I | INTRODUCTION |
Republic of
Singapore, independent republic in Southeast Asia, comprising 1 main
island and about 50 small adjacent islands off the southern tip of the Malay
Peninsula. The main island, Singapore Island, is separated from Malaysia on the
north by the narrow Johore Strait and is linked by road and rail to the
Malaysian city of Johor Baharu. On the south, Singapore Island is separated from
Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago by the Singapore Strait, an important shipping
channel linking the Indian Ocean to the west with the South China Sea on the
east.
The Republic of Singapore is considered a
city-state because most of the territory of the main island is part of the
metropolis of Singapore. The main island is densely populated, especially in its
south central portion where the central business district and main port are
located. About three-fourths of the people of Singapore, known as
Singaporeans, are Chinese, but there are significant Malay and Indian
minorities.
Singapore contained just a few fishing
settlements and a small trading port when the islands became part of the British
colonial empire in the 1820s. Britain developed Singapore into a major
international trade center, and the local Malay population soon swelled with
immigrants from China and India. Since becoming an independent republic in 1965,
multiethnic Singapore has maintained political stability and high economic
growth. Singapore is Southeast Asia’s most important seaport, financial center,
and manufacturing hub, and its citizens enjoy one of the world’s highest
standards of living.
II | LAND AND RESOURCES |
The total area of Singapore, including the
main island and all the islets, is 685.4 sq km 264.6 sq mi). The larger islets,
which all have small fishing villages, include Tekong, Ubin, and Sentosa.
Singapore Island is low-lying with no prominent relief features. A central area
of hills rises to a maximum elevation of 176 m (577 ft) at Bukit Timah. Numerous
short streams, including the Singapore River, drain the island. Soils are
relatively infertile, and clays and sand are the only mineral resources.
Because Singapore lies just north of the
equator, the wet tropical climate has no clearly defined seasons. The average
annual temperature is 27°C (81°F) and the average annual rainfall is 2,400 mm
(95 in). Although rainfall is abundant throughout the year, November through
January are the wettest months.
More than 85 percent of Singapore Island is
built up for residential, commercial, and industrial use. Jungles and swamps
once covered the island, but today only a small area of the central hills
retains its natural jungle cover. One of the island’s largest remaining tracts
of undisturbed rain forest is protected in the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. This
reserve, which includes the country’s highest point, Bukit Timah, covers an area
of 164 hectares (405 acres). Since the early 1960s, land reclamation projects
have been replacing Singapore’s once expansive coastal mangrove forests with
developed areas. One example is Jurong, an industrial complex that lies on
reclaimed land to the west of Singapore’s central business district. Coral reefs
fringing the main island and offshore islands have also been lost to land
reclamation in some areas. The reclamation projects have added about 17 percent
of new land to the nation’s total area.
Many of Singapore’s wild animal species are
endangered due to loss of habitat. The leopard, banded leaf monkey, slow loris,
and giant squirrel were once common in the rain forests but are now nearly
extinct. Animals that remain common include the macaque, colugo (also known as
flying lemur), wild pig, and palm civet. Many types of reptiles and amphibians
inhabit the islands. Birds are numerous and varied in Singapore. The Sungei
Buloh Wetland Reserve on the northwest coast of Singapore Island provides an
important habitat for migratory birds.
Although Singapore has numerous short streams
and several reservoirs, the country lacks sufficient fresh water. About half its
water must be imported from Malaysia through an aqueduct that runs under the
causeway linking Singapore and Johor Baharu. Rapid economic and industrial
growth and the rapid rise in vehicle ownership have increased air and water
pollution. Closely regulated government controls on emissions, effluents, and
other wastes have done much to alleviate these problems, however.
III | THE PEOPLE OF SINGAPORE |
At the time of the 1990 census, Singapore
had a population of 2,705,115; by the 2000 census, the population had grown to
4,017,733. The 2008 population estimate was 4,608,167. Immigration is highly
restricted, so the natural population increase, which measures births and
deaths, is an important indicator of the country’s future population growth.
Singapore’s natural population increase is 0.5 percent annually, and this rate
is expected to fall as much of the population ages beyond the childbearing
years. The government is concerned about the slow growth rate because
increasingly fewer working people must support a growing elderly population,
straining available resources for health care and other social services. The
government provides tax incentives to families that have several children, but
the growth rate is still expected to fall because most Singaporeans prefer small
families. The overall population density is 6,747 persons per sq km (17,475 per
sq mi). Large residential areas with high-rise public housing estates are
located throughout the main island, including the districts of Jurong in the
southwest, and Geylang and Katong along the east coast.
A | Ethnic Groups, Languages, and Religion |
Singapore’s population is ethnically
diverse. Chinese constitute about three-fourths of the population. Malays form
the next largest group, and Indians the third. The country’s four official
languages are Chinese, English, Malay, and Tamil. Chinese is the primary
language spoken in the majority of homes. English is the language of
administration and business and it is widely spoken as a second language.
Singapore’s principal religions are
Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. The majority of Chinese
Singaporeans follow Buddhism, although Daoism (Taoism), and more recently
Christianity, are also popular. Malay Singaporeans are predominantly Muslim,
while more than half the Indian Singaporeans profess Hinduism.
B | Education |
Although education is not compulsory in
Singapore, primary school is free for six years, and attendance is nearly
universal. Some 67 percent of children also attend secondary school. Since 1987
English has been the language of instruction, but a policy of bilingualism
requires that children also be taught Chinese, Malay, or Tamil. Institutions of
higher education include the National University of Singapore and Nanyang
Technological University. Of Singaporeans aged 15 and older, 94 percent can read
and write.
C | Way of Life |
Like many other Asians, Singaporeans
value a strong work ethic and close family relations. But some traditions have
been altered by Western influences and Singapore’s rapid industrialization and
modernization. For example, unlike families in China and India where several
generations may share the same housing, Singaporeans of Chinese and Indian
ancestry live in small, nuclear families. Housing favors smaller families, as
most units consist of small apartments in high-rise buildings. Western clothing
is common, and foods reflect the Chinese, Malay, and Indian origins of the
people.
D | Social Issues |
Since Singapore became an independent
state in 1965, government policies have brought orderliness and efficiency to
the country. Examples are supplanting slum and squatter areas with high-rise
public housing projects, and strict controls on air and water pollution to
ensure a healthier environment. While these policies draw few objections, other
aspects of Singapore’s social engineering are occasionally considered extreme,
such as one campaign that urged well-educated couples to produce children. The
government has discontinued this particular campaign, but it remains committed
to defining and promoting—either by law or through official campaigns—the
appropriate public and private behavior of its citizens. Outsiders sometimes
also consider Singapore’s criminal punishments severe. Singapore stresses,
however, that its strict laws and sentences have made the nation one of the
safest places in the world.
E | Culture |
Singapore’s cultural life reflects its
past colonial administration and the country’s diverse population. Chinese,
Malay, Indian, and British influences are apparent in Singapore’s art,
architecture, and fine arts. British colonial architecture, for example, is
represented by the Parliament House, City Hall, and the Raffles Hotel. Chinese,
Hindu, and Islamic architecture are represented in the ornate Shuang Lin Temple,
the Sri Mariamman Temple, and the Sultan Mosque, respectively. Singapore’s
National Museum complex consists of one museum devoted to the contemporary art
of Southeast Asia, one to Asian cultures, and the third to the history of
Singapore.
IV | ECONOMY |
Modern Singapore was founded as a trading
post of the British East India Company in 1819. Its strategic location on the
Singapore Strait and its deep natural harbor made it an important port for
British trade. It developed as an entrepôt, meaning it had a duty-free port that
allowed the import of goods solely for the purpose of re-export. Nevertheless,
when Singapore became an independent republic in 1965, its economic outlook was
bleak. Its infrastructure was relatively undeveloped, unemployment was high, and
its foreign markets were limited. Over the following decades, however, the
government’s free-market policies, coupled with strict fiscal controls, created
one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Singapore developed beyond
its limited entrepôt role, with growth of the manufacturing and
financial-services sectors bolstering the export-oriented economy. Its port
became one of the busiest in the world.
During the last three decades of the 20th
century, Singapore’s booming economic growth largely outperformed the world
economy. At the same time, Singapore managed to maintain an inflation rate below
world averages and large budget surpluses. Because of its phenomenal economic
growth, Singapore became known as one of Asia’s “Four Tigers,” along with Hong
Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. Because of its sound fiscal policies and
diversified trading partners, Singapore was the least affected of all Asian
countries during a financial crisis that hit the region in 1997. However,
Singapore’s economy is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in global demand
for electronics products, which make up a significant portion of the country’s
exports.
In 2006 the gross domestic product (GDP)
was estimated at U.S.$132 billion, or $29,474 per capita, among the highest per
capita GDPs in the world. The economy centers around services, notably financial
and business services.
A | Labor |
In 2006 Singapore’s labor force consisted
of 2.3 million people. Women make up 40 percent of all workers. Some 70 percent
of the total labor force was employed in the service sector in industries such
as banking, finance, retail, and tourism. Manufacturing and construction
employed 30 percent of the labor force. Agriculture and fishing employed just
0.3 percent of Singapore’s working people.
B | Services |
Services comprise 65 percent of the GDP.
In this sector, financial and business services are the most important, followed
by wholesale and retail trade, transportation and communications, and tourism.
Electronic commerce (e-commerce), an increasingly important component of the
service sector, is supported by Singapore’s well-developed telecommunications
infrastructure. Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange. Singapore is
Southeast Asia’s third most important tourist destination after Malaysia and
Thailand, and in 2006 some 7.6 million tourists visited Singapore. Most visitors
were from other Southeast Asian nations, especially Malaysia, and from
Japan.
C | Manufacturing |
Manufacturing accounts for 29 percent of
the GDP. Industry has grown rapidly since the 1960s, and Singapore now produces
a diversity of goods, including electronic items, chemicals, transportation
equipment and machinery, petroleum products, rubber and plastic products, and
fabricated metal products. Electronic goods—notably computer disk drives,
communications equipment, and televisions—account for about half of the
country’s manufacturing output. Singapore is one of the world’s largest
petroleum-refining centers and is also an important shipbuilding center. The
leading industrial area is the Jurong Industrial Estate.
D | Agriculture and Fishing |
Agriculture and fishing contribute only a
tiny share of Singapore’s GDP. Just 0.9 percent of Singapore’s total area is
farmland. Vegetables, pigs, and poultry are raised for domestic consumption,
although the vast majority of food must be imported. The fishing industry is
centered on the port of Jurong.
E | Energy |
Singapore has no energy resources, so it
must rely solely on imported fuels. Crude oil is imported and refined in the
country. Singapore also imports natural gas to meet its energy needs. Some of
the petroleum imports are used to fuel electricity-generating plants.
F | Transportation and Communications |
Singapore is a major world port and has
extensive dock facilities along Keppel Harbour on the southern coast. Changi
International Airport in the eastern part of the main island is one of the
largest and most modern international airports in the world. Singapore Island is
serviced by the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, one of the cleanest and most
efficient transit systems in the world. It is supplemented by the Light Rail
Transit (LRT) system. The government has significantly expanded both rail
systems since the mid-1990s. Numerous roads and expressways also cross the
island. Vehicle traffic is discouraged and controlled in high-density areas by
an electronic road-pricing system, which uses an electronic scanning device to
charge road-use fees. Singapore is linked with West Malaysia (Peninsular
Malaysia) by a toll road bridge and a causeway (with road, rail, and
water-pipeline links) across the Johore Strait.
Singapore is developing as a global hub
of information and communications technology, and telecommunications is a vital
aspect of the economy. The government has placed high priority on upgrading and
expanding the country’s already well-developed telecommunications
infrastructure, including a nationwide high-speed, broadband network connecting
computers with the Internet. Personal use of computers and mobile communications
devices is high in Singapore, and about half of all homes are connected to the
Internet.
The government of Singapore closely
regulates the broadcasting industry and other mass-media communications. For
example, all newspapers are public companies and are subject to the scrutiny of
the government. In addition, the government may restrict the sale of foreign
periodicals that are deemed to influence domestic political issues. Singapore
has three English daily newspapers, the most widely circulated of which is
The Straits Times. There are also three dailies in Chinese, one in Malay,
and one in Tamil.
G | Foreign Trade |
Singapore generally maintains a positive
balance of trade. In 2004 the country exported goods and services worth U.S.$178
billion, while imports cost U.S.$163 billion. Much of the country’s trade
involves the transshipment of goods produced in the region. Singapore’s port is
the busiest in the world in terms of shipping tonnage. The chief imports, in
order of value, are machinery and transport equipment; basic manufactures, such
as textile yarn, fabric, iron, and steel; miscellaneous manufactured articles;
petroleum and petroleum products; and food and live animals. The country’s major
exports are electronics products, machinery and transportation equipment, and
refined petroleum products. Singapore has numerous trading partners in Asia,
Europe, and the Americas. Leading purchasers of Singapore’s exports are
Malaysia, the United States, the European Union (EU), Hong Kong, and Japan;
imports come mainly from Japan, Malaysia, the United States, the EU, and China.
Singapore maintains strong trade with its
regional neighbors as a charter member of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN). Singapore is a full participant in the ASEAN Free Trade Area
(AFTA), established in 1992 with the goal of establishing nearly free trade
among member nations. With the formal implementation of AFTA in 2002, member
nations are to gradually reduce tariff barriers to 5 percent or less. Singapore
has pursued free-trade agreements with some of its non-ASEAN trading partners as
well, finalizing one with the United States in 2003 after several years of
negotiations. Singapore became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in
1995.
H | Currency and Banking |
The unit of currency is the Singapore
dollar (1.60 Singapore dollars equal U.S.$1; 2006 average). Although
Singapore does not have a central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore
performs most functions of a central bank. The country’s currency, however, is
issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency. There are more than 130
commercial banks, most of which are foreign-owned.
V | GOVERNMENT |
Singapore is a parliamentary democracy
governed under a 1959 constitution, promulgated when Singapore became a
self-governing state. The constitution was amended in 1963 when Singapore joined
with Sarawak, North Borneo (now Sabah), and the Federation of Malaya to form
Malaysia. In 1965 the constitution was amended again when Singapore separated
from Malaysia to form an independent republic. Voting is compulsory for all
Singaporeans 21 years of age and older.
A | Executive |
A president, elected to a six-year term, is
Singapore’s head of state, and a prime minister is head of government. The
president used to be elected by parliament, but by a 1991 constitutional
amendment the president is now elected directly by the voters. In order to run
for president, candidates must be declared eligible by the Presidential
Elections Committee, a body composed of governmental ministers that screens
candidates based on qualifications outlined in the Singapore constitution. The
president acts on the advice of the cabinet, which is responsible to the
parliament and headed by the prime minister. The cabinet is appointed by the
president from among the members of parliament.
B | Legislature |
Legislative power is vested in a one-house
parliament, which includes 84 members who are popularly elected to serve
five-year terms. They are elected from single-member and multi-member
constituencies. For the latter type, known as group representation
constituencies, members are elected in teams of 4 to 6, and at least 1 member of
each team must be of a minority (non-Chinese) ethnic group. In addition to
elected members, the parliament may also include up to 9 politically neutral
members nominated by the president and up to 3 members appointed from opposition
political parties. Nominated members serve two-year terms and have restricted
voting rights. The purpose of the nominated and appointed members is to ensure
parliament represents a wide range of views. Nominated members are distinguished
professionals or public servants.
C | Judiciary |
Judicial power is vested in the Supreme
Court and the subordinate courts. The Supreme Court consists of the High Court
and the Court of Appeal. Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president,
with the consent of the prime minister.
D | Political Parties |
Although Singapore is nominally a
multiparty nation, the People’s Action Party (PAP) has been the dominant
political party since the country became independent. In the 2001 general
election the PAP won 82 seats in the parliament. Opposition parties include the
Workers’ Party (WP), the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), the Singapore
Democratic Party (SDP), and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
E | Social Services |
Singapore has no widespread public social
security or unemployment benefit scheme. However, Singaporeans enjoy modern and
affordable health care, which is heavily subsidized by the government. Health
conditions are similar to those in other developed nations. For example,
Singapore strictly enforces sanitation and public health regulations. Life
expectancies are among the highest in the world and infant mortality rates are
among the world’s lowest. As in other developed countries, the major causes of
death are heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
F | Defense |
In 2004 Singapore had 50,000 members in its
army, 9,000 in its navy, and 13,500 in its air force. Beginning at age 18 all
male citizens and permanent residents must serve two years of national
service.
VI | HISTORY |
Humans have inhabited Singapore for about
2,000 years. The original seaport, Temasek, may have been a trading center in
the Malay kingdom of Sri Vijaya until the 14th century, when title passed to the
Javanese kingdom of Majapahit. The settlement most likely received the name
Singapura (Sanskrit for “Lion City”) between the 11th and 14th centuries.
It was destroyed in the late 1300s and replaced by Malacca (now Melaka) as the
most important port in the area. For more than 400 years Singapore Island was
inhabited only by a few Malays who lived in small fishing villages.
A | European Colonization |
British colonial administrator Thomas
Stamford Raffles founded the modern city in 1819 on the site of a fishing
village. The sultan of Johor deeded the land to the English East India Company
in 1824. In 1826 Singapore was incorporated, along with Malacca and Pinang, into
the British colony of the Straits Settlements. Singapore soon became a major
commercial center. It benefited from both its advantageous location on the
narrow passage between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea and from its
designation as a free port where ships could avoid certain taxes on their cargo.
Its growth as the most important port in the region attracted thousands of
migrants from China, India, and other parts of Southeast Asia and established
the ethnic and cultural diversities that are still characteristic of its
population. By far, however, many more Chinese migrated to Singapore than other
groups.
After World War I (1914-1918) Britain
designated the island its principal naval base in East Asia and undertook
extensive military construction. Singapore was captured and occupied by the
Japanese in 1942 during World War II. As the British retreated, they only
partially destroyed the causeway that linked Singapore with the Malay Peninsula
and the Japanese had easy access to the great port. Important installations,
however, such as the world’s largest floating dry dock, were destroyed to deny
them to the Japanese. Singapore was returned to the British when Japan lost the
war in 1945.
The following year the United Kingdom
designated Singapore a separate crown colony, and on June 3, 1959, Singapore
became a self-governing state in the Commonwealth of Nations. For security and
economic reasons, Singapore sought to join with the Federation of Malaya, which
had become fully independent in 1957. At first cautious, because Singapore had a
left-wing government at that time, Malaya eventually agreed to a union because
it feared that Singapore would become Communist if left on its own. Malaya also
called for the inclusion of other Malay states to provide an ethnic balance to
Chinese Singapore. On September 16, 1963, Singapore, the Federation of Malaya,
North Borneo (renamed Sabah), and Sarawak united to form the Federation of
Malaysia.
B | The Republic |
The union was uneasy, however, and in 1965
Singapore separated from Malaysia and became a sovereign state within the
Commonwealth. It also became a separate member of the United Nations (UN). In
December of that year the island was proclaimed a republic. Inche Yusof bin
Ishak, who had been Singapore’s head of state since 1959, became the first
president. His successors were Benjamin Henry Sheares, who held the office from
1971 until his death in 1981, and C. V. Devan Nair, who took office in 1981.
Nair resigned the presidency in 1985 and was replaced by Wee Kim Wee. From 1959
to 1990 executive power was exercised by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. His
People’s Action Party (PAP) captured parliament in every election from 1968 on,
and he governed with a firm hand. Fearing Communist subversion, Lee staunchly
supported U.S. policies in Southeast Asia, and in 1971 he led Singapore into a
defense alliance with Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and New Zealand.
Lee’s attitude toward the Communist regimes in the region was a more
conciliatory one after the end of the Vietnam War (1959-1975). In 1990 he
finally extended diplomatic recognition to mainland China.
Lee resigned in 1990 and designated Goh
Chok Tong as his successor. However, Lee remained influential in Singaporean
politics as a senior government minister. In 1993 Singapore held its first
direct presidential elections, and Ong Teng Cheong received nearly 60 percent of
the votes cast. Ong declined to run for a second six-year term and was succeeded
in 1999 by S. R. Nathan, a former government minister and ambassador to the
United States. Nathan became president without an election after Singapore’s
Presidential Elections Committee declared his two rivals ineligible. Meanwhile,
the PAP retained its ruling-party status, winning most parliamentary seats in
the 1991, 1997, and 2001 general elections.
Lee Kwan Yew’s eldest son, Lee Hsien
Loong, became Singapore’s new prime minister in August 2004. Goh had resigned
the position as part of a carefully planned and controlled succession process.
Lee had been deputy prime minister since his father’s resignation in 1990. He
had played a key role in Goh’s government, spearheading reforms aimed at
reigniting Singapore’s economy.
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