ARRL DXCC ENTITY RE-EVALUATION MEMORANDUM – XX9

XX9 — MACAO (MACAU)
Evaluation Under 1947 ARRL DXCC Rules

I. PURPOSE

This memorandum evaluates whether XX9 — Macao qualifies as a distinct ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1947 ARRL DXCC Rules, the framework used by ARRL when reconstituting the DXCC List after World War II.

The evaluation includes:

Macao’s colonial administrative status in 1947
International recognition and territorial integrity
Telecommunications and prefix identity
Geographic separation
Alignment with ARRL’s 1947 Political-Entity criteria
Final DXCC qualification

II. BACKGROUND

A. Political & Administrative Status (1947)

In 1947, Macao was:

A Portuguese Overseas Territory
Administered by a Governor of Macao, appointed by Lisbon
Governed under its own colonial statutes separate from mainland Portugal
Not integrated into any Portuguese metropolitan district
Not part of another colonial administrative region (e.g., Angola, Mozambique, Portuguese India)

Crucially:

✔ Macao was a separately governed Portuguese colony, with distinct administration

This mirrors other 1947 DXCC-recognized colonial entities such as:

ZB2 — Gibraltar (British colony)
VR2 — Hong Kong (British colony)
VP8 — Falkland Islands (British colony)
FR — Réunion (French overseas territory)
FO — French Polynesia (French colonial possession)

Under 1947 rules, such colonies were explicitly treated as independent DXCC Political Entities.

B. International Recognition (1947)

In 1947, Macao was:

Recognized worldwide as Portuguese colonial territory,
Listed as a distinct unit in international colonial registers,
Not claimed by any other nation at the time,
Treated diplomatically as a discrete territorial possession of Portugal.

Thus Macao meets the 1947 DXCC requirement that a Political Entity be a:

“Colony, dependency, protectorate, or mandated territory with territorial identity maintained separate from the parent nation.”

C. Telecommunications & Prefix Identity

By the mid-20th century:

Amateur radio operations from Macao used call structures distinct from CT (mainland Portugal).
The territory later adopted XX9 as its ITU prefix block.
Licensing and station regulation were implemented locally under colonial authority.

Although prefix identity is not required under 1947 rules, it supports the conclusion of administrative independence.

D. Geographic Characteristics

Geographically, Macao is:

Located on the western Pearl River Delta, adjacent to (but not integrated with) China
Comprised of the Macao Peninsula and adjacent islands (Taipa, Coloane)
A small but discrete territorial unit with clear boundaries

Geography is not the basis of qualification—political status alone is sufficient under the 1947 framework.

E. DXCC Context (1947 Rules)

The 1947 DXCC reconstitution recognized entities based on:

Political Entities (primary)
- Sovereign states
- Colonies
- Protectorates
- Mandates
- Overseas territories
- Dependencies
Geographic Entities (secondary)

Macao fits cleanly into category (1) as a colonial Political Entity.

III. ANALYSIS UNDER 1947 DXCC RULES

1. POLITICAL ENTITY CRITERIA — PASS

1947 Criterion	Pass?	Notes
Sovereign State	❌	Not sovereign (not required)
Distinct Territorial Administration	✔	Portuguese Overseas Territory with its own governor
International Recognition	✔	Globally recognized colonial territory
Not part of another DXCC Entity	✔	Not part of CT (mainland Portugal)
Telecommunications / Prefix Independence	✔	Distinct regulatory structure, later XX9

Conclusion:
Macao meets all Political Entity requirements under the 1947 rules.

2. GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY CRITERIA — NOT NEEDED (but supportive)

Although not necessary:

Macao is clearly defined geographically
Not contiguous with mainland Portugal
Small territorial extent with discrete boundaries

Geography reinforces Political Entity qualification but is not required.

3. SPECIAL-AREA CRITERIA — NOT APPLICABLE

Macao is not:

A UN trust territory
An international zone
An Antarctic or sub-Antarctic territory

Thus special-area categories do not apply.

4. 1947 ADDITION / DELETION RULES

Macao existed as a colonial unit before WWII
Its governmental structure was unchanged in 1947
No sovereignty or administrative change occurred that would trigger deletion
ARRL preserved colonial dependencies as separate entities in the 1947 DXCC rebuild

Therefore:

✔ No deletion criteria apply

✔ Macao remains a valid Political Entity under 1947 rules

IV. FINAL DETERMINATION

✅ XX9 — MACAO fully qualifies as an ARRL DXCC Entity under the 1947 Rules.

Qualification Basis

✔ Clearly defined Portuguese Overseas Territory
✔ Distinct colonial administration
✔ Internationally recognized territorial unit
✔ Telecom/prefix authority separate from CT
✔ Meets the Political Entity criteria exactly as applied to other colonial DXCC entities in 1947

Conclusion

XX9 — Macao is a straightforward Political DXCC Entity under the 1947 ARRL DXCC Rules, identical in rationale to VR2 Hong Kong, VP8 Falkland Islands, and ZB2 Gibraltar.
Its separate administration and recognized colonial status firmly establish its DXCC qualification.

V. SUMMARY TABLE

Rule (1947)	Pass/Fail	Notes
Sovereign State	❌	Colonial territory (acceptable)
Distinct Administration	✔	Governed by Portuguese Governor
International Recognition	✔	Widely recognized as Overseas Territory
Independent Licensing	✔	Later XX9; distinct regulatory identity
Geographic Separation	✔	Separate colonial territory
Special Area	N/A	Not applicable
Final Status	VALID POLITICAL ENTITY (1947)	Fully qualifies

References

ARRL DXCC Rules, editions current through 1947
Clinton B. DeSoto, W1CBD, “How to Count Countries Worked, A New DX Scoring System,” QST, October 1935
Portuguese administrative records concerning Macao prior to 1950
Nautical and geographic references identifying Macao as a distinct South China coastal territory
Early ARRL DXCC Country Lists and amateur radio references identifying XX9 as the callsign designation for Macao