Country name:
conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Macau
local short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)
local long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao
Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese)
Dependency status:
special administrative region of China
Government type:
limited democracy
Administrative divisions:
none (special administrative region of China)
Independence:
none (special administrative region of China)
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
Constitution:
Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's
Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"
Legal system:
based on Portuguese civil law system
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
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
elections: chief executive chosen by a 200-member selection
committee for up to two five-year terms
cabinet: Executive Council consists of all five government
secretaries, three legislators, and two businessmen
head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20
December 1999)
Legislative branch:
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)
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
elections: last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)
Judicial branch:
The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
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:
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]
International organization participation:
ESCAP (associate), IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (sub-bureau), ISO
(correspondent), UNESCO (associate), WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO
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