1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Coastline
193 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Environment
mostly urban and industrialized
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 4%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 5%; other 84%
Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: not specific; Territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural resources
fish, deepwater ports
Note
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
Terrain
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Total area
632.6 km2; land area: 622.6 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
18 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Infant mortality rate
8 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
1,280,000; financial, business, and other services 35.3%, manufacturing 29.0%, commerce 22.8%, construction 6.6%, other 6.3% (1989)
Language
Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English (all official); Malay (national)
Life expectancy at birth
72 years male, 77 years female (1991)
Literacy
88% (male 93%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Singaporean(s), adjective--Singapore
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
210,000; 16.1% of labor force (1989)
Population
2,756,330 (July 1991), growth rate 1.3% (1991)
Religion
majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays are nearly all Muslim (minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Confucianists)
Total fertility rate
2.0 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Singapore
Communists
200-500; Barisan Sosialis infiltrated by Communists; note--Communist party illegal
Constitution
3 June 1959, amended 1965; based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador S. R. NATHAN; Chancery at 1824 R Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 667-7555; US--Ambassador Robert D. ORR; Embassy at 30 Hill Street, Singapore 0617 (mailing address is FPO San Francisco 96699); telephone [65] 338-0251
Elections
President--last held 31 August 1989 (next to be held August 1993); results--President WEE Kim Wee was reelected by Parliament without opposition; Parliament--last held 3 September 1988 (next to be held 31 August 1991); results--PAP 61.8%, WP 18.4%, SDP 11.5%, NSP 3.7%, UPF 1.3%, other 3.3%; seats--(81 total) PAP 80, SDP 1; note--BS has 1 nonvoting seat
Executive branch
president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
Flag
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
Independence
9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State--President WEE Kim Wee (since 3 September 1985); Head of Government--Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Minister ONG Teng Cheong (since 2 January 1985)
Legal system
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament
Long-form name
Republic of Singapore
Member of
APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
National Day, 9 August (1965)
Political parties and leaders
government--People's Action Party (PAP), LEE Kuan Yew, secretary general; opposition--Workers' Party (WP), J. B. JEYARETNAM; Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), CHIAM See Tong; National Solidarity Party (NSP), SOON Kia Seng; United People's Front (UPF), Harbans SINGH; Barisan Sosialis (BS, Socialist Front), leader NA
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age 20
Type
republic within Commonwealth
Economy
Agriculture
occupies a position of minor importance in the economy; self-sufficient in poultry and eggs; must import much of other food; major crops--rubber, copra, fruit, vegetables
Budget
revenues $8.0 billion; expenditures $7.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.4 billion (FY90 est.)
Currency
Singapore dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $590 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $882 million
Electricity
4,000,000 kW capacity; 14,400 million kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Singapore dollars per US$1--1.7454 (January 1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987), 2.1774 (1986), 2.2002 (1985)
Exports
$52.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--includes transshipments to Malaysia--petroleum products, rubber, electronics, manufactured goods; partners--US 21%, EC 14%, Malaysia 13%, Japan 9%
External debt
$3.9 billion (1990)
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$34.6 billion, per capita $12,700; real growth rate 8.3% (1990)
Imports
$60.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990); commodities--includes transshipments from Malaysia--capital equipment, petroleum, chemicals, manufactured goods, foodstuffs; partners--Japan 20%, US 16%, Malaysia 14%, EC 13%
Industrial production
growth rate 9% (1990 est.); accounts for 29% of GDP (1989)
Industries
petroleum refining, electronics, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, financial services, biotechnology
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.4% (1990)
Overview
Singapore has an open entrepreneurial economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors and excellent international trading links derived from its entrepot history. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the economy expanded rapidly, achieving an average annual growth rate of 9%. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia. In 1985 the economy registered its first drop in 20 years and achieved less than a 2% increase in 1986. Recovery was strong based on rising demand for Singapore's products in OECD countries and improved competitiveness of domestic manufactures. The economy grew 8.3% in 1990. Singapore's position as a major oil refining and services center helped it weather the Persian Gulf crisis.
Unemployment rate
1.7% (1990)
Communications
Airports
9 total, 9 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
38 major transport aircraft (est.)
Highways
2,597 km total (1984)
Merchant marine
435 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,259,085 GRT/13,553,438 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 121 cargo, 66 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 11 refrigerated cargo, 18 vehicle carrier, 1 livestock carrier, 118 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 75 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note--many Singapore flag ships are foreign owned
Ports
Singapore
Railroads
38 km of 1.000-meter gauge
Telecommunications
good domestic facilities; good international service; good radio and television broadcast coverage; 1,110,000 telephones; stations--13 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; submarine cables extend to Malaysia (Sabah and peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Defense expenditures
$1.7 billion, 4% of GDP (1990 est.) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 842,721; 625,546 fit for military service