2000 Edition

Background

Founded as a British trading colony in 1819, Singapore joined Malaysia in 1963, but withdrew two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP above that of the leading nations of Western Europe.

Area

land

637.5 sq km

total

647.5 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

highest point

Bukit Timah 166 m

lowest point

Singapore Strait 0 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, Desertification, 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%

forests and woodland

5%

other

87% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

6%

permanent pastures

0%

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 390,352; female 365,730) 15-64 years: 75% (male 1,520,875; female 1,590,355) 65 years and over: 7% (male 124,413; female 159,539) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

12.79 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

4.21 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Chinese 77%, Malay 14%, Indian 7.6%, other 1.4%

Infant mortality rate

3.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.23 years (2000 est.)

male

77.1 years

total population

80.05 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

86.3% (1995 est.)

male

95.9%

total population

91.1%

Nationality

adjective

Singapore

noun

Singaporean(s)

Net migration rate

26.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

4,151,264 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

3.54% (2000 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: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.16 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Steven J. GREEN

embassy

27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508

mailing address

FPO AP 96507

telephone

476-9100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee

telephone

(202) 537-3100

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament

chief of state

President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)

election results

Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN elected president unopposed

elections

president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1999 (next to be held NA August 2005); 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

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)

FAX

(202) 537-0876

476-9340

consulate(s)

New York

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

parliamentary republic

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

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

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - PAP 65% (in contested constituencies), other 35%; seats by party - PAP 81, WP 1, SPP 1; note - subsequent to the election, there was a change in the distribution of seats, the new distribution is as follows: PAP 80, WP 1, SPP 1, vacant 1

elections

last held 2 January 1997 (next to be held by 2002)

National holiday

National Day, 9 August (1965)

Political parties and leaders

National Solidarity Party or NSP [C. K. TAN]; People's Action Party or PAP - the governing party; Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Singapore People's Party or SPP ; Workers' Party or WP

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

rubber, copra, fruit, vegetables; poultry, eggs, fish, vegetables, orchids, ornamental fish

Budget

expenditures

$16.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $8.1 billion (FY98/99 est.)

revenues

$13.9 billion

Currency

1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

Singapore is blessed with a highly developed and successful free-market economy, a remarkably open and corruption-free business environment, stable prices, and the fifth highest per capita GDP in the world. Exports, particularly in electronics and chemicals, and services are the main drivers of the economy. The government promotes high levels of savings and investment through a mandatory savings scheme and spends heavily in education and technology. It also owns government-linked companies (GLCs) - particularly in manufacturing - that operate as commercial entities and account for 60% of GDP. As Singapore looks to a future increasingly marked by globalization, the country is positioning itself as the region's financial and high-tech hub.

Electricity - consumption

24.725 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

26.586 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1 - 1.6733 (January 2000), 1.6950 (1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996), 1.4174 (1995)

Exports

$114 billion (1999)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment (including electronics) 63%, chemicals, mineral fuels (1998)

Exports - partners

US 19%, Malaysia 17%, Hong Kong 8%, Japan 7%, Taiwan 5%, Thailand 4%, UK 4%, China 3%, Germany 3% (1998)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $98 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NEGL%

industry

28%

services

72%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $27,800 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$111 billion (1999)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment 57%, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs (1998)

Imports - partners

US 17%, Japan 17%, Malaysia 16%, Thailand 5%, China 5%, Taiwan 4%, Germany, Saudi Arabia (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

14% (1999 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)

0.4% (1999)

Labor force

1.932 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation

financial, business, and other services 38%, manufacturing 21.6%, commerce 21.4%, construction 7%, other 12%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

3.2% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

8 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 5 (1998)

Radios

2.55 million (1997)

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 - main lines in use

54.6 million (including 46.62 million that serve facsimile machines, computers, and other communication devices) (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.02 million (1998)

Television broadcast stations

4 (1997)

Televisions

1.33 million (1997)

Airports

9 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Heliports

1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

3,038 km (including 150 km of expressways)

total

3,122 km

unpaved

84 km (1998)

Merchant marine

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.)

ships by type

bulk 140, cargo 121, chemical tanker 66, combination bulk 6, combination ore/oil 6, container 162, liquified gas 26, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large load carrier 3, petroleum tanker 294, refrigerated cargo 6, roll-on/roll-off 10, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 36 (1999 est.)

total

891 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,808,813 GRT/34,783,544 DWT

Ports and harbors

Singapore

Railways

narrow gauge

38.6 km 1.000-m gauge

note

there is a 83 km mass transit system with 48 stations

total

38.6 km

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$4.4 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.9% (FY98/99)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,278,525 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 932,978 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

two islands in dispute with Malaysia

Illicit drugs

transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to North America, Western Europe, and the Third World; also a money-laundering center

SLOVAKIA