1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
618 km2; 31% built-up area, roads, railroads, and airfields, 22% agricultural, 47% other WATER
Coastline
193 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm (fishing 12 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
76.1% Chinese, 15.0% Malay, 6.9% Indians and Pakistani, 1.8% other
Labor force
1,093,000; 2.2% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 0.2% mining and quarrying, 27.2% manufacturing, 30.5% services, 4.6% construction, 23.5% commerce, 11.7% transport, storage, and communications
Language
national language is Malay; Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English are official languages
Literacy
84% (1980)
Nationality
noun—Singaporean(s), adjective—Singapore
Organized labor
23.1% of labor force
Population
2,472,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.2%
Religion
majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays nearly all Muslim; minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Confucianists
Government
Capital
Singapore
Communists
200-500; Barisan Sosialis infiltrated by Communists
Elections
normally every five years Political parties and leaders: government—People's Action Party (PAP), Lee Kuan Yew; opposition—Barisan Sosialis (BS), Dr. Lee Siew Choh; Workers' Party (WP), J. B. Jeyaretnam; United People's Front (UPF), Harbans Singh; Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Chiam See Tong, Communist Party illegal Voting strength (1980 election): PAP won all 75 seats in Parliament and received 75.5% of vote; WP won seat in byelection in October 1981
Government leaders
President C. V. Devan NAIR; Prime Minister LEE Kuan Yew
Legal system
based on English common law; constitution based on preindependence State of Singapore constitution; legal education at University of Singapore; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Colombo Plan, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
9 August Branches: ceremonial President; executive power exercised by Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible to unitary legislature
Official name
Republic of Singapore
Suffrage
universal over age 20; voting compulsory
Type
republic within Commonwealth since separation from Malaysia in August 1965
Economy
Agriculture
occupies a position of minor importance in the economy, self-sufficient in pork, poultry, and eggs, must import much of its other food requirements; major crops—rubber, copra, fruit and vegetables
Aid
economic commitments—Western (non-US) countries (1970-79), $216 million; US, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $302 million; military—US (FY70-80), $2 million
Budget
(FY80/81) revenues $3.1 billion, expenditures $2.9 billion, surplus $145 million; 24.8% military, 75.2% civilian
Electric power
1,650,000 kW capacity (1980); 7.26 billion kWh produced (1980), 3,000 kWh per capita
Exports
$19.4 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 37.7% reexports; petroleum products, rubber, manufactured goods
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
Fishing
catch 15,532 metric tons (1980), imports—80,440 metric tons (1980), exports—48,704 metric tons (1980)
GDP
$10.5 billion (1980 est.), $4,340 per capita; 9.4% average annual real growth (1969-79), 10.2% (1980)
Imports
$24.0 billion (c.i.f., 1980); 30.5% goods reexported; major retained imports — capital equipment, manufactured goods, petroleum
Major industries
petroleum refining, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, electronics, ship repair, entrepot trade, financial services
Major trade partners
exports—Malaysia, US, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, West Germany; imports—Japan, US, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia
Monetary conversion rate
2.14 Singapore dollars=US$1 (1980)
Communications
Airfields
6 total, 6 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
approx. 30 major transport aircraft
Highways
2,314 km total (1980); 2,006 km paved, 308 km crushed stone or improved earth
Ports
3 major, 2 minor
Railroads
38 km of meter gauge
Telecommunications
good domestic facilities; good international service; good radio and television broadcast coverage; 625,130 telephones (26.5 per 100 popl.); 13 AM, 4 FM, and 2 TV stations; submarine cables extend to Hong Kong via Sabah, Philippines; 1 ground station to Hong Kong via Sabah, Malaysia; 1 ground satellite station
Military and Security
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 31 March 1982, $716.5 million; about 15.6% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 730,000; 574,000 fit for military service
Ships
13 coastal patrol, 6 amphibious ships (1 in reserve), 2 coastal minesweepers, 6 amphibious craft, 2 service craft; delivery of 12 new 23-meter patrol craft (swift Warrior class) began 1981