INTRODUCTION

Background: Founded as a British trading colony in 1819, Singapore joined Malaysia in 1963, but withdrew 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 one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP above that of the leading nations of Western Europe.

GEOGRAPHY

Location: South-eastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Geographic coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E
Area: total: 647.5 sq km
land: 637.5 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Climate: 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.
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports.
note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

PEOPLE

Population: 4,300,419 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.89% (male 397,124; female 372,058)
15-64 years: 75.16% (male 1,575,381; female 1,656,838)
65 years and over: 6.95% (male 130,815; female 168,203) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.5% (2001 est.)
Birth rate: 12.8-births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate: 4.24 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.17 years
male: 77.22 years
female: 83.35 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.22 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.7%, Malay 14%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4%
Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist.
Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.5%
male: 97%
female: 89.8% (1999)

GOVERNMENT

Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: Singapore

Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
National holiday: Independence Day, 9 August (1965)
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1 September 1999).

Head of government: Prime Minister Chok Tong GOH (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy
Prime Ministers Brig. Gen (Res.) Hsien Loong LEE (since 28 November 1990) and Keng
Yam Tony TAN (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 NA 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.

ECONOMY

Economy - overview: Singapore is blessed with a highly developed and successful free-market economy, a remarkably open and corruption-free business environment, stable prices, and the fifth highest per capita GDP in the world. Exports, particularly in electronics and chemicals, and services are the main drivers of the economy. Mainly because of robust exports, especially electronic goods, the economy grew 10.1% in 2000. Forecasters, however, are projecting only 4%-6% growth in 2001 largely because of weaker global demand, especially in the US. The government promotes high levels of savings and investment through a mandatory savings scheme and spends heavily in education and technology. It also owns government-linked companies (GLCs) - particularly in manufacturing - that operate as commercial entities. As Singapore looks to a future increasingly marked by globalization, the country is positioning itself as the region's financial and high-tech hub.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $109.8 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 10.1% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $26,500 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NEGL%
industry: 30%
services: 70%

Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or Consumption
by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.4% (2000)
Labour force: 2.1 million (2000)
Labour force - by occupation: financial, business, and other services 35%, manufacturing 21%, construction 13%, transportation and communication 9%.
Unemployment rate: 3% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $18.1 billion
expenditures: $17.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.5 billion (FY99/00 est.)
Industries: electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology.
Industrial production
growth rate: 14% (2000 est.)

Agriculture - products: rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs, fish, ornamental fish.

Exports: $137 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment (including electronics), chemicals, mineral fuels.
Exports - partners: US 19%, Malaysia 17%, Hong Kong 8%, Japan 7%, Taiwan 5%, Thailand 4%, UK 4%, Netherlands 3.8%, China 3%, South Korea 3%, Germany 3% (1999)
Imports: $127 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs.
Imports - partners: US 17%, Japan 17%, Malaysia 16%, Thailand 5%, China 5%, Taiwan 4%, Germany 3%, Saudi Arabia 3% (1999)
Debt - external: $9.7 billion (2000)

Currency: Singapore dollar (SGD)
Currency code: SGD
Exchange rates: Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.7365 (January 2001), 1.7240 (2000), 1.6950 (1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997), 1.4100 (1996)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March