CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Singapore


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!| 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. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 10 sq km land: 682.7 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0% other: 98.36% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
 * 1 22 N, 103 48 E
 * Southeast Asia
 * total: 692.7 sq km
 * slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 193 km
 * territorial sea: 3 nm
 * tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon from December to March and Southwestern monsoon from June to September; inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms
 * lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
 * lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
 * fish, deepwater ports
 * arable land: 1.64%
 * NA sq km
 * NA
 * industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
 * party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
 * focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 75.8% (male 1,611,502; female 1,687,048) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 149,452; female 189,518) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 35.9 years female: 36.6 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 2.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 2.49 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 78.96 years female: 84.29 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Singapore !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 92.5% male: 96.6% female: 88.6% (2002)
 * 4,353,893 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 16.5% (male 370,660; female 345,713)
 * total: 36.2 years
 * 1.71% (2004 est.)
 * 9.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 4.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 11.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
 * total: 2.28 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 81.53 years
 * 1.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 0.2% (2003 est.)
 * 4,100 (2003 est.)
 * less than 200 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Singaporean(s)
 * Chinese 76.7%, Malay 14%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4%
 * Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
 * Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Singapore !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Minister Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Ministers Shunmugan JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004) and Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 August 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1999 (next to be held by August 2005); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN elected president unopposed !| Legislative branch: elections: last held 3 November 2001 (next to be held not later than 25 June 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 75.3% (in contested constituencies), other 24.7%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SPP 1 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s): New York consulate(s) general: San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100 chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508 mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001 telephone: [65] 6476-9100 FAX: [65] 6476-9340 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
 * parliamentary republic
 * Singapore
 * none
 * 9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
 * Independence Day, 9 August (1965)
 * 3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
 * based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
 * 21 years of age; universal and compulsory
 * chief of state: President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)
 * unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest to winning a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member
 * 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
 * governing party: People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]; opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [LING How Dong]; National Solidarity Party or NSP [vacant] (SDA group); Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong] (includes SPP, PKMS, NSP, SJP); Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Singapore Justice Party or SJP [Desmond LIM] (SDA group); Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS [Malik ISMAIL] (SDA group); Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong] (SDA group); Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia Lim Swee LIAN]
 * NA
 * APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin L. LAVIN
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 32.2% services: 67.8% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $15.61 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.6 billion (2003 est.) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: : Note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2001 est.) !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * Singapore, a highly developed and successful free market economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a high per capita GDP. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in 2001-03 by the global recession and the slump in the technology sector. The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle but is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, and global economic recovery should lead to much improved growth in 2004.
 * purchasing power parity - $109.4 billion (2003 est.)
 * 1.1% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $23,700 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: negligible
 * 24.9% of GDP (2003)
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 0.5% (2003 est.)
 * 2.2 million (2003)
 * manufacturing 18%, construction 6%, transportation and communication 11%, financial, business, and other services 49%, other 16% (2003)
 * 4.8% (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $14.15 billion
 * 106.4% of GDP (2003)
 * rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables, poultry, eggs, fish, ornamental fish
 * 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
 * 2.8% (2003 est.)
 * 30.48 billion kWh (2001)
 * 28.35 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 700,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 2.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 2.5 billion cu m
 * $26.15 billion (2003)
 * $142.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels
 * Malaysia 15.8%, US 14.3%, Hong Kong 10%, China 7%, Japan 6.7%, Taiwan 4.7%, Thailand 4.3%, South Korea 4.2% (2003)
 * $121.6 billion (2003 est.)
 * machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
 * Malaysia 16.8%, US 14.1%, Japan 12%, China 8.7%, Taiwan 5.1%, Thailand 4.3% (2003)
 * $95.75 billion (2003)
 * $15.06 billion (2003 est.)
 * NA
 * Singapore dollar (SGD)
 * SGD
 * Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000), 1.695 (1999)
 * 1 April - 31 March
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: excellent domestic facilities international: country code - 65; submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 1,896,100 (2004)
 * 3,521,800 (2004)
 * general assessment: excellent service
 * AM 0, FM 17, shortwave 2 (2003)
 * 2.6 million (2000)
 * 7 (2003)
 * 1.33 million (1997)
 * .sg
 * 484,825 (2003)
 * 9 (2000)
 * 2.31 million (2002)
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!| Highways: paved: 3,066 km (including 150 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999) !| Pipelines: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 383 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Australia 6, China 15, Denmark 32, Germany 18, Greece 12, Hong Kong 31, India 3, Indonesia 33, Japan 58, South Korea 13, Malaysia 31, Monaco 19, Norway 53, Papua New Guinea 1, Philippines 9, Russia 2, Slovenia 1, Sweden 12, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 44, Tanzania 1, Thailand 16, United Kingdom 15, United States 1 by type: bulk 136, cargo 84, chemical tanker 96, combination bulk 4, combination ore/oil 8, container 186, liquefied gas 41, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large load carrier 2, petroleum tanker 290, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 32 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
 * total: 3,066 km
 * gas 139 km (2004)
 * Singapore
 * total: 900 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 23,065,290 GRT/36,393,317 DWT
 * 9 (2003 est.)
 * total: 10
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force
 * 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation to be reduced to 24 months from 30 months beginning December 2004 (June 2004)
 * males age 15-49: 1,292,471 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 934,317 (2004 est.)
 * $4.47 billion (FY01 est.)
 * 4.9% (FY01)
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