Singapore was founded as a
British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963
but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore
subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with
strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest
in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the
leading nations of Western Europe.
Geography
Singapore
Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands
between Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
1 22 N, 103 48 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than 3.5 times
the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
193 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as
defined in treaties and practice
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy;
two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March)
and Southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent
afternoon and early evening thunderstorms
Terrain:
lowland; gently undulating
central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Singapore
Strait 0 m highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
total: 0.19 cu km/yr
(45%/51%/4%) per capita: 44 cu m/yr (1975)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
industrial pollution; limited
natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste
disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in
Indonesia
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
total: 38.4 years
male: 38 years female: 38.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.135% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
8.99 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.53 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
6.88 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8
male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.3 deaths/1,000
live births male: 2.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.89
years male: 79.29 years female: 84.68 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.08 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,100 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore
Ethnic groups:
Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%,
Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census)
Religions:
Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%,
Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%,
none 14.8% (2000 census)
Languages:
Mandarin 35%, English 23%,
Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%,
other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 92.5%
male: 96.6% female: 88.6% (2000 census)
Government
Singapore
Country name:
conventional long form:
Republic of Singapore conventional short form: Singapore
local long form: Republic of Singapore local short
form: Singapore
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Singapore
geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E time
difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
9 August 1965 (from Malaysian
Federation)
National holiday:
National Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution:
3 June 1959; amended 1965
(based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
Legal system:
based on English common law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal and
compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President S R NATHAN (since 1 September 1999) note: uses S R
NATHAN but his full name and the one used in formal communications is
Sellapan RAMANATHAN head of government: Prime Minister LEE
Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since
12 August 2004); Minister Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004);
Deputy Prime Ministers Shunmugam JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004) and WONG
Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005) cabinet: appointed by
president, responsible to parliament elections: president
elected by popular vote for six-year term; appointed on 17 August 2005
(next election to be held by August 2011); following legislative
elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition is
usually appointed prime minister by president; deputy prime ministers
appointed by president election results: Sellapan Rama (S R)
NATHAN appointed president in August 2005 after Presidential Elections
Committee disqualified three other would-be candidates; scheduled election
not held
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (84
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note -
in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; up to three losing
opposition candidates who came closest to winning seats may be appointed
as 'nonconstituency' members elections: last held on 6 May 2006
(next to be held by 2011) election results: percent of vote by
party - PAP 66.6%, WP 16.3%, SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by party - PAP 82,
WP 1, SDA 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is
appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other
judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief
justice); Court of Appeals
Political parties and leaders:
People's Action Party or PAP
[LEE Hsien Loong]; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong];
Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Workers' Party or WP
[Sylvia LIM Swee Lian] note: SDA includes Singapore Justice
Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS, Singapore
People's Party or SPP
chief of mission:
Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee chancery: 3501 International Place
NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100
FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876 consulate(s) general: San
Francisco consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Patricia L. HERBOLD embassy: 27 Napier Road,
Singapore 258508 mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001
telephone: [65] 6476-9100 FAX: [65] 6476-9340
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of
red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a
vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side)
partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
Economy
Singapore
Economy - overview:
Singapore has a highly
developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open
and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP equal
to that of the four largest West European countries. The economy depends
heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics and information
technology products. It was hard hit from 2001-03 by the global recession,
by the slump in the technology sector, and by an outbreak of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, which curbed tourism and consumer
spending. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and
internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004-07 with real GDP
growth averaging 7% annually. The government hopes to establish a new
growth path that will be less vulnerable to the global demand cycle for
information technology products - it has attracted major investments in
pharmaceuticals and medical technology production - and will continue
efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech
hub.
6.339 billion cu m
note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
$41.39 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$450.6 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment
(including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels
Exports - partners:
Malaysia 13.1%, US 10.2%, Hong
Kong 10.1%, China 9.7%, Indonesia 9.2%, Japan 5.5%, Thailand 4.2% (2006)
Imports:
$396 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment,
mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Malaysia 13%, US 12.7%, China
11.4%, Japan 8.3%, Taiwan 6.4%, Indonesia 6.2%, South Korea 4.4% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$0 (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$157 billion (31 December 2007
est.)
Debt - external:
$25.53 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$189.7 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$111.2 billion (2005)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$382.4 billion (2007)
Currency (code):
Singapore dollar (SGD)
Currency code:
SGD
Exchange rates:
Singapore dollars per US dollar
- 1.507 (2007), 1.5889 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications
Singapore
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.854 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.789 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
excellent service domestic: excellent domestic facilities;
launched 3G wireless service in February 2005; combined fixed-line and
mobile-cellular teledensity is about 150 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 65; numerous submarine cables
provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
satellite earth stations -4; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2003)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 17, shortwave 2 (2003)
Radios:
2.6 million (2000)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (broadcasting on six
channels); additional reception of numerous UHF and VHF signals
originating in Malaysia and Indonesia (2006)
Televisions:
1.33 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.sg
Internet hosts:
954,475 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
9 (2000)
Internet users:
1.717 million (2006)
Transportation
Singapore
Airports:
8 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8 over
3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m:
4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 139 km; refined products 8
km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 3,234 km
paved: 3,234 km (includes 150 km of expressways) (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,131 ships (1000
GRT or over) 33,237,005 GRT/52,487,127 DWT by type: bulk
carrier 167, cargo 85, carrier 1, chemical tanker 156, container 231,
liquefied gas 72, livestock carrier 2, petroleum tanker 355, refrigerated
cargo 6, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 46
foreign-owned: 652 (Australia 6, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 8, China
19, Denmark 68, France 1, Germany 18, Greece 14, Hong Kong 37, India 9,
Indonesia 56, Italy 4, Japan 108, South Korea 7, Malaysia 28, Norway 125,
Philippines 4, Slovenia 1, Sweden 17, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 60, Thailand
20, UAE 8, UK 13, US 17) registered in other countries: 293
(Bahamas 9, Belize 3, Bermuda 1, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 2, Cayman Islands 10,
Cyprus 1, Dominica 8, France 2, Honduras 10, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 26,
Isle of Man 2, Kiribati 1, Liberia 42, Malaysia 22, Marshall Islands 12,
Mongolia 12, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Panama 83, Philippines 1, St Vincent and
The Grenadines 6, Thailand 2, Tuvalu 13, US 11, unknown 4) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Singapore
Military
Singapore
Military branches:
Singapore Armed Forces: Army,
Navy, Air Force (includes Air Defense) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for male
compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 2-year
conscript service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 40 for
enlisted or age 50 for officers (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
1,277,862 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49:
1,038,603 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.9% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Singapore
Disputes - international:
disputes persist with Malaysia
over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land
reclamation works, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the
Johor and Singapore Straits; in November 2007, the ICJ will hold public
hearings as a consequence of the Memorials and Countermemorials filed by
the parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra Branca Island/Pulau
Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge; Indonesia and Singapore continue
to work on finalization of their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by
defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's Batam Island; piracy
remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Illicit drugs:
drug abuse limited because of
aggressive law enforcement efforts; as a transportation and financial
services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and
enforcement, as a venue for money laundering
