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
Judicial branch:
The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region
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
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]
International organization participation:
IMF, IMO (associate), Interpol (sub-bureau), ISO (correspondent),
UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US has no offices in Macau; US interests are monitored by the
US Consulate General in Hong Kong
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
Economy Macau
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.