Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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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. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
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Location:
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Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
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Geographic coordinates:
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1 22 N, 103 48 E
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Map references:
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Southeast Asia
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Area:
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total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km
water: 10 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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193 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice
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Climate:
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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
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Terrain:
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lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m
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Natural resources:
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fish, deepwater ports
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Land use:
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arable land: 1.47%
permanent crops: 1.47%
other: 97.06% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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NA
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Natural hazards:
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NA
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Environment - current issues:
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industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
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Population:
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4,492,150 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 15.6% (male 362,329/female 337,964)
15-64 years: 76.1% (male 1,666,709/female 1,750,736)
65 years and over: 8.3% (male 165,823/female 208,589) (2006 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 37.3 years
male: 36.9 years
female: 37.6 years (2006 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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1.42% (2006 est.)
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Birth rate:
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9.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Death rate:
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4.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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9.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 2.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 81.71 years
male: 79.13 years
female: 84.49 years (2006 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.06 children born/woman (2006 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.2% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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4,100 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 200 (2003 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore
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Ethnic groups:
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Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census)
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Religions:
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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)
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Languages:
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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)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 96.6%
female: 88.6% (2002)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
local long form: Republic of Singapore
local short form: Singapore
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Government type:
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parliamentary republic
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Capital:
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name: Singapore
geographic coordinates: 1 17 N, 103 51 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions:
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none
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Independence:
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9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
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National holiday:
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National Day, 9 August (1965)
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Constitution:
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3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
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Legal system:
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based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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21 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Executive branch:
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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 Shunmugan 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; last appointed 17 August 2005 - see note (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
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Legislative branch:
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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 6 May 2006 (next to be held in 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
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Judicial branch:
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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
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 National Solidarity Party or NSP, Singapore Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS, Singapore People's Party or SPP
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA
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International organization participation:
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APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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 consumer electronics and information technology products. 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. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004-06, 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.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$138.6 billion (2006 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$121.5 billion (2006 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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7.4% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$30,900 (2006 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 0%
industry: 33.8%
services: 66.2% (2006 est.)
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Labor force:
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2.4 million (2006 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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manufacturing 18%, construction 18%, transportation and communication 11%, financial, business, and other services 6%, other 26% (2003)
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Unemployment rate:
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3.1% (2006 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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42.5 (1998)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1% (2006 est.)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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21.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $19.71 billion
expenditures: $19.85 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.1 billion (2006 est.)
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Public debt:
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100.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
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Agriculture - products:
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rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish
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Industries:
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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
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Industrial production growth rate:
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12.6% (2006 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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32.64 billion kWh (2004)
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Electricity - consumption:
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30.35 billion kWh (2004)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2004)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2004)
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Oil - production:
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9,701 bbl/day (2004 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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800,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA bbl/day
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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6.61 billion cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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6.61 billion cu m
note: from Indonesia and Malaysia (2004 est.)
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Current account balance:
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$35.58 billion (2006 est.)
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Exports:
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$283.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels
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Exports - partners:
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Malaysia 14.7%, US 11.5%, Indonesia 10.7%, Hong Kong 10.4%, China 9.5%, Japan 6%, Thailand 4.5%, Australia 4.1% (2005)
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Imports:
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$246.1 billion (2006 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
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Imports - partners:
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Malaysia 14.4%, US 12.4%, China 10.8%, Japan 10.1%, Indonesia 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, South Korea 4.5% (2005)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$134.6 billion (2006 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$24.3 billion (2006 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA
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Currency (code):
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Singapore dollar (SGD)
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Exchange rates:
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Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.5889 (2006), 1.6644 (2005), 1.6902 (2004), 1.7422 (2003), 1.7906 (2002)
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
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Airports:
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9 (2006)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 9
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
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
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Pipelines:
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gas 139 km; refined products 8 km (2006)
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Roadways:
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total: 3,234 km
paved: 3,234 km (including 150 km of expressways) (2005)
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Merchant marine:
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total: 1,063 ships (1000 GRT or over) 31,033,735 GRT/49,715,650 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 155, cargo 87, chemical tanker 136, container 214, liquefied gas 53, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 353, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 40
foreign-owned: 592 (Australia 7, Bangladesh 1, Belgium 12, China 23, Denmark 52, Germany 9, Greece 9, Hong Kong 50, India 5, Indonesia 56, Italy 2, Japan 100, South Korea 17, Malaysia 35, Netherlands 2, Norway 90, Philippines 5, Slovenia 1, Sweden 12, Taiwan 59, Thailand 22, UAE 7, UK 9, US 7)
registered in other countries: 285 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 12, Belize 6, Bolivia 3, Cambodia 4, Cayman Islands 10, Cyprus 1, Dominica 9, France 2, Honduras 11, Hong Kong 24, Indonesia 17, Isle of Man 7, North Korea 1, Liberia 28, Malaysia 44, Marshall Islands 6, Mongolia 10, Nigeria 1, Panama 67, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Thailand 6, Tuvalu 6, US 2, unknown 2) (2006)
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Ports and terminals:
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Singapore
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This page was last updated on 15 March, 2007
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