Singapore

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

Highways

total: 2,644 km (1985) paved: NA unpaved: NA

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

Ports

Singapore

Railroads

38 km of 1.000-meter gauge

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

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $2.7 billion, 6% of GDP (1993 est.)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 857,824; fit for military service 630,055

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

Budget

revenues: $11.9 billion expenditures: $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.9 billion (1994 est.)

Currency

1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents

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

Electricity

capacity: 4,860,000 kW production: 18 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,420 kWh (1992)

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)

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)

External debt

$0; Singapore is a net creditor

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Illicit drugs

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

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%

Industrial production

growth rate 2.3% (1992); accounts for 28% of GDP

Industries

petroleum refining, electronics, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, financial services, biotechnology

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.4% (1993)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $42.4 billion (1993)

National product per capita

$15,000 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

9.9% (1993)

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.

Unemployment rate

2.7% (1993)

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

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

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

International disputes

two islands in dispute with Malaysia

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 4% permanent crops: 7% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 5% other: 84%

Location

Southeastern Asia, between Malaysia and Indonesia

Map references

Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural resources

fish, deepwater ports

Note

focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

Terrain

lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

Singapore

Constitution

3 June 1959, amended 1965; based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution

Digraph

SN

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sellapan Rama NATHAN chancery: 1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (202) 667-7555

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

FAX

(202) 265-7915

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

Independence

9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral

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

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Singapore conventional short form: Singapore

National holiday

National Day, 9 August (1965)

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

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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type

republic within Commonwealth

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: (vacant) embassy: 30 Hill Street, Singapore 0617 mailing address: FPO AP 96534 telephone: [65] 338-0251

Birth rate

16.52 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%

Infant mortality rate

5.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

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)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.95 years male: 73.17 years female: 78.94 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 88% male: 93% female: 84%

Nationality

noun: Singaporean(s) adjective: Singapore

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

2,859,142 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

1.12% (1994 est.)

Religions

Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist

Total fertility rate

1.88 children born/woman (1994 est.)