Wayzata World Factbook 1994/World Factbook - 1994 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1994).iso/pc/text/txtfiles/singapor.bkg

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#CARD:Singapore:Background Notes
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES:  SINGAPORE

MAY 1990
OFFICIAL NAME: REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE PROFILE

Geography
Area:  620 sq. km. (239 sq. mi.).  Cities: Capital-Singapore (country is
a city-state).  Terrain:  Lowland.  Climate:  Tropical.
People
Nationality:  Noun and adjective-Singaporean(s).  Population (1988):
2.6 million.  Annual growth rate:  1.3%. Ethnic groups:  Chinese 76%,
Malays 15%, Indians 7%, others 2%.  Religions:  Buddhist, Taoist,
Muslim, Hindu, Christian. Languages:  English, Mandarin and other
Chinese dialects, Malay, Tamil.  Education: Years compulsory-none.
Attendance-94%.  Literacy-87.1%.  Health:  Infant mortality
rate-7.4/1,000.  Life expectancy-71 yrs. male, 76 yrs. female.  Work
force (1.3 million):  Agriculture-1.1%. Industry and commerce-58.1%.
Services-33%.  Government-8.1%.

Government
Type:  Parliamentary democracy. Constitution:  1965.  Independence:
August 9, 1965. Branches:  Executive-president (chief of state, 4-yr.
term); prime minister (head of government).  Legislative- unicameral
81-member parliament (maximum 5-yr. term).  Judicial-High Court, Court
of Appeal, Court of Criminal Appeal. Political parties:  People's Action
Party (PAP), various opposition parties. Suffrage:  Universal and
compulsory. Central government budget (1986): $10 billion. Defense
(1988):  5% of gross domestic product. National holiday:  August 9.
Flag:  Two equal horizontal sections, red over white, with a white
crescent and five stars in the upper left corner.

Economy
GDP (1988):  $23.9 billion.  Annual growth rate (1988-in real terms):
11%. Per capita income:  $8,782.  Avg. inflation rate (1988): 1.5%.
Natural resources:  None. Agriculture (0.4% of real GDP):
Products-poultry, orchids, vegetables, fruits. Industry (17% of real
GNP):  Types-petroleum products, electrical and electronic products,
shipbuilding and ship repair, food and beverages, textiles and garments,
chemical products. Trade (1988, excluding Indonesian trade, which is not
reported by Singaporean authorities):  Exports-$39 billion:  petroleum
products, electronics equipment, electrical and nonelectrical machinery,
telecommunications apparatus,  garments. Major markets-US, Malaysia,
Japan, European Community (EC).  Imports-$44 billion:  crude oil,
machinery, manufactured goods, foodstuffs.  Major suppliers-US, EC,
Malaysia, Japan. Official exchange rate (avg. 1988): Singapore
$2.01=US$1. Fiscal year:  April 1-March 31.

Membership in   International Organizations
 UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, Commonwealth,
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Five Power Defense
Arrangement, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Colombo Plan, INTELSAT,
Nonaligned Movement, Group of 77.

GEOGRAPHY
 Singapore is located in Southeast Asia at the southern tip of the Malay
Peninsula and is separated from Malaysia by the Strait of Johore, which
is traversed by a 1.2-kilometer (3/4-mi.) causeway carrying a road and a
railway.  The Singapore Strait separates the country from Indonesia.
Singapore is a focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes.  Its total
land area includes one large island and about 55 nearby islets.  The
diamond-shaped main island is 41 kilometers (26 mi.) at its broadest
from east to west, and 22 kilometers (14 mi.) from north to south.
 Much of Singapore is lowland and originally consisted of swamp and
jungle.  Now mainly urban and industrialized, its geographical features
are small in scale-the highest point on the main island, Bukit Timah
(Hill of Tin), is only 177 meters (581 ft.) above sea level; the longest
river is 14 kilometers (9 mi.) long.  A central plateau of about 31
square kilometers (12 sq. mi.) contains a water catchment area and
nature preserve.  The main urban area lies on the southern part of the
island, primarily on land reclaimed from swamp and sea.
 Singapore's climate is characterized by warm temperatures, high
humidity, and copious rainfall.  Virtually no seasonal temperature
variation exists.  The average maximum temperature is 31 C (88 F); the
average rainfall is 158 centimeters (62 in.).  Singapore has no
pronounced wet or dry seasons.

PEOPLE
 With a population density of 4,231 persons per square kilometer (10,961
per sq. mi.), Singapore is one of the most densely populated countries
in the world.  The annual growth rate has fallen, however, from 2.5% in
1965 to 1.3% in 1988.  Health standards are high for the region, with
about 1 physician for every 837 people (US has about 1 to 700).
 Singapore has a varied linguistic, cultural, and religious heritage.
Malay is the national language, but Chinese, English, and Tamil also are
official languages.  English is widely used in professions, businesses,
and schools.
 The government mandated that English would be the primary language used
at all levels of the school systems by 1987, and aims to provide at
least 10 years of education for every child.  Primary and secondary
school students total almost 470,000, or nearly 18% of the entire
population.  Enrollment at the National University of Singapore is
14,972 and 13,753 at Singapore Polytechnic.  The practical
engineering-oriented Nanyang Technological Institute, founded in 1981,
now has 3,940 students.  The overall literacy rate is 87% and is more
than 90% for Singaporeans under 35.
 Singapore has religious freedom.  Almost all Malays are Muslim; other
Singaporeans are Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Buddhists, Confucianists, and
Christians.

HISTORY
 Although Singapore's history dates from the 11th century, little was
known about the island until the 19th century, when in 1819, Sir Thomas
Stamford Raffles arrived as an agent of the British East India Company.
In 1824, the British purchased Singapore Island, and by 1825, the city
of Singapore had become a major port, with trade exceeding that of
Malaya's Malacca and Penang combined.  In 1830, Singapore, Penang, and
Malacca were combined as the Straits Settlements to form an outlying
residency of the British East India Company; in 1867, the Straits
Settlements were made a British Crown Colony, an arrangement that
continued until 1946.
 The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of steamships
launched an era of prosperity for Singapore as transit trade expanded
throughout Southeast Asia.  In the 20th century, the automobile
industry's demand for rubber from Southeast Asia and the packaging
industry's need for tin helped make Singapore one of the world's major
ports.  It is now second largest in the world in terms of annual
tonnage.
 In 1921, the British constructed a naval base, which was soon
supplemented by an air base.  The Japanese captured the island in
February 1942, however, and it remained under their control until
September 1945, when it was recaptured by the British.
 In 1946, Penang and Malacca were united in a single British Crown
Colony called the Federation of Malaya; Singapore remained a separate
colony.  In 1959, Singapore became self-governing, and, in 1963, it
joined the now-independent Federation of Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak (the
latter two former British Borneo territories) to form Malaysia.
 Indonesia adopted a policy of "confrontation" against the new
federation, charging that it was a "British colonial creation," and
severed trade with Malaysia.  The move particularly affected Singapore,
since Indonesia had been the island's second largest trading partner.
The political dispute was resolved in 1966, and Indonesia resumed trade
with Singapore.
 After a period of friction between Singapore and the central government
in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore separated from Malaysia on August 9, 1965,
and became an independent republic.

GOVERNMENT
 According to the constitution, as amended in 1965, Singapore is a
republic with a parliamentary system of government.  The president, the
ceremonial chief of state, is elected every 4 years by parliament.
Political authority rests with the prime minister and the cabinet.  The
prime minister is the leader of the political party or coalition of
parties having the majority of seats in parliament.
 The unicameral parliament consists of 81 members (80 of whom are from
the governing People's Action Party-PAP) elected on the basis of
universal adult suffrage.  Up to 3 opposition candidates are invited to
become nonconstituent members of parliament after any general election
in which less than three opposition candidates are elected.
Nonconstituent members may debate but may not vote on constitutional
amendments or on bills requiring the expenditure of funds.  After the
last general election (September 1988), two members were named, one of
whom subsequently was disqualified.  The maximum term of any one
parliament is 5 years.  Voting has been compulsory since 1959.
 Judicial power is vested in the High Court and Court of Appeal.  The
High Court exercises original criminal and civil jurisdiction in serious
cases as well as appellate jurisdiction from subordinate courts.  Its
chief justice, senior judge, and six judges are appointed by the
president.  Appeals from the High Court are heard by the Court of
Appeal.  Further appeal can be made in certain cases to the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council at London.

Principal Government Officials
President-WEE Kim Wee
Prime Minister-LEE Kuan Yew
First Deputy Prime Minister-GOH Chok Tong
Second Deputy Prime Minister-ONG Teng Cheong
Ministers- Communications and Information-YEO Ning Hong
Community Development-WONG Kan Seng
Defense-GOH Chok Tong
Education-Tony TAN
Environment-Ahmad MATTAR
Finance-Richard HU Tsu Tau
Foreign Affairs-WONG Kan Seng
Health (Acting)-YEO Cheow Tong
Home Affairs-S. JAYAKUMAR
Labor-LEEYock San
Law-S. JAYAKUMAR
National Development-S. DHANABALAN
Trade and Industry-LEE Hsien Loong
Ambassador to the United Nations-CHAN Heng Chee
Ambassador to the United States-Tommy KOH Thong Bee

 Singapore maintains an embassy in the United States at 1824 R Street
NW., Washington, D.C. 20009  (tel. [phone]).

POLITICAL CONDITIONS
 The ruling political party in Singapore (in power  since 1959) is the
People's Action Party (PAP), headed by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.  In
the 1963 general elections, the PAP won 37 of the 51 seats in
parliament.  In October 1966, the opposition Barisan Sosialis Party
(Socialist Front), a left-wing group that split off from the PAP in
1961, resigned from parliament, leaving the PAP as the sole
representative party.  In the April 1968 general elections, the PAP won
all 58 seats-51 without opposition.
 In the general elections of 1972, 1976, and 1980, the PAP won all of
the seats in an expanding parliament.  In an October 1981 by-election,
the PAP lost a seat to the Workers' Party Secretary General J.B.
Jeyaretnam, the first time an opposition party had won a seat since
1963.
 In the 1984 elections, the PAP polled 62.9% of the popular vote, a 12%
drop from 1980 returns, and lost a second seat.  In 1988, the PAP polled
61.9% of the popular vote to win 80 of 81 seats.
 Following the 1988 elections, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew indicated
that in 1990 he would retire as head of government but not from
politics.  First Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has been designated
to assume the office of prime minister as part of a transition process
to a new generation of political leaders.

ECONOMY
 Singapore's strategic location and industrious population have given
the country an economic importance in Southeast Asia out of proportion
to its small size.  Following independence, its economy expanded
rapidly.  Average annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP) during
the 1970s was close to 10%, and for 1980-84 it was 8.5%.  Following a
recession in 1985-86, the economy steadily recovered and registered an
impressive 11% GDP growth rate in 1988.  The 1988 per capita income,
$8,782, is the third highest in Asia after Japan and Brunei.  At the end
of 1988, official foreign exchange reserves stood at $16.6 billion.
 Singapore began as an entrepot (warehousing and transshipment) center
for the region but began to industrialize and modernize its
infrastructure after independence.  The marine and oil services and
processing industries were among the leaders in the important
manufacturing sector.  The late 1970s and early 1980s brought an
increasing emphasis on high technology high-value-added goods and
services, which made Singapore an electronics and regional banking
center.  Government policy, aimed at providing modern housing for most
of the population by 1990, spurred public and private building, creating
a construction and property boom in the early 1980s.
 However, by 1984, the government's accelerated construction program was
nearly concluded, and there was a massive oversupply of new buildings.
Property values tumbled.  At the same time, there was a near-collapse of
marine and petroleum-related industries worldwide, a shakeout in the US
electronics market, and worsening economic conditions in Malaysia and
Indonesia.  The net result was Singapore's first recession after 21
years of sustained growth.  Real GDP growth plummeted to -1.6% in 1985,
began to show the first signs of recovery in mid-1986, and has been
remarkably buoyant since.
 Singapore continues to upgrade worker skills and to search for new
products and markets to drive its export-led economy.  One major effort
is to become a complete business center, offering multinationals a
manufacturing base, a developed financial infrastructure, and excellent
communications to service regional and world markets.

Trade
 In the past, about two-thirds of Singapore's imports and exports
consisted of entrepot trade.  With rapid industrialization, however, the
relative importance of this sector has declined.  The trade pattern
reflects a shift toward importing capital goods and raw materials for
industry and exporting locally manufactured products.
 In 1988, the United States was Singapore's largest trading partner.
Major exports to the United States consisted of crude rubber, electronic
equipment, electrical machinery, and textile products; major imports
from the United States were machinery and other manufactured products.

US Investment and Assistance
 The United States is the largest source of foreign investment in
Singapore, with more than one-third of all private foreign investment
and a quarter of total investment.  US private investment played a
leading role in Singapore's rapid economic expansion, particularly in
general manufacturing, electronics, and in modernizing regional
distribution facilities.  US activities also include oil refining,
shipping, banking, hotels, insurance, and importing and exporting.  The
resident US business community, including dependents, was estimated at
about 5,000 in late 1988.  Total US investment in Singapore at the end
of 1988 stood at $3 billion, with investment flows continuing at a brisk
pace.
 The United States has a small military training assistance program with
Singapore but provides no other bilateral aid.


Industry
 The government's development policy from independence has emphasized
industrialization.  Separation from Malaysia removed any semblance of a
large domestic market, leading naturally to emphasis on manufacturing
for export.  To support this policy, the government introduced new and
remarkably successful financial incentives for export-oriented industry
and provided efficient infrastructure for manufacturing.  Singapore
opened its economy and has pursued a vigorous free-trade policy ever
since.  Labor legislation enacted in 1968 reduced labor unrest and gave
employers more flexibility in hiring and firing.  By the early 1980s,
Singapore had become a relatively high wage locale by Asian standards,
but the government moved in 1985 to restrain wage increases and reduce
other costs with a view to making Singapore more competitive.
 Several institutions played a key role in carrying out the
industrialization policy.  The Development Bank of Singapore was
responsible for industrial financing.  The Jurong Town Corporation was
charged with developing industrial estates.  Its major achievement, the
Jurong Industrial Estate, is a government-planned satellite community
devoted to manufacturing, which had more than 1,400 factories in
production in the early 1980s and many others in various stages of
completion.  The government's Economic Development Board has organized a
massive program to promote foreign investment in Singapore and has set
up a network of offices in Europe, Japan, and the United States (in New
York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Houston).
 These efforts resulted in a dramatic increase in the level of foreign
and local investment.  From 1962 to 1974, the manufacturing sector grew
an average of 20% per year and registered an annual average increase of
more than 10% through 1981.  After a pause in 1982, growth resumed in
1983.  Manufacturing increased as a percentage of total economic
activity from 17% in 1960 to 29% in 1988.  Extensive petroleum refining
operations make that industry-in terms of total value of production-the
largest in Singapore.  It is closely followed by electronics,
transportation equipment and marine services-including ship
repair-textiles, electrical machinery, and food industries.  The
manufacturing sector contracted because of the recession, but the
prospects for high- tech manufacturing are still bright.
 Construction was the cutting edge of the economy in the early 1980s,
providing as much as 30% of total growth.  Although the frenzied pace of
construction in that period left a massive surplus of offices, hotels,
and warehouses, the program also resulted in modern housing for most
Singaporeans and an up-to-date system of ports, airports, and roads.
Construction of a 66.8-kilometer (41.5-mi.) rapid transit system is
underway.  The first stage was completed in December 1987.

Agriculture
 Singapore's limited agrarian land is devoted primarily to intensive
cultivation of vegetables, some poultry and pork, and other food crops.
Although rice is a dietary staple, it is not grown domestically.  All
the island's other food requirements are imported.  Singapore is a major
exporter of orchids and tropical fish.

Labor
 Singapore has a work force of about 1.3 million.  The National Trades
Union Congress, the sole trade union federation, has 209,000 members or
about 98% of total organized labor.  Extensive legislation covers
general labor and trade union matters.  The Industrial Arbitration Court
handles labor-management disputes.  In recent years, few incidents have
occurred to ruffle the generally harmonious state of labor-management
relations.
 Singapore enjoyed virtually full employment in the early 1980s with an
unemployment rate of only 3%.  The 1985 recession drove the jobless
figure to more than 6% in mid-1986, but with the recovery, it dropped
back to 3.3% in mid-1988.  Spot labor shortages persist, however, in
some growth areas, such as electronics and in industries, such as
construction, where foreign workers predominate.

Transportation and Communications
 Situated at the crossroads of international shipping and air routes,
Singapore is a center for transportation and communication in Southeast
Asia.  The world's second most active port (after Rotterdam), Singapore
handled 153 million tons of cargo in 1988.  Singapore is a regional
aviation hub served by 50 international airlines.  Changi International
Airport, opened in 1980, is being expanded.  The country also is linked
by road and rail to Malaysia and Thailand.
 Telecommunications and telephone facilities are modern and
comprehensive, providing high-quality communications with the rest of
the world.  Radio and television stations are government-owned and
operated.  Privately owned daily newspapers are published in English,
Chinese, and Malay.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
 Singapore is nonaligned and seeks cordial relations with all nations.
As a small country heavily dependent on world trade, it has a special
interest in maintaining wide international contacts.  It is a member of
the Commonwealth and also the United Nations and several of its
specialized and related agencies.  Singapore supports the concept of
Southeast Asian regionalism and plays an active role in the Association
of South East Asian Nations, founded in 1967.

DEFENSE
 Singapore relies primarily on its own defense forces, which are
continuously being modernized.  The Singapore armed forces comprises
50,000 army, 3,500 navy, and 6,000 air force personnel.  Reserve forces
total about 200,000.  Singapore is a member of the Five Power Defense
Arrangement-United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia.
Designed to replace the former defense role of the British in the
Singapore-Malaysia area, the arrangement obligates members to consult in
the event of external threat and provides for stationing Commonwealth
forces in Singapore.

US-SINGAPORE RELATIONS
 The United States has maintained formal diplomatic relations with
Singapore since that country became independent in 1965.  Singapore's
efforts to maintain economic growth and political stability and its
support for regional cooperation harmonize with US policy in the region
and form a solid basis for amicable relations between the two countries.
 The growth of US investment in Singapore and the large number of
Americans living there enhance opportunities for contact between
Singapore and the United States.  Many Singaporeans visit and study in
the United States.
 The US Government sponsors visitors from Singapore each year under the
International Visitor Program.  The US Government provides Fulbright
awards to enable selected American professors to teach or conduct
research at the National University of Singapore and the Institute of
Southeast Asian Studies.  It awards scholarships to outstanding
Singaporean students for graduate studies at American universities and
to American students to study in Singapore.  The US Government also
sponsors occasional cultural presentations in Singapore.
 The East-West Center and private American organizations, such as the
Asia and Ford Foundations, also sponsor exchanges involving
Singaporeans.
 Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has visited the United States several
times.  He last official visit was in April 1988.

Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador-Robert Orr
Deputy Chief of Mission-Arthur Kobler
Economic/Political Counselor-Thomas H. Martin
Political Officer-Edward Dong
Economic Officer-J. Anthony Holmes
Public Affairs Counselor-Richard Gong
Commercial Counselor-George Ruffner
Administrative Counselor-Robert B. Courtney
Defense Attache-Capt. Patrick Cooper, USN

 The US Embassy in Singapore is located at 30 Hill Street, Singapore
0617 (tel. [phone]).

Further Information
 These titles are provided as a general indication of material published
on this country.  The Department of State does not endorse unofficial
publications.
 Bedlington, Stanley S. Malaysia and Singapore: The Building of New
States. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1978.
 Bloodworth, Dennis. The Tiger and the Trojan Horse.  Singapore: Times
Books International, 1986.
 Chan Heng Chee. The Dynamics of One Party Dominance: The PAP at the
Grass Roots. Singapore: Singapore University Press, 1976.
 George, T.J.S. Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore. Great Britain: Andre Deutsh
Limited, 1978.
 Goh Keng Swee. The Practice of Economic  Growth. Singapore: Federal
Publications, 1977.
 Hassan, Riaz, ed. Singapore: Society in  Transition. Kuala Lumpur:
Oxford University Press, 1976.
 Josey, Alex. Singapore: Its Past, Present and Future. Singapore:
Eastern Universities Press, 1979.
 Lim, Chong Yah.  Policy Options for the Singapore Economy. Singapore:
McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1988
 Nair, C. Devan, ed. Socialism That Works.  The Singapore Way.
Singapore: Federal Publications, 1976.
 Singapore Year Book. Singapore:  Government Publications Bureau.
 Available from the Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing
Office, Washington, DC 20402: American University. Area Handbook for
Singapore. 1977. US Department of Commerce. Foreign Economic
Trends-Singapore.  International Marketing Information Series:
Semiannual.

 Published by the United States Department of State --  Bureau of Public
Affairs  -- Office of  Public Communication -- Washington, DC -- May
1990 -- Editor:  Juanita Adams
 Department of State Publication 8240 --Background Notes Series  -- This
material is in the public domain and may  be reprinted without
permission; citation of this source is appreciated. For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC  20402. (###)


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