Republic of Singapore
President: S. R. Nathan (1999)
Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong
(2004)
Current government officials
Land area: 241 sq mi (624 sq km); total
area: 267 sq mi (692.7 sq km)
Population (2007 est.): 4,553,009
(growth rate: 1.3%); birth rate: 9.2/1000; infant mortality rate:
2.3/1000; life expectancy: 81.8; density per sq mi: 18,898
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Singapore, 3,438,600
Monetary unit: Singapore dollar
Languages:
Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%,
Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other
Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9% (2000)
Ethnicity/race:
Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other
1.4% (2000)
Religions:
Buddhist 43%, Islam 15%, Taoist 9%, Hindu 4%,
Catholic 5%, other Christian 10%, none 15% (2000)
Literacy rate: 93% (2003 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007
est.): $228.1billion; per capita $49,700. Real growth rate:
7.7%. Inflation: 2.1%. Unemployment: 2.1%.
Arable land: 2%. Agriculture: rubber, copra, fruit,
orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish. Labor
force: 2.28 million (Sept. 2005 est.); manufacturing 18%,
construction 6%, transportation and communication 11%, financial,
business, and other services 39%, other 26% (2003).
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, entrepôt trade. Natural
resources: fish, deepwater ports. Exports: $204.8 billion
f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment, mineral fuels,
chemicals, foodstuffs. Imports: $188.3 billion (2005 est.):
machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs.
Major trading partners: Malaysia, U.S., Hong Kong, China,
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea (2004).
Member of Commonwealth of Nations
Communications: Telephones: main lines
in use: 1.95 million (2000); mobile cellular: 2.74 million (2000).
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 5 (1998).
Radios: 2.6 million (2000). Television broadcast stations:
6 (2000). Televisions: 1.33 million (1997). Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): 9 (2000). Internet users: 2.31
million (2002).
Transportation: Railways: total: 38.6
km. Highways: total: 3,066 km; paved: 3,066 km (including 150
km of expressways); unpaved: 0 km (1999). Ports and harbors:
Singapore. Airports: 9 (2002).
International disputes: disputes with
Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's
land reclamation works on Johor, maritime boundaries, and
Singapore-occupied Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist -
parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three
years.
Major sources and definitions
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