Macau (2002) | Moldova (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (special administrative region of China) | 10 juletule (singular - juletul), 1 municipality*, and 1 autonomous territorial unit**; Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau*, Dubasari, Edinet, Gagauzia**, Lapusna, Orhei, Soroca, Tighina, Ungheni |
Age structure | 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.) |
0-14 years:
22.44% (male 506,303; female 488,311) 15-64 years: 67.62% (male 1,437,492; female 1,559,090) 65 years and over: 9.94% (male 163,473; female 276,901) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, vegetables | vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk |
Airports | 1 (2001) | 30 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
7 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 14 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 25.4 sq km
land: 25.4 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
33,843 sq km land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than Maryland |
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. | Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru (Dnister) River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe and plagued by a moribund economy, in 2001 Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist as its president. |
Birth rate | 12.19 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 13.35 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.15 billion
expenditures: $1.03 billion, including capital expenditures of $166 million (2000 est.) |
revenues:
$536 million expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | - | Chisinau |
Climate | subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers | moderate winters, warm summers |
Coastline | 41 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution" | new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979 |
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:
Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: none former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia |
Currency | pataca (MOP) | Moldovan leu (MDL) |
Death rate | 3.78 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 12.6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.5 billion (1998) | $900 million (2000) |
Dependency status | special administrative region of China | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US has no offices in Macau, and US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong | chief of mission:
Ambassador Rudolf Vilem PERINA embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevicie, #103, Chisinau 2009 mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address - American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080 telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72 FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (special administrative region of China) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Ceslav CIOBANU chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204 |
Disputes - international | none | separatist Transnistria region, comprising the area between the Nistru (Dniester) River and Ukraine, has its own de facto government, dominated by Moldovan Slavs |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $100.8 million (1995); note - $547 million from the IMF and World Bank (1992-99) |
Economy - overview | 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. | Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. Yet these efforts could not offset the impact of political and economic difficulties, both internal and regional. In 1998, the economic troubles of Russia, by far Moldova's leading trade partner, were a major cause of the 8.6% drop in GDP. In 1999, GDP fell again, by 4.4%, the fifth drop in the past seven years; exports were down, and energy supplies continued to be erratic. GDP declined slightly in 2000, with a serious drought hurting agriculture. Growth should turn positive in 2001. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.476 billion kWh (2000) | 5.78 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 1 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 175 million kWh (2000) | 1.916 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 1.4 billion kWh (2000) | 4.155 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel:
93.62% hydro: 6.38% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172.4 m |
lowest point:
Nistru (Dnister) River 2 m highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
Ethnic groups | Chinese 95%, Macanese (mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry), Portuguese, other | Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Gagauz 3.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, other 1.7% (1989 est.)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region |
Exchange rates | 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 | lei per US dollar - 12.3728 (January 2001), 12.4342 (2000), 10.5158 (1999), 5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997), 4.6045 (1996); note - lei is the plural form of leu |
Executive branch | 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 |
chief of state:
President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001), three Deputy Prime Ministers: Valerian CRISTEA, Andrei CUCU, and Dmitri TODOROGLO (all since 19 April 2001) cabinet: selected by prime minister, subject to approval of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 4 April 2001; presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct popular elections; Parliament's failure to chose a new president in December 2000 led to early parliamentary elections (moved up a year to February 2001); according to the Moldovan constitution, the president, on consulting with Parliament, will designate a candidate for the office of prime minister; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate will request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated on 15 April 2001, cabinet received vote of confidence on 19 April 2001 election results: Vladimir VORONIN elected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CHRISTEA 3; Vasile TARLEV elected Prime Minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101 |
Exports | $2.5 billion f.o.b. (2000) | $500 million (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | clothing, textiles, cement, electronics, cameras | foodstuffs 57%, wine, tobacco; textiles and footwear, machinery (1999) |
Exports - partners | US 48%, EU 28%, China 10%, Hong Kong 7% (2000) | Russia 41%, Romania 9%, Germany 8%, Ukraine 7%, Italy, Belarus (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $8 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11.3 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 25% services: 74% (2000 est.) |
agriculture:
31% industry: 35% services: 34% (1998) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,600 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.5% (2001 est.) | -1.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 22 10 N, 113 33 E | 47 00 N, 29 00 E |
Geography - note | essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland | landlocked |
Highways | total: 50 km
paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (2001) |
total:
20,000 km paved: 13,900 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather) unpaved: 6,100 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
2.7% highest 10%: 25.8% (1992) |
Illicit drugs | - | limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US |
Imports | $2.3 billion c.i.f. (2000) | $761 million (f.o.b., 2000) |
Imports - commodities | clothing, textiles, yarn, minerals, electrical machinery, fuel, livestock | mineral products and fuel 38%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (1999) |
Imports - partners | China 41%, Hong Kong 15%, EU 10%, Taiwan 10%, Japan 6% (2000) | Russia 21%, Romania 16%, Ukraine 14%, Germany 12%, Italy 6%, Belarus (1999) |
Independence | none (special administrative region of China) | 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3% (2000 est.) |
Industries | tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys | food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles |
Infant mortality rate | 4.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 42.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -2% (2001 est.) | 32% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | CCC, ESCAP (associate), IHO, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO | ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 2 (1999) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 3,110 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | The Court of Final Appeal in the Macau Special Administrative Region | Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature) |
Labor force | 218,000 (2001) | 1.7 million (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | restaurants and hotels 26%, manufacturing 20%, other services and agriculture 54% (2000 est.) | agriculture 40%, industry 14%, other 46% (1998) |
Land boundaries | total: 0.34 km
border countries: China 0.34 km |
total:
1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% note: "green areas" represent 22.4% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
53% permanent crops: 14% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 13% other: 7% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Portuguese, Chinese (Cantonese) | Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) |
Legal system | based on Portuguese civil law system | based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents |
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)
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 |
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs, as well as independent candidates, elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PCM 50.1%, Braghis Alliance 13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties 28.3%; seats by party - PCM 71, Braghis Alliance 19, PPCD 11 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 81.78 years
male: 78.97 years female: 84.73 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
64.6 years male: 60.15 years female: 69.26 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90% male: 93% female: 86% (1981 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94% (1989 est.) |
Location | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China | Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Commonwealth of Independent States |
Maritime claims | not specified | none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | - |
Military - note | 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 | Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $6 million (FY99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1% (FY99) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 128,005 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49:
1,164,018 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 70,508 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49:
921,210 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
42,268 (2001 est.) |
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 | Independence Day, 27 August (1991) |
Nationality | noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese |
noun:
Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan |
Natural hazards | typhoons | landslides (57 cases in 1998) |
Natural resources | NEGL | lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land |
Net migration rate | 9.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | natural gas 310 km (1992) |
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 | Braghis Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman] |
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] | NA |
Population | 461,833 (July 2002 est.) | 4,431,570 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 75% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.75% (2002 est.) | 0.05% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Macau | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998) |
Radios | 160,000 (1997) | 3.22 million (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | total:
1,328 km broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992) |
Religions | Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.) | Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) |
Sex ratio | 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.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2001 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 |
Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment:
inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced international: service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik |
Telephones - main lines in use | 176,902 (November 2001) | 627,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 158,251 (November 2001) | 2,200 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (receives Hong Kong broadcasts) (1997) | 1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | generally flat | rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea |
Total fertility rate | 1.31 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.67 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6.5% (2001 est.) | 1.9% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (November 2000) |
Waterways | none | 424 km (1994) |