:Sierra Leone Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, National Police Force, Special Security Detachment
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 976,147; 472,112 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $6 million, 0.7% of GDP (1988 est.)
:Singapore Geography
Total area:
632.6 km2
Land area:
622.6 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
193 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
12 nm
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
two islands in dispute with Malaysia
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons;
thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Terrain:
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and
nature preserve
Natural resources:
fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
arable land 4%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 5%; other 84%
Environment:
mostly urban and industrialized
Note:
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
:Singapore People
Population:
2,792,092 (July 1992), growth rate 1.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
18 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
6 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
73 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Singaporean(s); adjective - Singapore
Ethnic divisions:
Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
Religions:
majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays are nearly all Muslim
(minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, Confucianists)
Languages:
Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English (all official); Malay (national)
Literacy:
88% (male 93%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
1,485,800; financial, business, and other services 30.2%, manufacturing
28.4%, commerce 22.0%, construction 9.0%, other 10.4% (1990)
Organized labor:
210,000; 16.1% of labor force (1989)
:Singapore Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Singapore
Type:
republic within Commonwealth
Capital:
Singapore
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)
Constitution:
3 June 1959, amended 1965; based on preindependence State of Singapore
Constitution
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
National Day, 9 August (1965)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President WEE Kim Wee (since 3 September 1985)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Minister
LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990); Deputy Prime Ministers ONG Teng
Cheong (since 2 January 1985) and LEE Hsien Loong
Political parties and leaders:
government:
People's Action Party (PAP), LEE Kuan Yew, secretary general;
opposition:
Workers' Party (WP), J. B. JEYARETNAM; Singapore Democratic Party (SDP),
CHIAM See Tong; National Solidarity Party (NSP), leader NA; Barisan Sosialis
(BS, Socialist Front), leader NA
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 20
Elections:
President:
last held 31 August 1989 (next to be held NA August 1993); results -
President WEE Kim Wee was reelected by Parliament without opposition
Parliament:
last held 31 August 1991 (next to be held 31 August 1996); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (81 total) PAP 77, SDP 3, WP 1
Communists:
200-500; Barisan Sosialis infiltrated by Communists; note - Communist party
illegal
Member of:
APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador S. R. NATHAN; Chancery at 1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009;
telephone (202) 667-7555
US:
Ambassador Robert D. ORR; Embassy at 30 Hill Street, Singapore 0617 (mailing
address is FPO AP 96534); telephone [65] 338-0251; FAX [65] 338-4550
:Singapore Government
Flag:
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