| Background: |
Founded as a
British trading colony in 1819, Singapore joined Malaysia in
1963, but withdrew two years later and became independent.
It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous
countries, with strong international trading links (its port
is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP above
that of the leading nations of Western Europe. |
| Location: |
Southeastern
Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
1 22 N, 103 48 E |
| Map
references: |
Southeast Asia |
| Area: |
total:
647.5 sq km
land: 637.5 sq km
water: 10 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly more
than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea,
as defined in treaties and practice
territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot,
humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern
monsoon from December to March and Southwestern monsoon from
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 |
| Natural
resources: |
fish, deepwater
ports |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 5%
other: 87% (1993 est.) |
| 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, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| Geography
- note: |
focal point for
Southeast Asian sea routes |
| Population: |
4,300,419 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
17.89% (male 397,124; female 372,058)
15-64 years: 75.16% (male 1,575,381; female
1,656,838)
65 years and over: 6.95% (male 130,815; female
168,203) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.5% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
12.8 births/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.24 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
26.45 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 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: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
3.62 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 80.17 years
male: 77.22 years
female: 83.35 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.22 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.19% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
4,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
210 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Chinese 76.7%,
Malay 14%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% |
| Religions: |
Buddhist
(Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist,
Confucianist |
| Languages: |
Chinese
(official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official),
English (official) |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.5%
male: 97%
female: 89.8% (1999) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none |
| Independence: |
9 August 1965
(from Malaysia) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence 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 Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN
(since 1 September 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok
Tong (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers LEE
Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) and Tony TAN Keng Yam
(since 1 August 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president,
responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1999 (next
to be held NA August 2005); following legislative elections,
the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority
coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN
elected president unopposed |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Parliament (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 2 January 1997 (next to be
held by 26 August 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party -
PAP 65% (in contested constituencies), other 35%; seats by
party - PAP 81, WP 1, SPP 1; note - subsequent to the
election, there was a change in the distribution of seats,
the new distribution is as follows: PAP 80, WP 1, SPP 1,
vacant 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 [GOH Chok Tong, secretary general] - the
governing party; Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE
Soon Juan]; Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See
Tong]; Workers' Party or WP [J. B. JEYARETNAM] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
APEC, ARF, AsDB,
ASEAN, Australia Group (observer), BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU,
NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD,
UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNTAET, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
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: Los Angeles, San
Francisco
consulate(s): New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508
mailing address: PSC Box 470, FPO AP 96534-0001
telephone: [65] 476-9100
FAX: [65] 476-9340 |
| 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
- overview: |
Singapore is
blessed with a highly developed and successful free-market
economy, a remarkably open and corruption-free business
environment, stable prices, and the fifth highest per capita
GDP in the world. Exports, particularly in electronics and
chemicals, and services are the main drivers of the economy.
Mainly because of robust exports, especially electronic
goods, the economy grew 10.1% in 2000. Forecasters, however,
are projecting only 4%-6% growth in 2001 largely because of
weaker global demand, especially in the US. The government
promotes high levels of savings and investment through a
mandatory savings scheme and spends heavily in education and
technology. It also owns government-linked companies (GLCs)
- particularly in manufacturing - that operate as commercial
entities. As Singapore looks to a future increasingly marked
by globalization, the country is positioning itself as the
region's financial and high-tech hub. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $109.8 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
10.1% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $26,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
NEGL%
industry: 30%
services: 70% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1.4% (2000) |
| Labor
force: |
2.1 million
(2000) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
financial,
business, and other services 35%, manufacturing 21%,
construction 13%, transportation and communication 9% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
3% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$18.1 billion
expenditures: $17.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $9.5 billion (FY99/00 est.) |
| Industries: |
electronics,
chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment,
petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products,
processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade,
biotechnology |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
14% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
27.381 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
25.464 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
rubber, copra,
fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs, fish, ornamental
fish |
| Exports: |
$137 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment (including electronics), chemicals, mineral fuels |
| Exports
- partners: |
US 19%, Malaysia
17%, Hong Kong 8%, Japan 7%, Taiwan 5%, Thailand 4%, UK 4%,
Netherlands 3.8%, China 3%, South Korea 3%, Germany 3%
(1999) |
| Imports: |
$127 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 17%, Japan
17%, Malaysia 16%, Thailand 5%, China 5%, Taiwan 4%, Germany
3%, Saudi Arabia 3% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$9.7 billion
(2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
Singapore dollar
(SGD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Singapore dollars
per US dollar - 1.7365 (January 2001), 1.7240 (2000), 1.6950
(1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31
March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
1.928 million
(November 2000) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
2.333 million
(November 2000) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: major consideration given to serving
business interests; excellent international service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities
international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah
and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1
Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 0, FM 16,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Radios: |
2.6 million
(2000) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
6 (2000) |
| Televisions: |
1.33 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.sg |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
9 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
1.74 million
(2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
38.6 km
narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge
note: there is a 83 km mass transit system with
48 stations |
| Highways: |
total:
3,150 km
paved: 3,066 km (including 150 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 84 km (2000) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Singapore |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
879 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,849,168 GRT/33,215,317
DWT
ships by type: bulk 134, cargo 111, chemical
tanker 63, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 6,
container 167, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2,
multi-functional large-load carrier 4, passenger 1,
petroleum tanker 295, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off
7, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 10, vehicle
carrier 33
note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1,
Bermuda 12, Belgium 6, China 9, Denmark 29, Germany 8,
Greece 1, Hong Kong 20, Indonesia 9, Japan 32, South Korea
3, Netherlands 2, Norway 9, Russia 1, Sweden 22, Thailand
22, Taiwan 17, UK 3, US 10 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
9
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
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 1,316,815 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 959,636 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$5 billion
(FY00/01 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
4.5% (FY00/01
est.) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Pedra Branca
Island (Pulau Batu Putih) disputed with Malaysia |
| Illicit
drugs: |
as a
transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is
vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, to use as a
transit point for Golden Triangle heroin and as a venue for
money laundering |
|
