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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

4,100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Singaporean(s)

adjective: Singapore

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

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)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 92.5%

male: 96.6%

female: 88.6% (2000 census)

Government Singapore

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Singapore

conventional short form: Singapore

local long form: Republic of Singapore

local short form: Singapore

Government type:

parliamentary republic

Capital:

name: Singapore

geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E

time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

none

Independence:

9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)

National holiday:

National Day, 9 August (1965)

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

Suffrage:

21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:

chief of state: President S R NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)

note: uses S R NATHAN but his full name and the one used in formal communications is Sellapan RAMANATHAN

head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Senior Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 12 August 2004); Minister Mentor LEE Kuan Yew (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Ministers Shunmugam JAYAKUMAR (since 12 August 2004) and WONG Kan Seng (since 1 September 2005)

cabinet: appointed by president, responsible to parliament

elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term; appointed on 17 August 2005 (next election to be held by August 2011); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president

election results: Sellapan Rama (S R) NATHAN appointed president in August 2005 after Presidential Elections Committee disqualified three other would-be candidates; scheduled election not held

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; up to three losing opposition candidates who came closest to winning seats may be appointed as "nonconstituency" members

elections: last held on 6 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 66.6%, WP 16.3%, SDA 13%, SDP 4.1%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders:

People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong]; Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia LIM Swee Lian]

note: SDA includes Singapore Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS, Singapore People's Party or SPP

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIT, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee

chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100

FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876

consulate(s) general: San Francisco

consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia L. HERBOLD

embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508

mailing address: FPO AP 96507-0001

telephone: [65] 6476-9100

FAX: [65] 6476-9340

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

Economy Singapore

Economy - overview:

Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It 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 consumer electronics and information technology products. It was hard hit from 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. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004-07 with real GDP growth averaging 7% annually. The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the global demand cycle for information technology products - it has attracted major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical technology production - and will continue efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$228.1 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$161.3 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$49,700 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0%

industry: 31.2%

services: 68.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.751 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

manufacturing 21%, construction 5%, transportation and communication 7%, financial, business, and other services 42%, other 25% (2006)

Unemployment rate:

2.1% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.9%

highest 10%: 32.8% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

52.2 (2005)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.1% (2007)

Investment (gross fixed):

24.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $27 billion

expenditures: $21.5 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt:

101.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:

rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish

Industries:

electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, life sciences, entrepot trade

Industrial production growth rate:

7.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

39.44 billion kWh (2006)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

35.92 billion kWh (2006)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2006)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2006)

Oil - production:

9,836 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

802,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

1.073 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

1.83 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

6.8 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

6.339 billion cu m

note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$39.16 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$450.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels

Exports - partners:

Malaysia 13.1%, US 10.2%, Hong Kong 10.1%, China 9.7%, Indonesia 9.2%, Japan 5.5%, Thailand 4.2% (2006)

Imports:

$396 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

Malaysia 13%, US 12.7%, China 11.4%, Japan 8.3%, Taiwan 6.4%, Indonesia 6.2%, South Korea 4.4% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$0 (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$163 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$25.59 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$214.5 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$111.2 billion (2005)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$382.4 billion (2007)

Currency (code):

Singapore dollar (SGD)

Currency code:

SGD

Exchange rates:

Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.507 (2007), 1.5889 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Communications Singapore

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.854 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

4.789 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: excellent service

domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless service in February 2005; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 150 telephones per 100 persons

international: country code - 65; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations -4; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2003)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 17, shortwave 2 (2003)

Radios:

2.6 million (2000)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (broadcasting on six channels); additional reception of numerous UHF and VHF signals originating in Malaysia and Indonesia (2006)

Televisions:

1.33 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.sg

Internet hosts:

954,475 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

9 (2000)

Internet users:

1.717 million (2006)

Transportation Singapore

Airports:

8 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 8

over 3,047 m: 2

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 139 km; refined products 8 km (2007)

Roadways:

total: 3,262 km

paved: 3,262 km (includes 150 km of expressways) (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 1,131 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,237,005 GRT/52,487,127 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 167, cargo 85, carrier 1, chemical tanker 156, container 231, liquefied gas 72, livestock carrier 2, petroleum tanker 355, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 46

foreign-owned: 652 (Australia 6, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 8, China 19, Denmark 68, France 1, Germany 18, Greece 14, Hong Kong 37, India 9, Indonesia 56, Italy 4, Japan 108, South Korea 7, Malaysia 28, Norway 125, Philippines 4, Slovenia 1, Sweden 17, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 60, Thailand 20, UAE 8, UK 13, US 17)

registered in other countries: 293 (Bahamas 9, Belize 3, Bermuda 1, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 2, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 1, Dominica 8, France 2, Honduras 10, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 26, Isle of Man 2, Kiribati 1, Liberia 42, Malaysia 22, Marshall Islands 12, Mongolia 12, Nigeria 1, Norway 1, Panama 83, Philippines 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 6, Thailand 2, Tuvalu 13, US 11, unknown 4) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Singapore

Military Singapore

Military branches:

Singapore Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (includes Air Defense) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18-21 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 2-year conscript service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers) (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,277,862 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,038,603 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

4.9% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Singapore

Disputes - international:

disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in November 2007, the ICJ will hold public hearings as a consequence of the Memorials and Countermemorials filed by the parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge; Indonesia and Singapore continue to work on finalization of their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's Batam Island; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait

Illicit drugs:

drug abuse limited because of aggressive law enforcement efforts; as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, as a venue for money laundering

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Slovakia

Introduction Slovakia

Background:

The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I allowed the Slovaks to join the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Geography Slovakia

Location:

Central Europe, south of Poland

Geographic coordinates:

48 40 N, 19 30 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 48,845 sq km

land: 48,800 sq km

water: 45 sq km

Area - comparative:

about twice the size of New Hampshire

Land boundaries:

total: 1,524 km

border countries: Austria 91 km, Czech Republic 215 km, Hungary 677 km, Poland 444 km, Ukraine 97 km