Fast Facts
Country Name:
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
Capital: Singapore
Currency: Singapore dollar (Code: S$)
Geographic Coordinates: 1 22 N, 103 48 E
Area:
– total: 692.7 sq km
– land: 682.7 sq km
– water: 10 sq km
Coastline: 193 km
Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Natural Resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
– arable land: 1.47%
– permanent crops: 1.47%
– other: 97.06 % (2005)
Population: 4,839,400 (July 2008 est)
Nationality: Singaporean(s)
Ethnic groups:
Chinese 74.99%, Malay 13.69%, Indian 8.75 %, others 2.57% (2007 census)
Religions:
Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other .07%, none 14.8% (2000 census)
Languages:
Official languages: English (for business and administration), Malay (national language), Mandarin, Tamil
Literacy:
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 92.5%
Male: 96.6%
Female: 88.6% (2000 census)
Government
Government Type: Parliamentary Republic
Independence:9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
National Holiday: 9 August (1965)
Constitution: 3 June 1959; amended 1965 (base on pre-independence State of Singapore Constitution
Legal System: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Branches:
Executive: chief of state: President S R Nathan (September,1999)
Head of government: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (August 2004)
Cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to parliament
Legislative: Unicameral 84 seats Parliament
Judicial: Supreme Court, Court of Appeals
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
Communication and Transportation
Telephone – main lines in use: 1.859 million (2007)
Telephone – mobile cellular: 5.619 million (2007)
Telephone country code: 65
Internet country code: .sg
Sources:
– www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/people/hist/lifetable.html
– www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn.html