Background Notes: 1970

Population: 292.000 (1969 est.)*

Portuguese spelling: Macau

Chinese name: Ao men

Macao an Overseas Province of Portugal is on the southern coast of Communist China at the mouth of the Pearl River The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong lies 17 miles east across the Pearl River, while Canton capital of China's Province is 70 miles north. Six square miles in area Macao consists of the municipality of Macao situated on a narrow peninsula and two islands to the south Taipa and Coloane. About 90 percent of the total land area is urban with only 10 percent agricultural. Taipa and Coloane are linked by a causeway which was built in 1968 and construction of a bridge between Macao and Taipa has been announced Macao has no airfield or rail connections but can be reached by road from China and by sea. There are regular ferry connections with Canton and Hong Kong and frequent hydrofoil service to Hong Kong Macao is low in altitude and generally flat It has cool winters and warm tropical summers As an Overseas Province of Portugal Macao the Portuguese national flag.

People

About 99 percent of Macao's total population of 292 000 is Chinese, primarily Cantonese and some Hakka, both from nearby Kwangtung. The remainder is Portuguese or of mixed Chinese Portuguese ancestry. Historically Macao's Chinese population has tended to increase or decrease rapidly depending on conditions in China. During World War II Japanese occupation of China for example the population of Macao was esti mated to have risen to 500.000.

The population density is now estimated to be slightly more than 48 persons per square mile. The official language of Macao is Portuguese although Chinese, principally Cantonese, is spoken extensively.

About 17.000 inhabitants are Roman Catholic. The traditional religion of the Chinese community is Buddhism. Among the Portuguese speaking population the literacy rate is estimated at almost 100 percent.

GOVERNMENT

The Governor of Macao (Governor José Manuel Sousa e Faro Nobre Carvalho) is the ranking civil and military official. He is nominated by the Min of Overseas Territories at Lisbon and is responsible to him.

The Governor is assisted by a Government Council and a Leal Senado provincial council.

The Government Council serves as the Governor's Cabinet, composed of the Governor, as President, the Military Commandant, a delegate of the Procurator of the Republic of Portugal Attorney General, the Director of Finance, the President of the Municipal Council and three members selected by the Leal Senado. The Governor is also president of the Leal Senado of Macao, which is composed of 16 member in addition to the Governor, a vice-president, three ex official members, three elected members, one member elected by taxpayers, three members selected by provincial administrative bodies, one member selected by private association and three members representing the Chinese community, who are chosen by the Governor. Two additional Chinese representatives were added by the Governor on January 1 1970.

On the national level Macao is represented one member in Portugal's legislative body, the National Assembly, which meets at Lisbon the capital of Portugal. He is elected by direct suffrage for a 4 year term.

1969: o Liceu e o hotel Lisboa quase pronto (inaugurado em Fev. 1970)

Economy

Macao's economy is based on light industry textiles** and fireworks, commerce, tourism, trade in gold and fishing. Total export earnings were estimated to be US  28.2 million in 1968 and exceeded 37 million in 1969. The Federal Republic of Germany is currently Macao's leading export market but Hong Kong the other Portuguese Overseas Provinces and the United States are also important customers. Portugal takes less than 1.5 percent of Macao's exports. 

An estimated 1.2 million Hong Kong residents visited Macao in 1969 while the number of Japanese, British, American and other foreign tourists reached 164.000 in the same year.

Among the attractions of Macao for tourists are its Mediterranean aspect and atmosphere as well as its casinos, dog racing tracks, and the yearly Macao Grand Prix automobile race.

Macao is one of the few entirely free markets for gold in the world; importation of gold bars is important to the economy. The gold trade acelements counted for government revenues of about 1.5 million in 1967/68 and 1.2 million in 1968/69.

The only primary industry of importance in Macao is fishing which is also the only significant domestic source of food. Although small quantities of rice and vegetables are grown locally, most of Macao's foodstuffs and all of its fresh water are imported from Communist China.

In 1968 its total imports amounted to 50 million. Macao's port is shallow and heavily silted so that the few ocean ships that call there must lie offshore. Consequently the bulk of Macao's exports and imports except for trade with mainister land China goes by small shallow draft vessels to and from Hong Kong.

Macao's unit of currency is the pataca which is approximately equivalent to one Hong Kong dollar. One US dollar was valued at between 6.00 and 6.10 Hong Kong dollars on the free market in late 1969 and early 1970.

Excertos de "Background Notes. United States. Department of State. Office of Media Services" Fevereiro 1970

Foto de Joe Scherschel para a revista NG (1969)

* Segundo o censo de 1960 a população de Macau era de 169.299 habitantes.

** em 1969 os têxteis já representavam cerca de 40% das exportações de Macau.