Singapore




                                 Geography


Location:
     Southeastern Asia, between Malaysia and Indonesia
Map references:
     Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     632.6 sq km
land area:
     622.6 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     193 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
     12 nm
territorial sea:
     3 nm
International disputes:
     two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Climate:
     tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons;
     thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Terrain:
     lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment
     area and nature preserve
Natural resources:
     fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
arable land:
     4%
permanent crops:
     7%
meadows and pastures:
     0%
forest and woodland:
     5%
other:
     84%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     industrial pollution; limited water supply; limited land availability
     presents waste disposal problems
natural hazards:
     NA




international agreements:
     party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
     Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
     Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note:
     focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes


                                  People


Population:
     2,859,142 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     1.12% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     16.52 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     5.3 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     5.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     75.95 years
male:
     73.17 years
female:
     78.94 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     1.88 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Singaporean(s)
adjective:
Ethnic divisions:
     Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Religions:
     Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist,
     Confucianist
Languages:
     Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official),
     English (official)
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     88%
male:
     93%
female:
     84%
Labor force:
     1,485,800




by occupation:
     financial, business, and other services 30.2%, manufacturing 28.4%,
     commerce 22.0%, construction 9.0%, other 10.4% (1990)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Singapore
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     SN
Type:
     republic within Commonwealth
Capital:
Administrative divisions:
     none
Independence:
     9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
National holiday:
     National Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution:
     3 June 1959, amended 1965; based on preindependence State of Singapore
     Constitution
Legal system:
     based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
     jurisdiction
Suffrage:
     20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President ONG Teng Cheong (since 1 September 1993) election last held
     28 August 1993 (next to be held NA August 1997); results - President
     ONG was elected with 59% of the vote in the country's first popular
     election for president
head of government:
     Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime
     Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990)
cabinet:
     Cabinet; appointed by the president, responsible to parliament
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
Parliament:
     elections last held 31 August 1991 (next to be held 31 August 1996);
     results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (81 total) PAP 77, SDP
     3, WP 1
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
government:
     People's Action Party (PAP), GOH Chok Tong, secretary general




opposition:
     Workers' Party (WP), J. B. JEYARETNAM; Singapore Democratic Party
     (SDP), CHIAM See Tong; National Solidarity Party (NSP), leader NA;
     Barisan Sosialis (BS, Socialist Front), leader NA
Member of:
     APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, COCOM (cooperating), CP, ESCAP, G-77, GATT,
     IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
     INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNIKOM,
     UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Sellapan Rama NATHAN
chancery:
     1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
     (202) 667-7555
FAX:
     (202) 265-7915
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     (vacant)
embassy:
     30 Hill Street, Singapore 0617
mailing address:
     FPO AP 96534
telephone:
     [65] 338-0251
FAX:
     [65] 338-5010
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


                                  Economy


Overview:
     Singapore has an open entrepreneurial economy with strong service and
     manufacturing sectors and excellent international trading links
     derived from its entrepot history. The economy registered nearly 10%
     growth in 1993 while stemming inflation. The construction and
     financial services industries and manufacturers of computer-related
     components have led economic growth. Rising labor costs continue to be
     a threat to Singapore's competitiveness, but there are indications
     that productivity is keeping up. In applied technology, per capita
     output, investment, and labor discipline, Singapore has key attributes
     of a developed country.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $42.4 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
     9.9% (1993)
National product per capita:
     $15,000 (1993 est.)




Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     2.4% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
     2.7% (1993)
Budget:
revenues:
     $11.9 billion
expenditures:
     $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.9 billion (1994
     est.)
Exports:
     $61.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     computer equipment, rubber and rubber products, petroleum products,
     telecommunications equipment
partners:
     US 21%, Malaysia 12%, Hong Kong 8%, Japan 8%, Thailand 6% (1992)
Imports:
     $66.4 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     aircraft, petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs
partners:
     Japan 21%, US 16%, Malaysia 15%, Saudi Arabia 5%, Taiwan 4%
External debt:
     $0; Singapore is a net creditor
Industrial production:
     growth rate 2.3% (1992); accounts for 28% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     4,860,000 kW
production:
     18 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     6,420 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     petroleum refining, electronics, oil drilling equipment, rubber
     processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship
     repair, entrepot trade, financial services, biotechnology
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
Illicit drugs:
     transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western
     Europe, and the Third World; also a major money-laundering center
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $590 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1
     billion
Currency:
     1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
     Singapore dollars (S$) per US$1 - 1.6032 (January 1994), 1.6158
     (1993), 1.6290 (1992), 1.7276 (1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989)




Fiscal year:
     1 April - 31 March


                              Communications


Railroads:
     38 km of 1.000-meter gauge
Highways:
total:
     2,644 km (1985)
paved:
     NA
unpaved:
     NA
Ports:
Merchant marine:
     533 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,656,067 GRT/17,009,400 DWT,
     bulk 87, cargo 125, chemical tanker 14, combination bulk 3,
     combination ore/oil 8, container 80, liquefied gas 4, livestock
     carrier 1, oil tanker 179, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 3,
     roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 20
note:
     many Singapore flag ships are foreign owned
Airports:
total:
     10
usable:
     10
with permanent-surface runways:
     10
with runways over 3,659 m:
     2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     3
Telecommunications:
     good domestic facilities; good international service; good radio and
     television broadcast coverage; 1,110,000 telephones; broadcast
     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


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 857,824; fit for military service 630,055
Defense expenditures:
     exchange rate conversion - $2.7 billion, 6% of GDP (1993 est.)