Branches:
Army, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 103,872; fit for military service 86,026; reach
military age (19) annually 2,235 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 1.2% of GDP (1992)
@Macau
Header Affiliation: (overseas territory of Portugal)
@Macau, Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, 27 km west-southwest of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China bordering the South China Sea Map references: Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 16 sq km land area: 16 sq km comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: total 0.34 km, China 0.34 km Coastline: 40 km Maritime claims: not specified International disputes: none Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers Terrain: generally flat Natural resources: negligible Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100% Irrigated land: NA sq km Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Ozone Layer Protection Note: essentially urban; one causeway and one bridge connect the two islands to the peninsula on mainland
@Macau, People
Population: 484,557 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 1.35% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 14.78 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 4.12 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 2.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.75 years male: 77.33 years female: 82.3 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Macanese (singular and plural) adjective: Macau Ethnic divisions: Chinese 95%, Portuguese 3%, other 2% Religions: Buddhist 45%, Roman Catholic 7%, Protestant 1%, none 45.8%, other 1.2% (1981) Languages: Portuguese (official), Cantonese is the language of commerce Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1981) total population: 90% male: 93% female: 86% Labor force: 180,000 (1986) by occupation: NA
@Macau, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Macau
local long form:
none
local short form:
Ilha de Macau
Digraph:
MC
Type:
overseas territory of Portugal scheduled to revert to China in 1999
Capital:
Macau
Administrative divisions:
2 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Ilhas, Macau
Independence:
none (territory of Portugal; Portugal signed an agreement with China
on 13 April 1987 to return Macau to China on 20 December 1999; in the
joint declaration, China promises to respect Macau's existing social
and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 year after transition)
National holiday:
Day of Portugal, 10 June (1580)
Constitution:
17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau; basic law drafted primarily by
Beijing awaiting final approval
Legal system:
Portuguese civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President (of Portugal) Mario Alberto SOARES (since 9 March 1986)
head of government:
Governor Gen. Vasco Joachim Rocha VIEIRA (since 20 March 1991)
cabinet:
Consultative Council; consists of five members appointed by the
governor, two nominated by the governor, five members elected for a
four-year term (2 represent administrative bodies, 1 represents moral,
cultural, and welfare interests, and 2 economic interests), and three
statuatory members
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Legislative Assembly:
elections last held on 10 March 1991; results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (23 total; 8 elected by universal suffrage, 8 by
indirect suffrage, and 7 appointed by the governor) number of seats by
party NA
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Association to Defend the Interests of Macau; Macau Democratic Center;
Group to Study the Development of Macau; Macau Independent Group
Other political or pressure groups:
wealthy Macanese and Chinese representing local interests, wealthy
pro-Communist merchants representing China's interests; in January
1967 the Macau Government acceded to Chinese demands that gave China
veto power over administration
Member of:
ESCAP (associate), GATT, IMO (associate), INTERPOL (subbureau), WTO
(associate)
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (Chinese territory under Portuguese administration)
US diplomatic representation:
the US has no offices in Macau, and US interests are monitored by the
US Consulate General in Hong Kong
Flag:
the flag of Portugal is used
@Macau, Economy