Map of Singapore | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Southeastern Asia islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N 103 48 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Comparative: slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 193 km

Maritime claims

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

Elevation

Natural resources: fish deepwater ports

Land use

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes


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Population: 4,151,264 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 3.54% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Chinese 77% Malay 14% Indian 7.6% other 1.4%

Languages: Chinese (official) Malay (official and national) Tamil (official) English (official)

Religions: Buddhist (Chinese) Muslim (Malays) Christian Hindu Sikh Taoist Confucianist

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.54% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 12.79 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 4.21 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 26.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 3.65 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.16 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital: Singapore

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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: National Solidarity Party or NSP [C. K. TAN]; 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 and LOW Thia Khiang]

International organization participation: APEC 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 UNCTAD UNIKOM UPU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. 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 and account for 60% of GDP. As Singapore looks to a future increasingly marked by globalization the country is positioning itself as the region's financial and high-tech hub.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,800 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: rubber copra fruit vegetables; poultry eggs fish vegetables orchids ornamental fish

Industries: electronics 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% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 1.932 million (1998)
By occupation: financial business and other services 38% manufacturing 21.6% commerce 21.4% construction 7% other 12%

Unemployment rate: 3.2% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.4% (1999)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $114 billion (1999)
Commodities: machinery and equipment (including electronics) 63% chemicals mineral fuels (1998)
Partners: US 19% Malaysia 17% Hong Kong 8% Japan 7% Taiwan 5% Thailand 4% UK 4% China 3% Germany 3% (1998)

Imports: $111 billion (1999)
Commodities: machinery and equipment 57% mineral fuels chemicals foodstuffs (1998)
Partners: US 17% Japan 17% Malaysia 16% Thailand 5% China 5% Taiwan 4% Germany Saudi Arabia (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1 - 1.6733 (January 2000) 1.6950 (1999) 1.6736 (1998) 1.4848 (1997) 1.4100 (1996) 1.4174 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 26.586 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 24.725 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 54.6 million (including 46.62 million that serve facsimile machines computers and other communication devices) (1998)
Mobile cellular: 1.02 million (1998)

Telephone system: good domestic facilities; good international service

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 8 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4.4 billion (FY98/99)
Percent of gdp: 4.9% (FY98/99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 9 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: two islands in dispute with Malaysia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to North America Western Europe and the Third World; also a money-laundering center