Macao Government

The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China under Article 31 gives Macao Special Administrative Region status. This is a policy known as “one country, two systems”. Macao is headed by the Chief Executive (CE) who also serves as the head of government in Macao. The CE is accountable to the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China. The CE’s powers are enshrined in the Macanese "mini-constitution" known as the Basic Law. The CE is responsible for the appointment of secretariats who oversee the affairs of the government. The Macanese government comprises of 5 departments: Administration and Justice, Security, Transport and Public Works, Economy and Finance, Social Affairs and Culture, all of which are headed by a Secretary.

Elections in Macau are conducted every five years. The Chief Executive (CE) is appointed by the Central People’s government after selection by a 300-member election committee. Candidates for this position are nominated by the committee. The committee then elects the CE by secret ballot with each member entitled to vote only once. The winning candidate is then appointed by the People’s Republic of China. The CE is eligible for election for a 5-year term and can be re-elected once.

The Legislative Assembly is the legislative organ of Macau. It comprises of 33 members. Out of these, 14 members are elected directly, 12 are indirectly elected by constituencies, and 7 are appointed by the CE. The Assembly is located in the Se District of Macao. The Macao Legislative Assembly Building was built from 1998-1999 by Mario Duarte Duque, a Macanese architect.

There are no political parties in Macao. However, civic interests groups do exist, and include groups such as the Union for Development, the Union for Promoting Progress, and the Alliance for Change.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Macao
Languages	Cantonese 83.3%, Mandarin 5%, Hokkien 3.7%, English 2.3%, other Chinese dialects 2%, Tagalog 1.7%, Portuguese 0.7%, other 1.3%
Ethnic Groups	Chinese 92.4%, Portuguese 0.6%, mixed 1.1%, other 5.9% (includes Macanese - mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) (2011 est.)
Religion	Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none or other 35% (1997 est.)
Government	Presidential limited democracy; a special administrative region of the PRC
Independance	None (special administrative region of China)
Area	28.00 km²
Land Area	28.00 km²
Population	597,425.00 Population fairly equally distributed
Location	Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
No. Bordering Countries	1
Bordering Countries	China 3 km
GDP(PPP)	$63,220,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$96,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Hong Kong and China.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are clothing, textiles, footwear, and toys.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include raw materials and semi-manufactured goods, consumer goods, and capital goods.
Climate	Subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Terrain	Generally flat
Learn More	Macao

Macao Government

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