1986 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1986 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
occupies a position of minor importance in the economy, self-sufficient in pork (but pig farming outlawed as of 1985), 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 (1970-83), $562 million; US, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $575 million; military— US (FY70-84), $2 million
Area
618 km2; smaller than New York City; 31% built on, roads, railroads, and airfields; 22% agricultural; 47% other Water
Branches
ceremonial President; executive power exercised by Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible to unicameral legislature (Parliament)
Budget
(1984) revenues, $5.4 billion; expenditures, $3.9 billion; lending minus repayment, $0.5 billion; surplus, $1.0 billion
Capital
Singapore
Communists
200-500; Barisan Sosialis infiltrated by Communists
Elections
normally held every five years; last held 1984 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
Electric power
3,388,000 kW capacity (1985); 9.865 billion kWh produced (1985), 3,860 kWh per capita
Ethnic divisions
76.4% Chinese, 14.9% Malay, 6.4% Indian, 2.3% other
Exports
$24.1 billion (f.o.b., 1984); manufactured goods, petroleum, rubber, electron-
Fishing
catch 22,763 metric tons (1984), imports — 97,976 metric tons (1984), exports 55,666 metric tons (1984)
GDP
$17.6 billion (1984 est.), $7,000 per capita; 8.7% average annual real growth (1973-83), -1.7% (1985)
Government leaders
WEE Kim Wee, President (since September 1985); LEE Kuan Yew, Prime Minister (since June 1959)
Imports
$28.7 billion (c.i.f., 1984); major retained imports — capital equipment, manufactured goods, petroleum
Infant mortality rate
9.4/1,000 (1983)
Labor force
1,174,827 (June 1984); 29.2% services, 27.4% manufacturing, 22.6% trade, 10.4% transport and communication, 8.5% construction, 0.8% agriculture and fishing; 2.7% unemployment (June 1984)
Language
Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English (official); Malay (national)
Legal system
based on English common law; constitution based on preindependence State of Singapore constitution; legal education at University of Singapore; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Life expectancy
men 69, women 74
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm (fishing, as defined by treaties and practices) Coos*/ine:193km People
Literacy
84.2%
Major industries
petroleum refining, electronics, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, financial services, biotechnology
Major trade partners
exports — US, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, FRG; imports — Japan, US, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia
Member of
ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, ESCAP, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO Economy
Monetary conversion rate
2.13 Singapore dollars=US$l (5 February 1986)
National holiday
9 August
Nationality
noun — Singaporean(s), adjective— Singapore
Official name
Republic of Singapore
Organized labor
18.6% of labor force Government
Population
2,584,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 1.1%
Religion
majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays nearly all Muslim; minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Conf ucianists
Suffrage
universal and compulsory over age
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