imary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years
male: 16 years
female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

2.4% of GDP (2005)

Government
Macau

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)

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 on 31 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 for some non-executive positions,
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)
head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20
December 1999)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of one government secretary,
three legislators, four businessmen, one pro-Beijing unionist, and
one pro-Beijing educator
elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee
for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last
held 29 August 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected received 296 votes;
three members submitted blank ballots; one member was absent

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 members elected by
popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief
executive; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next in September 2009)
election results: percent of vote - New Democratic Macau Association
18.8%, Macau Un