1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 647.5 sq km land: 637.5 sq km water: 10 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
Environment--current issues
industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
1 22 N, 103 48 E
Geography--note
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 2% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: 5% other: 87% (1993 est.)
Location
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Map references
Southeast Asia
Maritime claims
exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural hazards
NA
Natural resources
fish, deepwater ports
Terrain
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 21% (male 387,786; female 364,018) 15-64 years: 72% (male 1,265,291; female 1,268,458) 65 years and over: 7% (male 109,418; female 136,629) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
13.38 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
4.69 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Infant mortality rate
3.84 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.84 years male: 75.79 years female: 82.14 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91.1% male: 95.9% female: 86.3% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Singaporean(s) adjective: Singapore
Net migration rate
2.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
3,531,600 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
1.15% (1999 est.)
Religions
Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.47 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none
Capital
Singapore
Constitution
3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore conventional short form: Singapore
Data code
SN
Executive branch
chief of state: President ONG Teng Cheong (since 1 September 1993) head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) and Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 August 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1993 (next to be held NA August 1999); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: ONG Teng Cheong elected president in the country's first popular election for president; percent of vote--ONG Teng Cheong 59%, CHUA Kim Yeow 41%
Flag description
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
Government type
republic within Commonwealth
Independence
9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
International organization participation
APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, Australia Group (observer), BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s): New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Steven J. GREEN embassy: 27 Napier Street, Singapore 258508 mailing address: FPO AP 96534-0001
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the 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 parties and leaders: general]
Legal system
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 2 January 1997 (next to be held by 2002) election results: percent of vote by party--PAP 65% (in contested constituencies), other 35%; seats by party--PAP 81, WP 1, SPP 1
National holiday
National Day, 9 August (1965)
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Economy
Agriculture--products
rubber, copra, fruit, vegetables; poultry
Budget
revenues: $16.3 billion expenditures: $13.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY97/98 est.)
Currency
1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Debt--external
$NA
Economic aid--recipient
$NA
Economy--overview
Singapore has an open economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors and excellent international trading links derived from its entrepot history. Extraordinarily strong fundamentals allowed Singapore to weather the effects of the Asian financial crisis better than its neighbors, but the crisis did pull GDP growth down to 1.3% in 1998 from 6% in 1997. Projections for 1999 GDP growth are in the -1% to 1% range. Rising labor costs and appreciation of the Singapore dollar against its neighbors' currencies continue to be a threat to Singapore's competitiveness. The government's strategy to address this problem includes cutting costs, increasing productivity, improving infrastructure, and encouraging higher value-added industries. In applied technology, per capita output, investment, and labor discipline, Singapore has key attributes of a developed country.
Electricity--consumption
28 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity--production
28 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1--1.6781 (January 1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996), 1.4174 (1995), 1.5274 (1994)
Exports
$128 billion (1998 est.)
Exports--commodities
computer equipment, rubber and rubber products, petroleum products, telecommunications equipment
Exports--partners
Malaysia 19%, US 18%, Hong Kong 9%, Japan 8%, Thailand 6% (1995)
Fiscal year
1 April--31 March
GDP
purchasing power parity--$91.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: NEGL% industry: 28% services: 72%
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$26,300 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
1.3% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$133.9 billion (1997 est.)
Imports--commodities
aircraft, petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports--partners
Japan 21%, Malaysia 15%, US 15%, Thailand 5%, Taiwan 4%, South Korea 4% (1995)
Industrial production growth rate
3% (1998 est.)
Industries
electronics, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-0.5% (1998 est.)
Labor force
1.856 million (1997 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
financial, business, and other services 33.5%, manufacturing 25.6%, commerce 22.9%, construction 6.6%, other 11.4% (1994)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
5% (1999 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios
NA
Telephone system
good domestic facilities; good international service domestic: NA international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Telephones
1.4 million (1997 est.)
Television broadcast stations
4 (1997)
Televisions
1.05 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
9 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 9 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Heliports
1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 3,017 km paved: 2,936 km (including 148 km of expressways) unpaved: 81 km (1997 est.) Ports and harbors: Singapore
Merchant marine
total: 875 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,734,146 GRT/31,442,482 DWT ships by type: bulk 142, cargo 132, chemical tanker 51, combination bulk 6, combination ore/oil 6, container 154, liquefied gas tanker 27, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load carrier 6, oil tanker 291, refrigerated cargo 8, roll-on/roll-off cargo 11, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 30 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 22 countries among which are Japan 41, Denmark 35, Sweden 28, Thailand 28, Hong Kong 26, Germany 19, Taiwan 19, and Indonesia 11 (1998 est.)
Railways
total: 38.6 km narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge note: there is a 67 km mass transit system with 42 stations
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$4.244 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
5.1% (FY98/99)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 1,042,587 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 757,940 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Illicit drugs
transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World; also a money-laundering center