The population of Singapore has exploded in the last century
from a mere 230,000 to an incredible 4 million at the start of the new
millennium, 2000. In that population boom, the ratio of men to women has
narrowed from almost 3:1, to almost even.
In contrast to its small size, Singapore has been phenomenal in its
successes. A leader in repairing and building ships, Singapore also has
a center that refines and distributes oil which which is one of the largest in
the world.
Its harbor is the busiest in the world and is a very popular port for
cruise lines. The airport is also the busiest in the world and is also
one of the world's best airports with a vast array of amenities available.
Singapore, one of the cleanest and safest spots in Asia, draws a crowd of
around 6 million visitors each year. A reason for its cleanliness and
safety stems from a strict enforcement of rules for even the slightest
transgression.
Background:
Singapore was founded as a British
trading colony in 1819. It joined the
Malaysian Federation in 1963 but
separated two years later and became
independent. Singapore subsequently
became one of the world's most
prosperous countries with strong
international trading links (its port
is one of the world's busiest in terms
of tonnage handled) and with per
capita GDP equal to that of the
leading nations of Western Europe.
Geography
::Singapore
Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands between
Malaysia and Indonesia
Geographic coordinates:
1 22 N, 103 48 E
Area:
total: 697
sq km
country
comparison to the world:191
land: 687
sq km
water: 10
sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than 3.5 times the size
of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
193 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3
nm
exclusive fishing zone: within
and beyond territorial sea, as defined
in treaties and practice
Climate:
Current
Weather
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two
distinct monsoon seasons -
Northeastern monsoon (December to
March) and Southwestern monsoon (June
to September); inter-monsoon -
frequent afternoon and early evening
thunderstorms
Terrain:
lowland; gently undulating central
plateau contains water catchment area
and nature preserve
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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none
of the selected agreements
65 years and over: 8.9%
(male 184,393/female 229,330) (2010
est.)
Median age:
total: 39.6
years
male: 39.1
years
female: 40
years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.863% (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:131
Birth rate:
8.65 births/1,000 population (2010
est.)
country
comparison to the world:217
Death rate:
4.8 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010
est.)
country
comparison to the world:194
Net migration rate:
4.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010
est.)
country
comparison to the world:18
Urbanization:
urban population: 100%
of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.2%
annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.077
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95
male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81
male(s)/female
total population: 0.95
male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.32
deaths/1,000 live births
country
comparison to the world:222
male: 2.52
deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.1
deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 82.06
years
country
comparison to the world:7
male: 79.45
years
female: 84.87
years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.1 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:222
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world:96
HIV/AIDS - people living with
HIV/AIDS:
4,200 (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world:126
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world:118
Nationality:
noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore
Ethnic groups:
Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian
7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census)
Religions:
Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist
8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other
Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8%
(2000 census)
Languages:
Mandarin (official) 35%, English
(official) 23%, Malay (official)
14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%,
Teochew 4.9%, Tamil (official) 3.2%,
other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other
0.9% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 96.6%
female: 88.6%
(2000 census)
Education expenditures:
3.2% of GDP (2009)
country
comparison to the world:144
Government
::Singapore
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic
of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
local long form: Republic
of Singapore
local short form: Singapore
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Singapore
geographic coordinates: 1
17 N, 103 51 E
time difference: UTC+8
(13 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
9 August 1965 (from Malaysian
Federation)
National holiday:
National Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution:
3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on
pre-independence State of Singapore
Constitution)
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal and
compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President
S R NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)
note:uses
S R NATHAN but his full name and the
one used in formal communications is
Sellapan RAMANATHAN
head of government: Prime
Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12
August 2004); Senior Minister GOH Chok
Tong (since 12 August 2004); Senior
Minister Shunmugam JAYAKUMAR (since 1
April 2009); Minister Mentor LEE Kuan
Yew (since 12 August 2004); Deputy
Prime Minister TEO Chee Huan (since 1
April 2009) and Deputy Prime Minister
WONG Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005)
cabinet: appointed
by president, responsible to
parliament
(For
more information visit the World Leaders
website )
elections: president
elected by popular vote for six-year
term; appointed on 17 August 2005
(next election to be held by August
2011); following legislative
elections, leader of majority party or
leader of majority coalition usually
appointed prime minister by president;
deputy prime ministers appointed by
president
election results: Sellapan
Rama (S R) NATHAN was appointed
president in August 2005 after
Presidential Elections Committee
disqualified three other would-be
candidates; scheduled election not
held
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (84 seats;
members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms); note - in
addition, there are up to 9 nominated
members; up to three losing opposition
candidates who came closest to winning
seats may be appointed as "nonconstituency"
members
elections: last
held on 6 May 2006 (next to be held by
February 2012)
election results: percent
of vote by party - PAP 66.6%, WP
16.3%, SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by
party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1
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:
People's Action Party or PAP [LEE
Hsien Loong]; Reform Party [NG Teck
Siong]; Singapore Democratic Alliance
or SDA [CHIAM See Tong]; Singapore
Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon
Juan]; Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia
LIM Swee Lian]
note:SDA
includes Singapore Justice Party or
SJP, Singapore National Malay
Organization or PKMS, Singapore
People's Party or SPP
chancery: 3501
International Place NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1]
(202) 537-3100
FAX: [1]
(202) 537-0876
consulate(s) general: San
Francisco
consulate(s): New
York
Diplomatic representation from the
US:
chief of mission: Ambassador
David I. ADELMAN
embassy: 27
Napier Road, Singapore 258508
mailing address: FPO
AP 96507-0001
telephone: [65]
6476-9100
FAX: [65]
6476-9340
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; red
denotes brotherhood and equality;
white signifies purity and virtue; the
waxing crescent moon symbolizes a
young nation on the ascendancy; the
five stars represent the nation's
ideals of democracy, peace, progress,
justice, and equality
National anthem:
name: "Majulah
Singapura" (Onward Singapore)
lyrics/music: ZUBIR
Said
note:adopted
1965; the anthem, which was first
performed in 1958 at the Victoria
Theatre, is sung only in Malay
Economy
::Singapore
Economy - overview:
Singapore has a highly developed and
successful free-market economy. It
enjoys a remarkably open and
corruption-free environment, stable
prices, and a per capita GDP higher
than that of most developed countries.
The economy depends heavily on
exports, particularly in consumer
electronics, information technology
products, pharmaceuticals, and on a
growing financial services sector.
Real GDP growth averaged 6.9% between
2004 and 2008. The economy contracted
1.3% in 2009 as a result of the global
financial crisis, but rebounded nearly
15% in 2010, on the strength of
renewed exports. Over the longer term,
the government hopes to establish a
new growth path that focuses on
raising productivity growth, which has
sunk to 1% per year in the last
decade. Singapore has attracted major
investments in pharmaceuticals and
medical technology production and will
continue efforts to establish
Singapore as Southeast Asia's
financial and high-tech hub.
Household income or consumption by
percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.4%
highest 10%: 23.2%
(2008)
Distribution of family income -
Gini index:
48.1 (2008)
country
comparison to the world:29
Investment (gross fixed):
27.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:31
Public debt:
102.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:10
110% of GDP (2009 est.)
note:for
Singapore, public debt consists
largely of Singapore Government
Securities (SGS) issued to assist the
Central Provident Fund (CPF), which
administers Singapore's defined
contribution pension fund; special
issues of SGS are held by the CPF, and
are non-tradeable; the government has
not borrowed to finance deficit
expenditures since the 1980s
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.6% (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:81
0.6% (2009 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.38% (31 December 2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world:146
5.38% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$80.5 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country
comparison to the world:35
$64.26 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$295.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:27
$255.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$199.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:39
$166.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded
shares:
$474.8 billion (31 December 2009)
country
comparison to the world:21
$268.6 billion (31 December 2008)
$353.5 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs;
fish, ornamental fish
Industries:
electronics, chemicals, financial
services, oil drilling equipment,
petroleum refining, rubber processing
and rubber products, processed food
and beverages, ship repair, offshore
platform construction, life sciences,
entrepot trade
Industrial production growth rate:
10.2% (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:14
Electricity - production:
41.72 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world:55
Electricity - consumption:
37.94 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world:54
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
9,667 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world:85
Oil - consumption:
878,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country
comparison to the world:22
Oil - exports:
1.289 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world:19
Oil - imports:
2.109 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
country
comparison to the world:10
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:122
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world:130
Natural gas - consumption:
8.27 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world:49
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country
comparison to the world:125
Natural gas - imports:
8.27 billion cu m
country
comparison to the world:26
note:from
Indonesia and Malaysia (2008 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:134
Current account balance:
$40.44 billion (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:9
$32.63 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$358.3 billion (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:14
$273.4 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment (including
electronics), consumer goods,
pharmaceuticals and other chemicals,
mineral fuels
Exports - partners:
Hong Kong 11.6%, Malaysia 11.5%, US
11.2%, Indonesia 9.7%, China 9.7%,
Japan 4.6%, Hong Kong 11.6% (2009)
Imports:
$315.6 billion (2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:15
$243.2 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, mineral
fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs, consumer
goods
Imports - partners:
US 14.7%, Malaysia 11.6%, China 10.5%,
Japan 7.6%, Indonesia 5.8%, South
Korea 5.7%, Taiwan 5.22% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and
gold:
$212.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:9
$187.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$21.66 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:71
$20.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment
- at home:
$274.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:19
$260.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment
- abroad:
$172.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country
comparison to the world:21
$167.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Singapore dollars (SGD) per US dollar
- 1.3702 (2010), 1.4545 (2009), 1.415
(2008), 1.507 (2007), 1.5889 (2006)
Communications
::Singapore
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.852 million (2009)
country
comparison to the world:61
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.652 million (2009)
country
comparison to the world:83
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent
service
domestic: excellent
domestic facilities; launched 3G
wireless service in February 2005;
combined fixed-line and
mobile-cellular teledensity is more
than 180 telephones per 100 persons
international: country
code - 65; numerous submarine cables
provide links throughout Asia,
Australia, the Middle East, Europe,
and US; satellite earth stations - 4;
supplemented by VSAT coverage (2008)
Broadcast media:
state controls broadcast media; 8
domestic TV stations operated by
MediaCorp, wholly owned by a state
investment company; broadcasts from
Malaysian and Indonesian stations
available; satellite dishes banned;
multi-channel cable TV service is
accessible; a total of 18 domestic
radio stations broadcasting with
MediaCorp operating more than a dozen
and another 4 stations are closely
linked to the ruling party or
controlled by the Singapore Armed
Forces Reservists Association; large
number of Malaysian and Indonesian
radio stations are available (2008)
Internet country code:
.sg
Internet hosts:
992,786 (2010)
country
comparison to the world:44
Internet users:
3.235 million (2009)
country
comparison to the world:65
Transportation
::Singapore
Airports:
8 (2010)
country
comparison to the world:164
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
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
(2010)
Pipelines:
gas 106 km (2009)
Roadways:
total: 3,356
km
country
comparison to the world:163
paved: 3,356
km (includes 161 km of expressways)
(2009)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,422
country
comparison to the world:6
by type: bulk
carrier 183, cargo 88, carrier 6,
chemical tanker 233, container 321,
liquefied gas 117, petroleum tanker
404, refrigerated cargo 5, roll
on/roll off 13, vehicle carrier 52
foreign-owned: 850
(Australia 11, Bangladesh 2, Bermuda
21, Chile 7, China 26, Cyprus 3,
Denmark 125, France 3, Germany 30,
Greece 19, Hong Kong 38, India 19,
Indonesia 53, Italy 3, Japan 146,
Malaysia 27, Netherlands 1, Norway
132, Slovenia 1, South Africa 3, South
Korea 9, Sweden 9, Switzerland 4,
Taiwan 79, Thailand 30, UAE 10, UK 6,
US 33)
registered in other countries: 327
(Australia 2, Bahamas 7, Bangladesh 3,
Belize 7, Cambodia 4, Cyprus 1,
Dominica 1, France 3, Gibraltar 1,
Honduras 12, Hong Kong 13, Indonesia
42, Isle of Man 1, Kiribati 11,
Liberia 27, Malaysia 19, Malta 3,
Marshall Islands 28, Mongolia 1, North
Korea 2, Panama 79, Philippines 1,
Saint Kitts and Nevis 5, Sierra Leone
5, Thailand 1, Tuvalu 25, US 17,
unknown 6) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Singapore
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau
reports the territorial and offshore
waters in the South China Sea as high
risk for piracy and armed robbery
against ships; numerous commercial
vessels have been attacked and
hijacked both at anchor and while
underway; hijacked vessels are often
disguised and cargo diverted to ports
in East Asia; crews have been murdered
or cast adrift
Military
::Singapore
Military branches:
Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy,
Air Force (includes Air Defense)
(2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-21 years of age for male compulsory
military service; 16 years of age for
volunteers; 2-year conscript service
obligation, with a reserve obligation
to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50
(officers) (2008)
Manpower available for military
service:
males age 16-49: 1,266,426
(2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,027,701
females age 16-49: 1,097,762
(2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily
significant age annually:
male: 27,430
female: 25,918
(2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
4.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
country
comparison to the world:17
Transnational
Issues ::Singapore
Disputes - international:
disputes persist with Malaysia over
deliveries of fresh water to
Singapore, Singapore's extensive land
reclamation works, bridge
construction, and maritime boundaries
in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in
2008, ICJ awards sovereignty of Pedra
Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh/Horsburgh
Island) to Singapore, and Middle Rocks
to Malaysia, but does not rule on
maritime regimes, boundaries, or
disposition of South Ledge; Indonesia
and Singapore continue to work on
finalization of their 1973 maritime
boundary agreement by defining
unresolved areas north of Indonesia's
Batam Island; piracy remains a problem
in the Malacca Strait
Illicit drugs:
drug abuse limited because of
aggressive law enforcement efforts; as
a transportation and financial
services hub, Singapore is vulnerable,
despite strict laws and enforcement,
as a venue for money laundering
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