1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

none

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

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

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

Birth rate

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

Branches

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

Budget

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

Capital

Singapore

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

Constitution

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

Currency

1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents

Death rate

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

Defense expenditures

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

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

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)

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

Ethnic divisions

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

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)

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

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

FAX

(202) 265-7915

[65] 338-5010

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

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

Highways

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

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%

Independence

9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)

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

Infant mortality rate

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.4% (1993)

International disputes

two islands in dispute with Malaysia

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Languages

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

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

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%

Location

Southeastern Asia, between Malaysia and Indonesia

Manpower availability

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

Map references

Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 3 nm

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

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

Names

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

National holiday

National Day, 9 August (1965)

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)

Nationality

noun: Singaporean(s) adjective: Singapore

Natural resources

fish, deepwater ports

Net migration rate

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

Note

focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

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.

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

Population

2,859,142 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

1.12% (1994 est.)

Ports

Singapore

Railroads

38 km of 1.000-meter gauge

Religions

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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

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

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

1.88 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

republic within Commonwealth

Unemployment rate

2.7% (1993)

US diplomatic representation

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