Singapore

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Singapore

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Repablik Singapura/Republic of Singapore Area 622 sq km/240 sq mi Capital Singapore City Language Malay, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil, English (all official), other Indian languages, Chinese dialects Religion Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Hindu, Christian Time difference GMT +8 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 9 August, 25 December; variable: Eid-ul-Adha, Diwali, end of Ramadan, Good Friday, New Year (Chinese, January/February, 2 days), Vesak


GEOGRAPHY

Physical features comprises Singapore Island, low and flat, and 57 small islands; Singapore Island is joined to the mainland by causeway across Strait of Johore Airports one international airports and one smaller airport for charter flights; total passengers carried: 14.7 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 83 km/52 mi; Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) system Roads total road network: 3,165 km/1,967 mi, of which 100% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 135.4 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Sellapan Rama Nathan from 1999 Head of government Lee Hsien Loong from 2004 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions none Political parties People's Action Party (PAP), conservative, free market, multi-ethnic; Workers' Party (WP), socialist; Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), liberal pluralist Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 72,500; plus 312,500 reservists and paramilitary forces of 93,800 (2006 est) Conscription 24–30 months Defence spend (% GDP) 4.7 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 3.5 (2001 est) Health spend (% GDP) 1.6 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Singapore dollar GDP (US$) 116.8 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 6.9 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 119.6 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 26,590 (2004 est) Consumer price inflation 0.5% (2006 est) Unemployment 2.7% (2006 est) Labour force 0.1% agriculture, 29.5% industry, 70.4% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 23.8 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners Malaysia, USA, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea Resources granite Industries electrical machinery (particularly radios and televisions), petroleum refining and petroleum products, transport equipment (especially shipbuilding), chemicals, metal products, machinery, food processing, clothing, finance and business services, tourism Exports electrical and nonelectrical machinery, transport equipment, petroleum products, chemicals, rubber, foodstuffs, clothing, metal products, iron and steel, orchids and other plants, aquarium fish. Principal market: Malaysia 14.3% (2005) Imports electrical and nonelectrical equipment, crude petroleum, transport equipment, chemicals, food and live animals, textiles, scientific and optical instruments, paper and paper products. Principal source: Malaysia 14.2% (2005) Arable land 1.5% (2006 est) Agricultural products vegetables, plants, orchids; poultry and fish production


POPULATION

Population 4,379,700 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.2% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 7,041 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 100 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 20%, 15–59 68%, 60+ 12% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 77% of Chinese ethnic descent, predominantly Hokkien, Teochew, and Cantonese; 14% Malay; 7% Indian, chiefly Tamil Life expectancy 78 (men); 81 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 3 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 97% (men); 89% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 14 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.6 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.3 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <100 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 43.5 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 103.4 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 672 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 307 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 65.2 (2004 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 57.9 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

12th century First trading settlement established on Singapore Island. 14th century Settlement destroyed, probably by Javanese Empire of Mahapahit. 1819 Stamford Raffles of British East India Company obtained Singapore from sultan of Johore. 1826 Straits Settlements formed from British possessions of Singapore, Penang, and Malacca (now Melaka) ruled by governor of Bengal. 1832 Singapore became capital of Straits Settlements; the port prospered, attracting Chinese and Indian immigrants. 1851 Responsibility for Straits Settlements fell to governor general of India. 1858 British government, through the India Office, took over administration of Straits Settlements. 1867 Straits Settlements became crown colony of British Empire. 1922 Singapore chosen as principal British military base in Far East. 1942 Japan captured Singapore, taking 70,000 British and Australian prisoners. 1945 British rule restored after defeat of Japan. 1946 Singapore became separate crown colony. 1959 Internal self-government achieved as State of Singapore with Lee Kuan Yew (PAP) as prime minister. 1960s Rapid development as leading commercial and financial centre. 1963 Singapore combined with Federation of Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak to form Federation of Malaysia. 1965 Became independent republic after withdrawing from Federation of Malaysia in protest at alleged discrimination against ethnic Chinese. 1971 Last remaining British military bases closed. 1984 Two opposition members elected to national assembly for first time. 1988 Ruling PAP won all but one of available assembly seats; increasingly authoritarian rule. 1990 Lee Kuan Yew retired from premiership after 31 years; succeeded by Goh Chok Tong. 1996 Constitutional change introduced, allowing better representation of minority races. 1997 PAP, led by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, won general election. 1998 Pay cuts introduced as Singapore slipped into recession for first time in 13 years. 1999 After all other candidates screened out of election, government candidate Sellapan Ramanathan Nathan became new president. 2001 Unprecedented antigovernment rally was held in support of veteran opposition leader J B Jeyaretnam, who was facing bankruptcy and losing his seat in parliament. Agreements with Malaysia reached, ending number of long-standing disputes; also agreed to build new bridge and tunnel. Landslide victory for governing People's Action Party (PAP) in general elections. 2002 Free trade agreement signed with Japan. 2003 Singapore faced major crisis with outbreak of Sars virus. Free trade agreement signed with USA; Singapore became first Asian country to enter such a deal with USA. 2004 Former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong, became prime minister. 2005 Dispute with Malaysia over land reclamation in their border waters resolved. Controversial plan to legalize casino gambling approved by government. President S R Nathan won second six-year term; rivals disqualified from elections. 2006 Lee Hsien Loong's governing PAP won general elections. Simgapore hosted IMF-World Bank annual meeting.


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