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Geography
Location
Singapore is an island republic situated between the countries Malaysia and Indonesia . It is approximately 137 km north of the equator, or about one degree north of the equator.
Land area
Singapore 's total land area is 704 sq km, comprising one main island and a number of islets scattered off its north-east and south.
Climate
The tropical climate makes Singapore warm and wet most of the year. December is the coolest month of the year while May is the warmest. Normal temperature ranges between 25°C - 31.5° C, or from 77 °F - 89.6° F. There are two rainy seasons - from December to March, and from June to September.
Economic Indicators (2008)
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) |
|
At Current Market Prices ($m) |
257,418.5 |
|
Per Capita GDP ($) |
53,192.0 |
|
At 2000 Market Prices ($m) |
233,524.5 |
|
Annual Growth (%) |
1.1 |
|
Productivity and Inflation |
|
Annual Growth in Labour Productivity (%) |
-7.8 |
|
Annual Inflation Rate (%) |
6.5 |
|
Manufacturing |
|
Total Output ($m) |
259,339.2 |
|
Investment Commitments in Manufacturing & Services ($m)
(Fixed Assets Investments) |
18,046.0 |
|
Foreign Investments ($m) |
16,182.6 |
|
Finance |
|
Money Supply (M1) ($m) |
75,703.8 |
|
Official Foreign Reserves at end of yr ($m) |
250,346.0 |
|
Average Exchange Rate (Per US$) |
1.4148 |
|
External Trade At Current Prices |
|
Total Trade ($m) |
927,654.8 |
|
Exports ($m) |
476,762.2 |
|
Domestic Exports ($m) |
247,618.0 |
|
Imports ($m) |
450,892.6 |
|
Transport and Communications |
|
Sea Cargo Handled (Million Freight Tonnes) |
515.4 |
|
Air Cargo Handled ('000 Tonnes) |
1,861.4 |
|
International Telephone Call Minutes (Million) |
8,456.7 |
|
Services and Tourism |
|
Annual Growth in Retail Sales at Constant Prices (%) |
-1.8 |
|
Visitor Arrivals ('000)
(excluding Malaysian arrivals by land) |
10,115.6 |
|
Hotel Occupancy Rate (%) |
81.0 | Source: Department of Statistics, Singapore
Demographic Indicators (2007)
Singapore 's people are largely descendants of immigrants from the Malay Peninsula , China and the Indian sub-continent. Its major languages are English (language of administration), Chinese (Mandarin), Malay (National language) and Tamil. Main religions are Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Taoism and Hinduism.
| Total Live-Births |
39,490 |
| Total Deaths |
17,140 |
| Crude Birth Rate (Per 1,000 Population) |
10.3 |
| Crude Death Rate (Per 1,000 Population) |
4.5 |
| Total Fertility Rate (Per Resident Female) |
1.29 |
| Infant Mortality Rate (Per 1,000 Live-births) |
2.1 |
|
Life Expectancy at Birth (Yrs)
Males
Females |
80.6
78.2
82.9 |
|
Life Expectancy at Age 65 (Yrs)
Males
Females |
19.1
17.3
20.6
|
| General Marriage Rate (Per 1,000 Unmarried Females) |
42.6 | Source: Department of Statistics, Singapore
Literacy & Education (2007)
|
Literacy Rate (%)
(among residents aged 15 yrs & over) |
95.7 |
|
% with Secondary or Higher Qualifications
(among resident non-students aged 15 yrs & over) |
87.0 |
|
Mean Years of Schooling (Yrs)
(among resident non-students aged 25 yrs & over) |
9.4 | Source: Department of Statistics, Singapore
Employment Indicators (2007)
|
Labour Force ('000) |
1,918.1 |
|
Employed Persons ('000) |
1,842.1 |
|
Unemployment Rate (%)
(seasonally adjusted) |
3.1 |
|
Labour Force Participation Rate (% of Population aged 15 yrs & over)
Male
Female |
65.1
76.5
54.3 |
|
% in Professional and Technical Jobs |
34.2 |
|
% in Administrative and Managerial Jobs |
14.7 |
|
% in Manufacturing |
17.0 |
|
% in Finance Services |
6.1 |
|
% in Business Services |
12.4 | Source: Department of Statistics, Singapore
Social Indicators (2007)
|
Home Ownership (%) (among resident households) |
90.1 |
|
Resident Households Living in HDB 4-Room or Larger Flats or Private Housing (%) |
74.7 |
|
Doctors (Per 10,000 Population) |
16 |
|
Private Cars (Per 1,000 Population) |
106 |
|
Mobile Phone Subscribers (Per 1,000 Population) |
1,225 |
|
Crime Rate (Per 100,000 Population) |
709 | Source: Department of Statistics, Singapore
Government System
Singapore is a republic with a parliamentary system of government based on the Westminster model. The organs of state comprise:
The Executive: Head of State and Cabinet
Head of State: President S R Nathan, elected on 1 Sep 1999 (The President is elected for a fixed term of 6 years.)
Cabinet: Led by the Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong (since 12 Aug 2004)
Parliament
Parliament is elected by general election every five years. The first sitting of Parliament was held on 8 Dec 1965. The first general election for Parliament was held on 13 Apr 1968. There are 23 registered political parties. The current Parliament, elected on 3 Nov 2001 has 82 People's Action Party (PAP) Members of Parliament (MPs), 2 Opposition MPs and 1 Non-Constituency MP. In addition there are 7 nominated MPs.
The Judiciary: The Supreme Court and the Subordinate Courts
The Judiciary administers the law independently of the Executive and this independence is safeguarded by the Constitution.
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