1985 Edition

Airfields

14 total, 11 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,4403,659 m, 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Army, Navy

ceremonial President; executive power exercised by Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible to unicameral legislature (Parliament)

Capital

Singapore

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Coastline

193 km People

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

Ethnic divisions

76.7% Chinese, 14.7% Malay, 6.4% Indian, 2.2% other

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June Communications

Government leaders

Dr. YEOH Ghim Seng, Acting President (as of 28 March 1985); LEE Kuan Yew, Prime Minister (since June 1959)

Highways

7,460 km total; 1,225 km bituminous, 490 km laterite (some gravel), remainder improved earth

Inland waterways

800 km; 600 km navigable year round

Labor force

1,142,374 (June 1982); 29.5% manufacturing, 28.5% services, 22.3% trade, 11.4% transport and communication, 6.3% construction, 1.0% agriculture and fishing, 1.0% other

Language

Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English (official); Malay (national)

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

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

3 nm (fishing 12 nm)

Literacy

84.2%

Member of

ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Military manpower

males 15-49, 853,000; 414,000 fit for military service; no conscription 10km ^Sentosa Singapore Strait *»• t) Mam Strait Land 618 km2; smaller than New York City; 31% built on, roads, railroads, and airfields; 22% agricultural; 47% other Water

National holiday

9 August

Nationality

noun — Singaporean(s), adjective— Singapore

Official name

Republic of Singapore

Organized labor

18.6% of labor force Government

Population

2,562,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.2%

Ports

1 major (Freetown), 2 minor

Railroads

about 84 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge privately owned mineral line operated by the Sierra Leone Development Company

Religion

majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays nearly all Muslim; minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Confucianists

Suffrage

universal over age 20; voting compulsory

Telecommunications

fair telephone and telegraph service; 16,000 telephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); INTELSAT Atlantic Ocean satellite ground station; 3AM stations, 1 FM, 2 TV stations Defense Forces

Type

republic within Commonwealth

Voting strength

(1984 election) PAP won 77 of 79 seats in Parliament and received 63% of the vote; WP and SDP won one seat each