59 years female: 76.03 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 81.78 years
male: 78.97 years female: 84.73 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90% male: 93% female: 86% (1981 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
not specified |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | responsibility for defense reverted to China on 20 December 1999 |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; responsibility for defense reverted to China on 20 December 1999; there is a local police force |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 128,005 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 70,508 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) | 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 |
Nationality | noun: none
adjective: none |
noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese |
Natural hazards | frequent hurricanes | typhoons |
Natural resources | spiny lobster, conch | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 12.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 9.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
People - note | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US | - |
Political parties and leaders | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN] | there are no formal political parties, however, there are civic associations that, for purposes of legislative voting, join together to form political blocs |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | 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] |
Population | 18,738 (July 2002 est.) | 461,833 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.28% (2002 est.) | 1.75% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Grand Turk, Providenciales | Macau |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 8,000 (1997) | 160,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | 0 km |
Religions | Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) | Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 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 (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 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 |
Telephone system | general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 3,000 (1994) | 176,902 (November 2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1994) | 158,251 (November 2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997) | 0 (receives Hong Kong broadcasts) (1997) |
Terrain | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps | generally flat |
Total fertility rate | 3.18 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.31 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10% (1997 est.) | 6.5% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |