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SINGAPORE

Singapore is south-east Asia's hi-tech, wealthy city-state which is also known for the conservatism of its leaders and its strict social controls. The country comprises the main island - linked by a causeway and a bridge to the southern tip of Malaysia - and around 50 smaller islands. Once a colonial outpost of Britain, Singapore has become one of the world's most prosperous places - with glittering skyscrapers and a thriving port.

Background
Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated 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 worlds busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.

Location
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia (1 22 N, 103 48 E).

Climate
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms

Terrain
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve

Environmental Issues
industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia

Population
4,492,150 (July 2006 est.)

Ethnic Groups
Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census)

Religion
Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000 census)

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 census)

Economic Overview
Singapore, a highly-developed and successful free-market economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP equal to that of the four largest West European countries. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in 2001-03 by the global recession, by the slump in the technology sector, and by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, which curbed tourism and consumer spending. The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004, with real GDP rising by 8% - by far the economy's best performance since 2000 - but growth slowed to 5.7% in 2005.

GDP per CAPITA
$29,900 (2005 est.)

International Disputes
disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works, bridge construction, maritime boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three years; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005 to finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Batam Island; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait.

SUMMARY
The Republic of Singapore is an Asian country at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula. Most of the population is Chinese, making up 77% out of its total population of 4 million. "Singapore" means "Lion city" in Sanskrit. The official languages are English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
It was set up as a British trading settlement in the early 19th century by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, and soon became a centre of British influence in the region. During World War II, Singapore was invaded by the Japanese and renamed Syonan-to. The people suffered during this time, since the Japanese soldiers were cruel and harsh. But in September 1945, when Japan surrendered and World War II ended, Singapore was once again in British hands. The suffering at the hands of the Japanese made the people realize that the British were not as powerful as they had thought. They realized that it was up to them to defend their homeland, Singapore.
In 1963, Singapore joined Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak to form the new nation of the Federation of Malaysia, but there was a disagreement between the individual governments in the Federation. Singapore believed in equality, but Malaysia "favored" the Malays, and this caused arguments, with Singapore finally breaking off from the federation. On August 9 1965, Singapore gained independence. At first, many people thought Singapore would not be able to survive on its own. However, the people of Singapore remained determined, and upgraded their skills in order to make use of Singapore's port, which remains an important asset of Singapore, even today. This allowed the industry of Singapore to do well, and it is now a prospering nation.

The vast majority of the island's population lives in public-housing tower blocks. They enjoy one of the world's highest standards of living, but also a system of punishments for acts such as busking without a licence or not flushing a public lavatory. Government-led initiatives have encouraged Singaporeans to have more babies, be more courteous to each other, and "Speak Good English".  Chinese make up more than 75% of the community; Malays and Indians make up much of the remainder. There are many foreign workers. Although Singapore is a multi-party nation, the People's Action Party (PAP) has been the dominant force since independence. Rights groups have accused some politicians of using defamation suits to silence their opponents. Singapore is often referred to as one of Asia's economic "tigers". Its economy has weathered regional crises, including the 1997 Asian markets slump and the 2003 Sars virus outbreak. The country was referred to - less kindly - by the writer William Gibson as "Disneyland with the death penalty". Singapore argues that its use of capital punishment - applied mostly for drugs trafficking offences - has stopped the growth of narcotics syndicates.

  • Population: 4.4 million (UN, 2005)

  • Capital: Singapore

  • Area: 660 sq km (255 sq miles)

  • Major languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil

  • Major religions: Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity

  • Life expectancy: 77 years (men), 80 years (women) (UN)

  • Monetary unit: 1 Singapore dollar = 100 cents

  • Main exports: Computer equipment, machinery, rubber products, petroleum products

  • GNI per capita: US $24,220 (World Bank, 2005)

  • Internet domain: .sg