Official name Republic of Singapore
Local name Singapore Timezone GMT +8 Area 618 km²/238 sq mi population total (2002e) 4 000 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1965 Capital Singapore City Languages English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil (official) Ethnic groups Chinese (77%), Malay (15%), Indian (6%) Religions Chinese population mainly Buddhists, Malay mainly Muslim, also Taoist, Christian, and Hindu minorities Physical features Located at the S tip of the Malay Peninsula, SE Asia; consists of the island of Singapore and c.50 adjacent islets; linked to Malaysia by a causeway across the Johor Strait; Singapore Island is low-lying, rising to 177 m/581 ft at Bukit Timah; Selatar River drains NE; deep-water harbour (SE). Climate Equatorial climate; high humidity; no clearly defined seasons; average annual temperature range, 2134°C; average annual rainfall, 2438 mm/96 in. Currency 1 Singapore Dollar/Ringgit (SGD) = 100 cents Economy Major transshipment centre (one of world's largest ports); oil refining; rubber, food processing, chemicals, electronics; ship repair; financial services; fishing; tourism (affected by the SARS outbreak, 2003). GDP (2002e) $112·4 bn, per capita $25 200 Human Development Index (2002) 0·885 History Originally part of the Sumatran Srivijaya kingdom; leased by the British East India Company, on the advice of Sir Stamford Raffles, from the Sultan of Johore, 1819; Singapore, Malacca, and Penang incorporated as the Straits Settlements, 1826; British Crown Colony, 1867; occupied by the Japanese, 19425; self-government, 1959; part of the Federation of Malaya from 1963 until its establishment as an independent state in 1965; governed by a President, a Prime Minister, and a unicameral Parliament. text-align:center;">| Flag | Coat of arms |
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Motto: Majulah Singapura (Malay: "Onward, Singapore") |
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| Anthem: Majulah Singapura | |
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Capital (largest city) |
Singapore 1°17′N 103°51′E |
|---|---|
| Official language | English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil |
| Government | Parliamentary republic |
| - President | Sellapan Ramanathan |
| - Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong |
| Independence | |
| - Officially from UK (as a state of Malaysia) | September 16, 1963 |
| Area | |
| - Total |
699 km² (190th) 270 sq mi |
| - Water (%) | 1.444 |
| Population | |
| - July 2005 estimate | 4,326,000 (120th) |
| - 2000 census | 4,117,700 |
| - Density |
6,389/km² (4th) 16,392/sq mi |
| GDP (PPP) | 2006 estimate |
| - Total | $123.4 billion (57th) |
| - Per capita | $28,368 (22nd) |
| HDI (2003) | 0.907 (high) (25th) |
| Currency | Singapore dollar (SGD) |
| Time zone | SST (UTC+8) |
| - Summer (DST) | not observed (UTC+8) |
| Internet TLD | .sg |
| Calling code | +652 |
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1 Singapore is a city-state. 2 02 from Malaysia. |
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| Singapore Portal |
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore (Malay: Republik Singapura;
The site of several ancient port cities and a possession of several empires in its history, Singapore was a Malay fishing village when it was colonised by the United Kingdom in the 19th century. When Singapore acquired independence, having few natural resources, it was sociopolitically volatile and economically undeveloped.
According to the quality-of-life index assembled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore has the highest standard of living in Asia, and is ranked 11th in the World. In the more well-known Human Development Index by the United Nations, Singapore holds the 25th place, behind only Japan and Hong Kong in Asia. Measured by GDP per capita, Singapore is the 22nd wealthiest country.
More than 90% of Singapore's population lives in housing estates constructed by the Housing Development Board and nearly half uses the public transport system daily. As a result of efforts to control motorised traffic, the maintenance of natural greenery, strict regulations on industrial locations and emissions, and other pro-environmental initiatives by the government and the private sector, Singapore has been able to control its pollution levels to well within World Health Organization standards. The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore established the city-state as a representative democracy. Singapore initially undertook a democratic socialist policy shortly after its independence, adopting a welfare system.
History
The name Singapore is derived from the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which were themselves derived from the Sanskrit words सिंह siṃha and पुर pura. In Tamil, one of the official languages of Singapore, Singam means Lion and Puram means City. Hence, Singapore is also known as the Lion City.
The first records of Singapore's existence are in Chinese texts from the 3rd century AD. There are few remnants of old Temasek in Singapore, but archaeologists in Singapore have uncovered evidence of the civilization, as well as other settlements. Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, Singapore was a part of the Sultanate of Johore. During the Malay-Portugal wars in 1613, Singapore was set ablaze by Portuguese troops. He also established Singapore as a trading post and settlement, which saw instant growth and immigration from various ethnic groups. Singapore was later made a crown colony by Britain in 1867. After a series of colonial territorial expansions, the British Empire soon raised Singapore's status to that of an entrepot town, due to its strategic location along the busy shipping routes connecting Europe to China.
During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Malaya and the surrounding region in the Battle of Malaya, which culminated in the Battle of Singapore. The Japanese renamed Singapore to Shōnan (昭南), merged from Japanese word Shō (Shōwa) and nan (South), and occupied it until the British arrived to repossess the island a month after the Japanese surrender in September 1945.
Singapore became a self-governing state in 1959 with Yusof bin Ishak as its first Yang di-Pertuan Negara (literally means "head of state" in Malay) and Lee Kuan Yew from the People's Action Party (PAP) as its first Prime Minister, after the 1959 elections. Following the 1962 Merger Referendum of Singapore, Singapore joined Malaysia along with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as a state with autonomous powers in September 1963. Singapore was expelled from the federation after heated ideological conflict developed between the state government formed by PAP and the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. It gained official sovereignty on 9 August 1965, which later became Singapore's National Day. Yusof bin Ishak was sworn in as the first President of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew remained as prime minister. Singapore evolved from a developing nation to a global city with first world status towards the end of the 20th century.
Politics and government
Singapore is a republic with a Westminster system of a unicameral parliamentary government representing different constituencies of Singapore. The bulk of the executive powers rests in the hands of the Cabinet of Singapore, which consists of ministers led by the Prime Minister of Singapore. The office of the President of Singapore was, historically, a ceremonial one as head of state, but the Constitution of Singapore was amended in 1991 to create the position of a popularly elected President and also to grant the President veto powers in a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of key judiciary positions. Parliamentary elections in Singapore are plurality-based for group representation constituencies since the Parliamentary Elections Act was modified in 1991. Foreign political analysts and several opposition parties including the Workers' Party of Singapore, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA)have argued that Singapore is a de facto one-party state. Many consider the form of government in Singapore to be closer to authoritarianism such as illiberal democracy or procedural democracy rather than true democracy. Reporters Without Borders ranked Singapore 140th out of 167 countries in its 2005 Worldwide Press Freedom Index.
Singapore has what its government considers to be a highly successful and transparent market economy. The Housing Development Board oversees a large-scale public housing programme and education in Singapore is a rigorous compulsory public education system, and government-controlled companies are dominant in the local economy. Singapore has consistently been rated as the least-corrupt country in Asia and amongst the top ten cleanest from corruption in the world by Transparency International.
Although Singapore's laws are inherited from British and British Indian laws, including many elements of English common law, the PAP has also consistently rejected liberal democratic values, which it typifies as Western and states that there should not be a 'one-size-fits-all' solution to a democracy. Laws restricting the freedom of speech are justified by claims that they are intended to prohibit speech that may breed ill will or cause disharmony within Singapore's multiracial, multi-religious society. Some offences can lead to heavy fines or caning and there are laws which allow capital punishment in Singapore for first-degree murder and drug trafficking. Amnesty International has criticised Singapore for having "possibly the highest execution rate in the world" per capita. The Singapore government argued that there is no international consensus on the appropriateness of the death penalty and that Singapore has the sovereign right to determine its own judicial system and impose capital punishment for the most serious crimes. However, despite restrictions on public gatherings in Singapore, a small group of activists has organised events in 2005 and 2006 protesting against the country's use of the death penalty.
See also: Law of SingaporeGeography
Bishan Bukit Merah Geylang Kallang Marine Parade Queenstown Toa Payoh Bedok Changi Paya Lebar Pasir Ris Tampines CCNR Woodlands Ang MoKio Bukit
Batok Bukit
Panjang Clementi Bukit
Timah Tanglin Central Area Jurong
East Boon
Lay Pioneer Tuas Western
Water
Catchment Lim
Chu
Kang Sungei
Kadut Choa
Chu
Kang Tengah Jurong
West Novena Serangoon Hougang Sengkang Mandai Yishun Sembawang Simpang Seletar Punggol Changi Bay West
Region North-East
Region North
Region East
Region Central
Region
Singapore is divided into 55 urban planning areas, grouped into 5 regions.
Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island itself. There are two connections from Singapore to the Malaysian state of Johor — a man-made causeway known as the Johor-Singapore Causeway to the north, crossing the Tebrau Straits, and Tuas Second Link, a bridge in the western part of Singapore that connects to Johor. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's many smaller islands. The highest point of Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, with a height of 166 metres (538 ft).
The urban area used to be only concentrated on the southern part of Singapore around the mouth of the Singapore River and what is now the Downtown Core, while the rest of the land was tropical rainforest or used for agriculture. The Urban Redevelopment Authority is a government agency responsible for the urban planning of Singapore that concentrates on efficient land use and distribution, as well as transport flow. It has released a Development Guide Plan which details specific land use for each the 55 urban planning areas of Singapore.
Singapore has reclaimed land with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5 square kilometres (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 697.2 square kilometres (269.1 sq mi) today, and may grow by another 100 square kilometres (38.6 sq mi) by 2030. About 23% of Singapore's land area consists of forest and nature reserves.
Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinct seasons, under the Köppen climate classification. A variety of parks, however, are maintained with human intervention, such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Without natural freshwater rivers and lakes, the primary domestic source of water supply in Singapore is rainfall, collected in reservoirs or catchment areas. Rainfall supplies approximately 50% of Singapore's water;
Economy
Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, and is a developed nation. Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP), per capita, is equal to that of the major European countries. Singapore is also the fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre in the world after London, New York City and Tokyo.
Singapore has been rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world. According to a World Bank-IFC report, Singapore beats previous winner New Zealand for the top spot in the 2005/2006 rankings while the United States came in third. Within Asia, Hong Kong was Singapore's closest competitor at fifth place. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, Singapore's fast-paced industrialization earned it a place as one of the four original 'East Asian Tigers'. Singapore has since recovered from the recession, largely due to improvements in the world economy; However, the government is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub.
On 5th October 2006, the government announced that Singapore has recorded its highest employment rate in 15 years with improvements, particularly, in the hiring of older workers.
Singapore introduced a Goods and Services Tax (GST) with an initial rate of 3% on 1 April 1994.
Singapore is a popular travel destination, making tourism one of its largest industries. In 2005, a total of 9.05 million tourists visited Singapore. By 2015, Singapore hopes to achieve about 17 million visitor arrivals. In July 2006, a record high of a total of 913,000 visitors arrived in Singapore, mostly due to the Great Singapore Sale. The Orchard Road district, which is dominated by multi-storey shopping centres and hotels, is the centre of tourism in Singapore. Other popular tourist attractions include the Singapore Zoo and its Night Safari along with the tourist island of Sentosa. Other than the Integrated Resort, many other new developments are coming up that includes the Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay.
Food in itself has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists, and is usually promoted by various initiatives undertaken by the Singapore Tourism Board or the associations it deals with as one of Singapore's best attractions alongside shopping. The government organises the Singapore Food Festival in July annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine.
See also: Tourism in SingaporeMilitary
The military of Singapore serves primarily as a deterrent to potential invaders of the island. Singapore has mutual defence pacts with several countries, most notably the Five Power Defence Arrangements. Singapore subscribes to a philosophy of Total Defence, in which five aspects of a holistic national defence are identified. Non-military aspects of total defence include civil defence, which is carried out by the Singapore Civil Defence Force;
The military of Singapore includes the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force, collectively known as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The military of Singapore is one of the most modern in Asia, with its advanced equipment and high level of training reflecting the continued emphasis of the government on military defence — military expenditures dominate the annual government budget. The Gurkha Contingent, which is part of the Singapore Police Force, is also a counter-terrorist force. Singapore's defence resources have been used in international humanitarian aid missions, including United Nations peacekeeping assignments in Kosovo, Kuwait and East Timor, and participating in the multinational force in Iraq. One notable incident of terrorism in Singapore prior to its independence, was the bombing of MacDonald House during the Confrontation that took place between Malaysia and Indonesia in the early 1960's. and in 1991, the hijacking of Singapore Airlines Flight 117 ended in the storming of the aircraft and the subsequent deaths of all four hijackers. A current concern is Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant Islamic group operating in South East Asia known to be responsible for several bombings around the region, as well as planning in 2001 an ultimately foiled attack on American interests in Singapore.
Architecture
The architecture of Singapore is extremely varied and diverse. Due to the lack of available space, few historical buildings remain in the urban areas of Singapore. However, Singapore has become a centre for modern architecture as older buildings are cleared away to make space for newer, larger buildings. These buildings comprise the skyline along the coast of Marina Bay and Raffles Place, which is a famous tourist attraction in Singapore. Due to the air restrictions in Singapore, no building in Singapore is to be taller than 280 metres. The three tallest buildings in Singapore, namely Republic Plaza, UOB Plaza One and OUB Centre, are all 280 metres in height.
A few signs of Singapore's colonial past remain in the form of "Black and White Houses". Later, they became home to many Japanese generals after the "fall of Singapore" during World War II.
Demographics
Singapore is the second most densely populated independent country in the world excluding Macau and Hong Kong which are parts of PRC. Singapore is also diverse, with the Singaporean Malays, who are the indigenous native group of the country, constituting 13.9%, though this number includes many Malay ethnic groups from other parts of the Malay archipelago including the Javanese, Bugis, Baweans and Minangkabau.
Singapore is also a multi-religious country, due mainly to its location on one of the world's major transportation routes.
The government of Singapore has been careful to maintain ethnic harmony after racial riots erupted in the 1960s. The national language of Singapore is Malay for historical reasons, and it is used in the national anthem, "Majulah Singapura".
After two decades of a successful family planning policy, Singapore is now facing the threat of an aging population with declining birth rates.
Culture
Singapore is a small and relatively modern amalgam of an indigenous Malay population with a third generation Chinese majority, as well as Indian and Arab immigrants with some intermarriages. Singapore has also achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion with its unique combination of these ethnic groups, and this has given Singapore a rich mixture of diversity for its young age. English became widespread in Singapore after it was implemented as a first language medium in the education system, and English is the most common language in Singaporean literature.
Singapore has several ethnic neighbourhoods, including Little India and Chinatown. Work is now underway to preserve these religious sites as National Monuments of Singapore.
Since the 1990s, the government has been striving to promote Singapore as a centre for arts and culture, including theatre and music, and to transform the country into a cosmopolitan and
diverse community at the 'gateway between the East and West'. The highlight of these efforts was the construction of Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, a centre for performing arts that opened on
October 12, 2002.
Education
Primary education is compulsory in Singapore and as such the literacy rate is 95%. After secondary education, a further set of examinations are taken which determine which kind of tertiary education they pursue, such as junior college, a precursor for entry into public universities such as National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University. The polytechnics include Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic.
Singapore students took first place in the 1995, 1999 and 2003 TIMSS Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. They used Singapore Math Primary Mathematics series. The national textbooks have been adapted into a series which has been successfully marketed in North America as a rival to Saxon math and an alternative to controversial standards-based mathematics curricula which many parents complained moved too far away from the sort of traditional basic skills instruction exemplified by Singapore's national curriculum.
Transport
Singapore is a major Asian transportation hub, strategically lying on major sea and air trade routes. The Port of Singapore, managed by port operators PSA International and Jurong Port, was the world's busiest port in 2005 in terms of shipping tonnage handled with 1.15 billion gross tons handled, and in terms of containerised traffic, with 23.2 million Twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled. In addition, Singapore is the world's busiest hub for transhipment traffic and the world's biggest ship refuelling hub.
Singapore is a major aviation hub and an important stopover point for the 'Kangaroo route' between Australasia and Europe. Singapore Changi Airport has a network of 81 airlines connecting Singapore to 179 cities in 57 countries (2005). The national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) is internationally renowned for its service and will be the first airline in the world to fly the new Airbus A380 commercially.
The backbone of domestic transport infrastructure is the road transport system which includes a network of expressways that form the arteries between distinct towns and regional centres as laid out in Singapore's urban planning.
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