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
Geography
Location: Southeastern
Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
1 22 N, 103 48 E
Map references: Southeast
Asia
Area: total area: 632.6
sq km
land area: 622.6
sq km
comparative area:
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone:
within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice
territorial sea:
3 nm
International disputes:
two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Climate: tropical;
hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur
on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Terrain: lowland;
gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature
preserve
lowest point: Singapore
Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit
Timah 166 m
Natural resources:
fish, deepwater ports
Land use: arable land: 4%
permanent crops:
7%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
5%
other: 84%
Irrigated land: NA
sq km
Environment: current issues: industrial
pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability
presents waste disposal problems
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified -
Climate Change
Geographic note:
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
People
Population: 3,396,924
(July 1996 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 22% (male
379,076; female 358,739)
15-64 years: 72%
(male 1,220,131; female 1,219,412)
65 years and over:
6% (male 97,882; female 121,684) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.9% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 16.28
births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 4.56
deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
7.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.8 male(s)/female
all ages: 1 male(s)/female
(1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population:
78.13 years
male: 75.07 years
female: 81.39 years
(1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.65 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore
Ethnic divisions:
Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Religions: Buddhist
(Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Languages: Chinese
(official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
Literacy: age 15
and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population:
91.1%
male: 95.9%
female: 86.3%
Government
Name of country: conventional long form:
Republic of Singapore
conventional short form:
Singapore
Data code: SN
Type of government:
republic within Commonwealth
Capital: Singapore
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence: 9 August
1965 (from Malaysia)
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: 20 years
of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President
ONG Teng Cheong (since 1 September 1993) was elected for a six-year term
by popular vote; election last held 28 August 1993 (next to be held NA
August 1999); results - ONG Teng Cheong was elected with 59% of the vote
in the country's first popular election for president
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) were appointed by the president
cabinet: Cabinet
was appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament: elections
last held 31 August 1991 (next to be held by 31 August 1996); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (81 total) PAP 77, SDP 3, WP 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
Political parties and
leaders: government: People's
Action Party (PAP), GOH Chok Tong, secretary general
opposition: Singapore
Democratic Party (SDP), CHEE Soon Juan; Workers' Party (WP), J. B. JEYARETNAM;
National Solidarity Party (NSP), leader NA; Barisan Sosialis (BS, Socialist
Front), leader NA; Singapore People's Party (SPP), SIN Kek Tong
International organization
participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation
in US: chief of mission:
Ambassador Sellapan Rama NATHAN
chancery: 3501 International
Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202)
537-3100
FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission:
Ambassador Timothy A. CHORBA
embassy: 30 Hill
Street, Singapore 0617
mailing address:
FPO AP 96534
telephone: [65] 3380251
FAX: [65] 3384550
Flag: 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
Economic overview: Singapore
has an open entrepreneurial economy with strong service and manufacturing
sectors and excellent international trading links derived from its entrepot
history. The economy registered 8.9% growth in 1995, with prospects for
7%-8% growth in 1996. In 1995, the manufacturing and financial and business
services sectors led economic growth. Rising labor costs continue to be
a threat to Singapore's competitiveness, and the government's strategy
to address this problem includes increasing productivity, improving infrastructure,
and encouraging higher value-added industries. In applied technology, per
capita output, investment, and labor discipline, Singapore has key attributes
of a developed country.
GDP: purchasing power
parity - $66.1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
8.9% (1995)
GDP per capita: $22,900
(1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: NEGL%
industry: 28%
services: 72%
Inflation rate (consumer
prices): 1.7%
(1995)
Labor force: 1.649
million (1994)
by occupation: financial,
business, and other services 33.5%, manufacturing 25.6%, commerce 22.9%,
construction 6.6%, other 11.4% (1994)
Unemployment rate:
2.6% (1995 est.)
Budget: revenues: $17.3 billion
expenditures: $12.9
billion, including capital expenditures of $4.5 billion (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: petroleum
refining, electronics, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing and rubber
products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, financial
services, biotechnology
Industrial production
growth rate: 10% (1995)
Electricity: capacity: 4,510,000
kW
production: 17 billion
kWh
consumption per capita:
5,590 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: rubber,
copra, fruit, vegetables; poultry
Illicit drugs: transit
point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the
Third World; also a money-laundering center
Exports: $119.6 billion
(1995)
commodities: computer
equipment, rubber and rubber products, petroleum products, telecommunications
equipment
partners: Malaysia
20%, US 19%, Hong Kong 9%, Japan 7%, Thailand 6% (1994)
Imports: $125.9 billion
(1995)
commodities: aircraft,
petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs
partners: Japan 22%,
Malaysia 16%, US 15%, Taiwan 4%, Saudi Arabia 4% (1994)
External debt: $3.2
million (1994)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Singapore
dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Singapore
dollars (S$) per US$1 - 1.4214 (January 1996), 1.4174 (1995), 1.5274 (1994),
1.6158 (1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991)
Fiscal year: 1 April
- 31 March
Transportation
Railways: total: 38.6 km
narrow gauge: 38.6
km 1.000-m gauge
Highways: total: 2,989 km
paved: 2,905 km (including
111.6 km of expressways)
unpaved: 84 km (1994
est.)
Ports: Singapore
Merchant marine: total: 646 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,915,788 GRT/20,292,580 DWT
ships by type: bulk
110, cargo 118, chemical tanker 18, combination bulk 3, combination ore/oil
8, container 92, liquefied gas tanker 13, multifunction large-load carrier
4, oil tanker 234, refrigerated cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 13, short-sea
passenger 1, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 24
note: a flag of convenience
registry; includes ships from 22 countries among which are Japan 39, Hong
Kong 27, Denmark 24, Germany 20, Sweden 14, Thailand 14, Belgium 12, Norway
9, Indonesia 7, and US 7 (1995 est.)
Airports: total: 8
with paved runways over
3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 2
438 to 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 1
524 to 2 437 m: 3
with paved runways 914
to 1 523 m: 1
with paved runways under
914 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones: 1.23 million
(1993 est.)
Telephone system:
good domestic facilities; good international service
domestic: NA
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 13, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast
stations: 2 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 1.05
million (1992 est.)
Defense
Branches: Army, Navy,
Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49:
1,025,300
males fit for military
service: 752,382 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $3.9 billion, 4.3% of GDP (1995 est.)
Geography