The World Factbook (1982)/Singapore

by the Central Intelligence Agency

SINGAPORE

(See reference map IX)

LAND

618 km²; 31% built-up area, roads, railroads, and airfields, 22% agricultural, 47% other

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 3 nm (fishing 12 nm)

Coastline: 193 km

PEOPLE

Population: 2,472,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.2%

Nationality: noun—Singaporean(s), adjective—Singapore

Ethnic divisions: 76.1% Chinese, 15.0% Malay, 6.9% Indians and Pakistani, 1.8% other

Religion: majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays nearly all Muslim; minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Confucianists

Language: national language is Malay; Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English are official languages

Literacy: 84% (1980)

Labor force: 1,093,000; 2.2% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 0.2% mining and quarrying, 27.2% manufacturing, 30.5% services, 4.6% construction, 23.5% commerce, 11.7% transport, storage, and communications

Organized labor: 23.1% of labor force

GOVERNMENT

Official name: Republic of Singapore

Type: republic within Commonwealth since separation from Malaysia in August 1965

Capital: Singapore

Legal system: based on English common law; constitution based on preindependence State of Singapore constitution; legal education at University of Singapore; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: 9 August

Branches: ceremonial President; executive power exercised by Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible to unitary legislature

Government leaders: President C. V. Devan NAIR; Prime Minister LEE Kuan Yew

Suffrage: universal over age 20; voting compulsory

Elections: normally every five years

Political parties and leaders: government—People's Action Party (PAP), Lee Kuan Yew; opposition—Barisan Sosialis (BS), Dr. Lee Siew Choh; Workers' Party (WP), J. B. Jeyaretnam; United People's Front (UPF), Harbans Singh; Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Chiam See Tong, Communist Party illegal

Voting strength (1980 election): PAP won all 75 seats in Parliament and received 75.5% of vote; WP won seat in byelection in October 1981

Communists: 200-500; Barisan Sosialis infiltrated by Communists

Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Colombo Plan, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

ECONOMY

GDP: $10.5 billion (1980 est.), $4,340 per capita; 9.4% average annual real growth (1969-79), 10.2% (1980)

Agriculture: occupies a position of minor importance in the economy, self-sufficient in pork, poultry, and eggs, must import much of its other food requirements; major crops—rubber, copra, fruit and vegetables

Fishing: catch 15,532 metric tons (1980), imports—80,440 metric tons (1980), exports—48,704 metric tons (1980)

Major industries: petroleum refining, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, electronics, ship repair, entrepot trade, financial services

Electric power: 1,650,000 kW capacity (1980); 7.26 billion kWh produced (1980), 3,000 kWh per capita

Exports: $19.4 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 37.7% reexports; petroleum products, rubber, manufactured goods

Imports: $24.0 billion (c.i.f., 1980); 30.5% goods reexported; major retained imports — capital equipment, manufactured goods, petroleum

Major trade partners: exports—Malaysia, US, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, West Germany; imports—Japan, US, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia

Aid: economic commitments—Western (non-US) countries (1970-79), $216 million; US, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $302 million; military—US (FY70-80), $2 million

Budget: (FY80/81) revenues $3.1 billion, expenditures $2.9 billion, surplus $145 million; 24.8% military, 75.2% civilian

Monetary conversion rate: 2.14 Singapore dollars=US$1 (1980)

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: 38 km of meter gauge

Highways: 2,314 km total (1980); 2,006 km paved, 308 km crushed stone or improved earth

Ports: 3 major, 2 minor

Civil air: approx. 30 major transport aircraft

Airfields: 6 total, 6 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m, 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: good domestic facilities; good international service; good radio and television broadcast coverage; 625,130 telephones (26.5 per 100 popl.); 13 AM, 4 FM, and 2 TV stations; submarine cables extend to Hong Kong via Sabah, Philippines; 1 ground station to Hong Kong via Sabah, Malaysia; 1 ground satellite station

DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, 730,000; 574,000 fit for military service

Ships: 13 coastal patrol, 6 amphibious ships (1 in reserve), 2 coastal minesweepers, 6 amphibious craft, 2 service craft; delivery of 12 new 23-meter patrol craft (swift Warrior class) began 1981

Military budget: for fiscal year ending 31 March 1982, $716.5 million; about 15.6% of central government budget