from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Singapore
Introduction
Background: 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
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and
Indonesia
Geographic 1 22 N, 103 48 E
coordinates:
Map Southeast Asia
references:
Area: total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 193 km
Maritime territorial sea: 3 nm
claims: 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 lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
extremes: highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
Natural fish, deepwater ports
resources:
Land use: arable land: 1.47%
permanent crops: 1.47%
other: 97.06% (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural NA
hazards:
Environment - industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water
current resources; limited land availability presents waste
issues: disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from
forest fires in Indonesia
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
agreements: Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
note:
People
Population: 4,492,150 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.6% (male 362,329/female 337,964)
15-64 years: 76.1% (male 1,666,709/female 1,750,736)
65 years and over: 8.3% (male 165,823/female 208,589)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 37.3 years
male: 36.9 years
female: 37.6 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.42% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 9.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 4.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 9.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 2.29 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 2.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 81.71 years
expectancy at male: 79.13 years
birth: female: 84.49 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.06 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.2% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 4,100 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
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% (2002)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
local long form: Republic of Singapore
local short form: Singapore
Government parliamentary republic
type:
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 none
divisions:
Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
National National Day, 9 August (1965)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President S. R. NATHAN (since 1
branch: 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); Deputy Prime Minister Shunmugan
JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Minister
WONG Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005); Senior Minister
GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Minister Mentor
LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004)
cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to
parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for
six-year term; last appointed 17 August 2005 - see note
(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 unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by
branch: popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in
addition, there are up to nine nominated members; the
losing opposition candidate who came closest to winning
a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member
elections: last held 6 May 2006 (next to be held in
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 Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the
branch: 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 People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong];
parties and Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong];
leaders: Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan];
Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia LIM Swee Lian]
note: SDA includes National Solidarity Party or NSP,
Singapore Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National
Malay Organization or PKMS, Singapore People's Party or
SPP
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, G-77,
organization IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
participation: IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
representation chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100
FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia L. HERBOLD
representation embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508
from the US: mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001
telephone: [65] 6476-9100
FAX: [65] 6476-9340
Flag two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near
description: 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
Economy - Singapore, a highly-developed and successful
overview: free-market economy, 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 electronics and manufacturing.
It was hard hit in 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. The
government hopes to establish a new growth path that
will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle
and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as
Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. Fiscal
stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and
internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004,
with real GDP rising by 8% - by far the economy's best
performance since 2000 - but growth slowed to 5.7% in
2005.
GDP $126.5 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $110.6 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $28,600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 0%
composition by industry: 33.9%
sector: services: 66.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 2.28 million (September 2005 est.)
Labor force - manufacturing 18%, construction 6%, transportation and
by occupation: communication 11%, financial, business, and other
services 39%, other 26% (2003)
Unemployment 3.1% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 42.5 (1998)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 0.4% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 21.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $18.67 billion
expenditures: $18.21 billion; including capital
expenditures of $5.1 billion (2005 est.)
Public debt: 102.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry,
products: 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, offshore platform construction,
life sciences, entrepot trade
Industrial 9.5% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 36.8 billion kWh (2004)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 33.2 billion kWh (2004)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - 8,290 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 800,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2004 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 5.32 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 2.5 billion cu m
imports: note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2001 est.)
Current $32.74 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $204.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - machinery and equipment (including electronics),
commodities: consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels
Exports - Malaysia 14.7%, US 11.5%, Indonesia 10.7%, Hong Kong
partners: 10.4%, China 9.5%, Japan 6%, Thailand 4.5%, Australia
4.1% (2005)
Imports: $188.3 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals,
commodities: foodstuffs
Imports - Malaysia 14.4%, US 12.4%, China 10.8%, Japan 10.1%,
partners: Indonesia 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, South Korea 4.5%
(2005)
Reserves of $115.8 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $23.76 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $NA
recipient:
Currency Singapore dollar (SGD)
(code):
Currency code: SGD
Exchange Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902
rates: (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones - 1.848 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 4.385 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: excellent service
system: domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G
wireless service in February 2005
international: country code - 65; 9 submarine cables
provide direct connection to more than 100 countries; 4
satellite earth stations, supplemented by VSAT coverage
Radio AM 0, FM 17, shortwave 2 (2003)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 2.6 million (2000)
Television 1 (broadcasting on six channels); additional reception
broadcast of numerous UHF and VHF signals originating in Malaysia
stations: and Indonesia; note - digital TV for reception in
public spaces and transportation is transmitted from 10
sites (2006)
Televisions: 1.33 million (1997)
Internet .sg
country code:
Internet 898,762 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 9 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 2,421,800 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 9 (2006)
Airports - total: 9
with paved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 139 km; refined products 8 km (2006)
Roadways: total: 3,234 km
paved: 3,234 km (including 150 km of expressways)
(2005)
Merchant total: 1,063 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,033,735 GRT/
marine: 49,715,650 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 155, cargo 87, chemical tanker
136, container 214, liquefied gas 53, livestock carrier
1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 353,
refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 2, specialized
tanker 11, vehicle carrier 40
foreign-owned: 592 (Australia 7, Bangladesh 1, Belgium
12, China 23, Denmark 52, Germany 9, Greece 9, Hong
Kong 50, India 5, Indonesia 56, Italy 2, Japan 100,
South Korea 17, Malaysia 35, Netherlands 2, Norway 90,
Philippines 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 12, Taiwan 59,
Thailand 22, UAE 7, UK 9, US 7)
registered in other countries: 285 (Antigua and Barbuda
1, Bahamas 12, Belize 6, Bolivia 3, Cambodia 4, Cayman
Islands 10, Cyprus 1, Dominica 9, France 2, Honduras
11, Hong Kong 24, Indonesia 17, Isle of Man 7, North
Korea 1, Liberia 28, Malaysia 44, Marshall Islands 6,
Mongolia 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 67, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines 5, Thailand 6, Tuvalu 6, US 2, unknown
2) (2006)
Ports and Singapore
terminals:
Military
Military Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Republic of
branches: Singapore Air Force (includes Air Defense) (2006)
Military 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16
service age years of age for volunteers; conscript service
and obligation reduced to 24 months beginning December 2004
obligation: (2004)
Manpower males age 18-49: 1,215,568 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 982,368 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Military $4.47 billion (FY01 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 4.9% (FY01)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh
international: water to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land
reclamation works, bridge construction, maritime
boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih -
parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute
within three years; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in
2005 to finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement
by defining unresolved areas north of Batam Island;
piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Illicit drugs: as a transportation and financial services hub,
Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and
enforcement, as a venue for money laundering