Map of Singapore | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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
Total: 647.5 km²
Land: 637.5 km²
Water: 10 km²
Comparative: slightly more than 3.5 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

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
Extremes 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.)

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: 4,300,419 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 3.5% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Singaporean
Adjective: Singapore

Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.7% Malay 14% Indian 7.9% 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
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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.5% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 12.8 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 4.24 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 26.45 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.08 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 0.96 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 3.62 deaths/1000 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.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.19% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 4,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 210 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.5%
Male: 97%
Female: 89.8% (1999)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
Conventional short form: Singapore

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital: Singapore

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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
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]

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
In the us chancery: 3,501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 537-3,100
In the us fax: [1] (202) 537-0876
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles, San Francisco
In the us consulates: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
From the us embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258,508
From the us mailing address: PSC Box 470, FPO AP 96,534-0001
From the us telephone: [65] 476-9,100
From the us fax: [65] 476-9,340

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. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 10.1% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NEGL%
Industry: 30%
Services: 70%

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

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.)

Labor force: 2.1 million (2000)
By occupation: financial business and other services 35% manufacturing 21% construction 13% transportation and communication 9%

Unemployment rate: 3% (2000 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $18.1 billion
Expenditures: $17.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.5 billion (FY99/00 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2000)

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: $137 billion (f.o.b. 2000)
Commodities: machinery and equipment (including electronics) chemicals mineral fuels
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)
Commodities: machinery and equipment mineral fuels chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: US 17% Japan 17% Malaysia 16% Thailand 5% China 5% Taiwan 4% Germany 3% Saudi Arabia 3% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $9.7 billion (2000)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 27.381 billion kWh (1999)
By source fossil fuel: 100%
By source hydro: 0%
By source nuclear: 0%
By source other: 0% (1999)

Electricity consumption: 25.464 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

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)

Broadcast media

Internet country code: .sg

Internet users: 1.74 million (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $5 billion (FY00/01 est.)
Percent of gdp: 4.5% (FY00/01 est.)

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 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 9
Over 3047 m: 2
2438 to 3047 m: 1
15-24 to 2437 m: 4
914 to 1523 m: 1
Under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)

Pipelines

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

Roadways

Waterways: none

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.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Pedra Branca Island (Pulau Batu Putih) disputed with Malaysia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs