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Singapore

Singapore,[e] officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It is located about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south along with the Riau Islands in Indonesia, the South China Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor along with the State of Johor in Malaysia to the north. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet; the combined area of these has increased by approximately 25% since the country's independence as a result of extensive land reclamation projects. It has the second highest population density of any country in the world, although there are numerous green and recreational spaces as a result of urban planning. With a multicultural population and in recognition of the cultural identities of the major ethnic groups within the nation, Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. English is the lingua franca, with its exclusive use in numerous public services. Multi-racialism is enshrined in the constitution and continues to shape national policies in education, housing, and politics.

This article is about the country. For other uses, see Singapore (disambiguation).

Republic of Singapore
Malay:Republik Singapura
Mandarin:新加坡共和国
Tamil:சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு

Republik Singapura

Republik Singapura

新加坡共和国

சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு

Unitary dominant-party parliamentary republic

3 June 1959

16 September 1963

9 August 1965

735.2 km2 (283.9 sq mi)[4] (176th)

Neutral increase 5,917,600[d] (113rd)

7,804/km2 (20,212.3/sq mi) (2nd)

2024 estimate

Increase $794.179 billion[6] (38th)

Increase $133,737[6] (3rd)

2024 estimate

Increase $525.228 billion[6] (32nd)

Increase $88,447[6] (5th)

Steady 45.9[7]
medium

Increase 0.949[8]
very high (9th)

dd/mm/yyyy

Singapore's history dates back at least eight hundred years, having been a maritime emporium known as Temasek and subsequently a major constituent part of several successive thalassocratic empires. Its contemporary era began in 1819, when Stamford Raffles established Singapore as an entrepôt trading post of the British Empire. In 1867, the colonies in Southeast Asia were reorganised, and Singapore came under the direct control of Britain as part of the Straits Settlements. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942 and returned to British control as a separate Crown colony following Japan's surrender in 1945. Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 and, in 1963, became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo, and Sarawak. Ideological differences, most notably the perceived encroachment of the egalitarian "Malaysian Malaysia" political ideology led by Lee Kuan Yew into the other constituent entities of Malaysia—at the perceived expense of the bumiputera and the policies of Ketuanan Melayu—eventually led to Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later; Singapore became an independent sovereign country in 1965.


After early years of turbulence and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers. With its growth based on international trade and economic globalisation, it integrated itself with the world economy through free trade with minimal-to-no trade barriers or tariffs, export-oriented industrialisation, and the large accumulation of received foreign direct investments, foreign exchange reserves, and assets held by sovereign wealth funds. As a highly developed country, it has one of the highest GDP per capita (PPP) in the world. Identified as a tax haven, Singapore is the only country in Asia with a AAA sovereign credit rating from all major rating agencies. It is a major aviation, financial, and maritime shipping hub and has consistently been ranked as one of the most expensive cities to live in for expatriates and foreign workers. Singapore ranks highly in key social indicators: education, healthcare, quality of life, personal safety, infrastructure, and housing, with a home-ownership rate of 88 percent. Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest life expectancies, fastest Internet connection speeds, lowest infant mortality rates, and lowest levels of corruption in the world.


Singapore is a unitary parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government, and its legal system is based on common law. While the country is de jure a multi-party democracy with free elections, the government under the People's Action Party (PAP) wields widespread control and dominance over politics and society without much electoral competition. The PAP has governed the country continuously since full internal self-government was achieved in 1959, and currently holds a supermajority with 79 out of 93 elected seats in Parliament. One of the five founding members of ASEAN, Singapore is also the headquarters of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council Secretariat, and is the host city of many international conferences and events. Singapore is also a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the East Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth of Nations.

: The executive consists of the cabinet, led by the prime minister, and the Attorney General's Chambers led by the Attorney-General.[125] The cabinet is collectively responsible for all government policies and the day-to-day administration of the affairs of state. It is typically composed of members of the Singapore Parliament. The prime minister is appointed by the President, and the ministers in the cabinet and the attorney-general are appointed by the president, acting on the advice and consent of the prime minister. The prime minister is the effective head of the executive branch of government.[126][123]

Executive

: The Singapore Parliament is unicameral and, together with the president, comprises the legislature.[127] Members of Parliament (MP) consist of elected, non-constituency, and nominated members. The majority of MPs are elected into parliament at a general election. The Singapore Parliament is collectively responsible for enacting the laws governing the state.[123] The president holds limited discretionary powers of oversight over the government. The president's veto powers are further subject to parliamentary overruling.[128][129]

Legislature

: The judiciary's function is to independently administer justice and is headed by the Chief Justice. The judges and judicial commissioners are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister.[130] The Supreme Court and State Courts adjudicates in civil disputes between persons, convicts or acquits accused persons in criminal prosecutions, and interprets laws to decide on its constitutionality. Any law or provision of a law found to be unconstitutional can be struck down by the Supreme Court.[131]

Judiciary

Index of Singapore-related articles

Foreign relations of Singapore

Outline of Singapore

Bose, Romen (2010). . Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 978-981-4435-47-5. OCLC 830169524.

The End of the War : Singapore's Liberation and the Aftermath of the Second World War

Legg, Frank (1965). The Gordon Bennett Story: From Gallipoli to Singapore. Sydney, New South Wales: Angus & Robertson.  3193299.

OCLC

Miksic, John N. (2013). . Singapore. ISBN 978-9971-69-700-6. OCLC 867742213.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Singapore & the Silk Road of the sea, 1300–1800

Smith, Colin (2006). Singapore Burning. London: Penguin.  978-0-14-101036-6.

ISBN

Toland, John (1970). . New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 978-0-394-44311-9. LCCN 77-117669.

The Rising Sun, The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire: 1936–1945

Wigmore, Lionel (1957). . Australian War Memorial.

The Japanese Thrust

from Singapore's National Library Board; numerous well-researched and well-documented essays on key events and important figures, as well as topics regarding culture, architecture, nature, etc.

"Singapore Infopedia"

(PDF) (Report). Singapore Department of Statistics. April 2002. ISBN 978-981-04-6158-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2007.

Census of Population 2000

. Ministry of Transport, Singapore. Retrieved 11 January 2003.

"Key Facts & Figures"

. Singapore Infomap. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2004.

"Nation's History"

Singapore Government Online Portal

from UCB Libraries GovPubs

Singapore

at Curlie

Singapore

from the BBC News

Singapore profile

Wikimedia Atlas of Singapore

Geographic data related to at OpenStreetMap

Singapore

WikiSatellite view of Singapore at WikiMapia