Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore (Malay: 'Republik Singapura'; Chinese: 新加坡共和国, Pinyin: Xīnjiāpō Gònghéguó; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு, Ciŋkappūr Kudiyarasu), is an island country and the smallest country in South-East Asia. It is located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, south of the Malaysian state of Johor, and north of the Indonesian Riau Islands. It lies 137 kilometres (85�miles) north of the Equator.

The site of several ancient port cities and a possession of several empires in its history, Singapore was a Malay fishing village when it was colonised by the United Kingdom in the 19th century. It was further occupied by the Japanese Empire in World War II, and was later part of the merger which established Malaysia. When Singapore acquired independence, having few natural resources, it was sociopolitically volatile and economically undeveloped. Foreign investment and rapid government-led industrialisation has since created an economy which relies on exports of electronics and manufacturing primarily from its port.

According to the quality-of-life index assembled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore has the highest standard of living in Asia, and is ranked 11th in the world.Worldwide quality-of-life index Singapore's position in the World in terms of Quality of Life. The Economist. Retrieved on 2006-8-17. In the United Nations Human Development Index, Singapore holds the 25th place, behind only Japan and Hong Kong in Asia. Measured by GDP per capita, Singapore is the 22nd wealthiest country. The geographically small nation has a foreign reserve of S$197b (US$119b).

More than 85% of Singapore's population lives in housing estates constructed by the Housing Development Board and nearly half use the public transport system daily.Singapore Land Transport: Statistics In Brief 2005. Land Transport Authority. Retrieved on 2005-12-07. As a result of efforts to control motorised traffic, the maintenance of natural greenery, strict regulations on industrial locations and emissions, and other pro-environmental initiatives by the government and the private sector, Singapore has been able to control its pollution levels to well within World Health Organization standards. Singapore Green Plan 2012. Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. Retrieved on 2006-08-14. The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore established the city-state as a representative democracy.

History

Main article: History of Singapore

The name Singapore is derived from the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which were themselves derived from the Sanskrit words सिंह siṃha and पुर pura. Singapore. bartleby.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-14. In Tamil, one of the official languages of Singapore, Singam means Lion and Puram means City. Hence, Singapore is also known as the Lion City. The naming is attributed to a prince named Sang Nila Utama, who according to folklore, was caught in a terrible storm that did not cease until he had thrown his crown into the water. The waters calmed immediately after that, and he sailed to the closest island he could see. The first animal he saw after he had set foot on the island was supposedly a lion. Therefore, he decided to name the island Singapura. Early History. Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore. Retrieved on 2006-04-14.

The first records of Singapore's existence are in Chinese texts from the 3rd century AD. The island was an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire and originally bore the Javanese name Temasek (which means sea town). Temasek (Tumasek) rose to become a significant trading city, but subsequently declined. There are few remnants of old Temasek in Singapore, but archaeologists in Singapore have uncovered evidence of the civilization, as well as other settlements. Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, Singapore was a part of the Sultanate of Johore. During the Malay-Portugal wars in 1613, Singapore was set ablaze by Portuguese troops. Singapore - Precolonial Era. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2006-06-18.

In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, an official with the British East India Company, signed a treaty with the Sultan of Johore. He also established Singapore as a trading post and settlement, which saw instant growth and immigration from various ethnic groups. Singapore was later made a crown colony by Britain in 1867. After a series of colonial territorial expansions, the British Empire soon raised Singapore's status to that of an entrepot town, due to its strategic location along the busy shipping routes connecting Europe to China. Founding of Modern Singapore. Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore. Retrieved on 2006-04-14.

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Malaya and the surrounding region in the Battle of Malaya, which culminated in the Battle of Singapore. The British were ill-prepared and swiftly defeated, despite having more troops. They surrendered to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. The Japanese renamed Singapore to Shōnan (昭南), merged from Japanese word Shō (Shōwa) and nan (South), and occupied it until the British arrived to repossess the island a month after the Japanese surrender in September 1945. Ron Taylor. Fall of Malaya and Singapore. Retrieved on 2006-04-14.

Singapore became a self-governing state in 1959 with Yusof bin Ishak as its first Yang di-Pertuan Negara (literally means "head of state" in Malay) and Lee Kuan Yew from the People's Action Party (PAP) as its first Prime Minister, after the 1959 elections. Following the 1962 Merger Referendum of Singapore, Singapore joined Malaysia along with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as a state with autonomous powers in September 1963. 16 September, coincidentally, is also Lee Kuan Yew's birthday. Singapore was expelled from the federation after heated ideological conflict developed between the state government formed by PAP and the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. It gained official sovereignty on 9 August 1965, which later became Singapore's National Day. Malaysia was the first country to recognise it as an independent nation. Road to Independence. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved on 2006-04-14. Yusof bin Ishak was sworn in as the first President of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew remained as prime minister.

The Downtown Core of Singapore at dusk

The fledgling nation had to become self-sufficient, and faced problems including mass unemployment, housing shortages and lack of land and natural resources such as petroleum. During Lee Kuan Yew's term as prime minister from 1959 to 1990, his administration curbed unemployment, raised the standard of living and implemented a large-scale public housing programme. The country's economic infrastructure was developed, the threat of racial tension was eliminated and an independent national defence system was created. Singapore evolved from a developing nation to a global city with first world status towards the end of the 20th century. Country Groups. The World Bank. Retrieved on 2006-05-02.

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister. During his tenure, the country tackled the economic impacts of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2003 SARS outbreak, as well as terrorist threats posed by the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) post-September 11 and the Bali bombings. In 2004 Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the third prime minister. Country profile: Singapore. BBC News. Retrieved on 2006-04-14.

Politics and government

Main article: Politics of Singapore

Singapore is a republic with a Westminster system of a unicameral parliamentary government representing different constituencies of Singapore. The bulk of the executive powers rests in the hands of the Cabinet of Singapore, which consists of ministers led by the Prime Minister of Singapore. The office of the President of Singapore was, historically, a ceremonial one as head of state, but the Constitution of Singapore was amended in 1991 to create the position of a popularly elected President and also to grant the President veto powers in a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of key judiciary positions.The Presidency in Singapore. Istana website. Retrieved on 2005-01-30. The legislative branch of government is the Parliament. Parliamentary elections in Singapore are plurality-based for group representation constituencies since the Parliamentary Elections Act was modified in 1991. Parliamentary Elections Act. Singapore Statutes Online. Retrieved on 2006-05-08.

Singaporean politics have been dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP) since self-government in 1959. Worthington, Ross (2002). Governance in Singapore. Routledge/Curzon. ISBN 0-7007-1474-X. Foreign political analysts and several opposition parties including the Workers' Party of Singapore, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA)have argued that Singapore is a de facto one-party state. Many consider the form of government in Singapore to be closer to authoritarianism such as illiberal democracy or procedural democracy rather than true democracy. Reporters Without Borders ranked Singapore 140th out of 167 countries in its 2005 Worldwide Press Freedom Index. The Economist Intelligence Unit says Singapore is a "hybrid" country with democratic and authoritarian elements. Freedom House ranks the country as "partly free". Its 2006 report said:

Though general elections are free from irregularities and vote rigging, the PAP's manipulation of the political system means that they cannot be termed fair. Opposition parties are constrained by the ban on political films and televised programs; expressions of political opinion are curtailed by the threat of libel or slander suits; there are strict regulations and limitations on associations, including political associations; and the PAP's influence on the media and in the courts remains strong. The net result is that there is no effective opposition.

It has also been alleged that the PAP employs censorship, gerrymandering by the Elections Department and the filing of civil suits against the opposition for libel or slander to impede their success. Several former and present members of the opposition, including Francis Seow, J.B. Jeyaretnam and Chee Soon Juan perceive the Singaporean courts as favourable towards the government and the PAP due to a lack of separation of powers.Worldwide Press Freedom Index. Retrieved on 2006-04-13.

Although no PAP member has ever lost a defamation case in court, there are three cases in which opposition leader Chiam See Tong sued PAP members for defamation and successfully obtained an out-of-court settlement. "Resolution: Singapore Case N SIN/01 - Joshua Jeyaretnam", Inter-Parliamentary Union, 23 March 2002.

Singapore has what its government considers to be a highly successful and transparent market economy. The PAP's policies contain some aspects of socialism. The Housing Development Board oversees a large-scale public housing programme and education in Singapore is a rigorous compulsory public education system, and government-controlled companies are dominant in the local economy. Although dominant in its activities, the government has a clean, corruption-free image. Singapore has consistently been rated as the least-corrupt country in Asia and amongst the top ten cleanest from corruption in the world by Transparency International. Transparency International - Corruption Perceptions Index 2005. Retrieved on 2006-04-13.

Although Singapore's laws are inherited from British and British Indian laws, including many elements of English common law, the PAP has also consistently rejected liberal democratic values, which it typifies as Western and states that there should not be a 'one-size-fits-all' solution to a democracy. Laws restricting the freedom of speech are justified by claims that they are intended to prohibit speech that may breed ill will or cause disharmony within Singapore's multiracial, multi-religious society. For example, in September 2005, three bloggers were convicted of sedition for posting racist remarks targeting minorities. "Third racist blogger sentenced to 24 months supervised probation", Channel NewsAsia, 23 November 2005. Some offences can lead to heavy fines or caning and there are laws which allow capital punishment in Singapore for first-degree murder and drug trafficking. Amnesty International has criticised Singapore for having "possibly the highest execution rate in the world" per capita. Amnesty International. The death penalty: A hidden toll of executions. Retrieved on 7 June, 2005. The Singapore government argued that there is no international consensus on the appropriateness of the death penalty and that Singapore has the sovereign right to determine its own judicial system and impose capital punishment for the most serious crimes.The Singapore Government's Response To Amnesty International's Report "Singapore - The Death Penalty: A Hidden Toll Of Executions". Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore (2004-01-30). However, despite restrictions on public gatherings in Singapore, a small group of activists has organised events in 2005 and 2006 protesting against the country's use of the death penalty.Singapore forum against death penalty. Asia Death Penalty blog (2006-08-21).

More recently the PAP government has relaxed some of its socially conservative policies and created a "Feedback Unit"Feedback Unit, Singapore to encourage citizens to share their views on policies and public services.

See also: Law of Singapore

Geography

Main article: Geography and climate of Singapore

Singapore Botanic Gardens, a 67.3-hectare (166�acre) botanical garden in Singapore that includes the National Orchid Garden which has a collection of more than 3,000 species of orchids.

Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island itself. There are two connections from Singapore to the Malaysian state of Johor — a man-made causeway known as the Johor-Singapore Causeway to the north, crossing the Tebrau Straits, and Tuas Second Link, a bridge in the western part of Singapore that connects to Johor. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's many smaller islands. The highest point of Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, with a height of 166 metres (538 ft).

The urban area used to be only concentrated on the southern part of Singapore around the mouth of the Singapore River and what is now the Downtown Core, while the rest of the land was tropical rainforest or used for agriculture. Since the 1960s, the government has constructed new towns in outlying areas, resulting in an entirely built-up and urban landscape, although the Central Area, the central business district, remains the densest. The Urban Redevelopment Authority is a government agency responsible for the urban planning of Singapore that concentrates on efficient land use and distribution, as well as transport flow. It has released a Development Guide Plan which details specific land use for each the 55 urban planning areas of Singapore.

Singapore has reclaimed land with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5 square kilometres (224.5�sq�mi) in the 1960s to 697.2 square kilometres (269.1�sq�mi) today, and may grow by another 100 square kilometres (38.6�sq�mi) by 2030. Towards Environmental Sustainability, State of the Environment 2005 Report (PDF). Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Singapore. Retrieved on 2006-04-14. About 23% of Singapore's land area consists of forest and nature reserves.

Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinct seasons, under the Köppen climate classification. Its climate is characterised by uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity and abundant rainfall. Temperatures range from 22°C to 34 °C (72°–93°F). On average, the relative humidity is around 90% in the morning and 60% in the afternoon. During prolonged heavy rain, relative humidity often reaches 100%. Climate of Singapore. National Environment Agency, Singapore. Retrieved on 2006-04-14. The lowest and highest temperature recorded in its maritime history is 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) and 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) respectively. The highest wind speed recorded is 120km/h on July 27, 2001 ^{[citation�needed]}.

Urbanisation has eliminated many areas of primary rainforest that once existed, with the only remaining area of primary rainforest being Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. A variety of parks, however, are maintained with human intervention, such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Without natural freshwater rivers and lakes, the primary domestic source of water supply in Singapore is rainfall, collected in reservoirs or catchment areas. Rainfall supplies approximately 50% of Singapore's water; the remainder is imported from Malaysia or obtained from recycled water facilities, a product called NEWater and desalination plants. More NEWater and desalination plants are being built or proposed to reduce reliance on foreign supply.Clean Water. Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Singapore. Retrieved on 2006-04-14.

Economy

Singapore Banknotes and coins

Main article: Economy of Singapore

Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, and is a developed nation. It ranks 25th on the Human Development Index 2005 UN Human Development Index Report (PDF) which measures standards of living, and second in the Index of Economic Freedom. Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP), per capita, is equal to that of the major European countries. Singapore's GDP report by ICA - The World Factbook Singapore is also the fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre in the world after London, New York City and Tokyo. MAS Annual Report 2005/2006

Singapore has been rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world. According to a World Bank-IFC report, Singapore beat previous winner New Zealand for the top spot in the 2005/2006 rankings, while the United States came in third. Within Asia, Hong Kong was Singapore's closest competitor, in fifth place. The economies were evaluated on 10 key parameters that included the ease of starting a business, getting licences, sourcing staff, and enforcing contracts. Singapore is ranked first in the Doing Business Report 2006 by World Bank

The city-state also employs thousands of foreign workers from around the world. It requires talent from outside to fill the various jobs the economy is generating, most of which are in the IT and financial sectors. The variety of workers predominantly hired are local Singaporeans, Indians, Malaysians and Filipinos. The government is aggressively pushing for the permanent assimilation of these foreign workers by offering easier processing time for permanent residency or citizenship.

The economy depends heavily on exports produced from refining imported goods in a form of extended entrepot trade, especially in manufacturing. Manufacturing contributes around 28% to GDP in 2005. The manufacturing industry is today well-diversified with electronics, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, Singapore's fast-paced industrialization earned it a place as one of the four original 'East Asian Tigers'.

In 2001, a global recession and slump in the technology sector caused the GDP to contract by 2.2%. The Economic Review Committee (ERC), set up in December 2001, recommended several policy changes with a view to revitalising the economy. Singapore has since recovered from the recession, largely due to improvements in the world economy; the Singaporean economy itself grew by 8.3% in 2004 and 6.4% in 2005. Performance of the Singapore Economy in 2005 (PDF), Ministry of Trade and Industry. Retrieved on 2006-04-14. In the long term, the government hopes to establish a new growth path which will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle, as compared to the current export-led model. However, the government is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. The per capita GDP in 2005 was US$26,833 Per Capita GDP at Current Market Prices. Singapore Department of Statistics (2006-02-16). and the unemployment rate was 2.7% in October 2006, down from 2.8% in June the same year. May Wong. "Singapore's employment hits all-time high of 2.3 m in 2005", Channel NewsAsia, 1 February 2006. 81,500 new jobs were created from January-July 2006, the highest number in a decade within a 6 month period. The economy is expected to grow by 7.5% to 8% in the year 2006 as announced by the Singapore government on 20 November 2006, after a strong 9.4% growth in the first half of Year 2006 (Jan-Jul 2006), and a 7.2% growth in the third quarter of 2006. Initially, Lee Hsien Loong, who is the current Finance and Prime Minister, had only expected growth to be between 3-5% for the whole year.

On 5 October 2006, the government announced that Singapore has recorded its highest employment rate in 15 years with improvements, particularly, in the hiring of older workers. The Manpower Ministry's Research and Statistics Department said that in June this year, 76 percent of its resident population, aged 25 to 64, were employed. This was up from 73 percent last year and 72 percent in 2004.Singapore's emloyment rate the highest in 15 years (October 6, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-06.

Singapore introduced a Goods and Services Tax (GST) with an initial rate of 3% on 1 April 1994. This has substantially increased government revenue by $1.6 billion, stabilising the government's finances.FY 1996 Budget, Revenue And Tax Changes. Retrieved on 2006-05-01. The government has used revenue from the GST to reorient the economy around services and value added-goods to reduce dependence on electronics manufacturing. The taxable GST was increased to 4% in 2003 and to 5% in 2004.Policy Digest: Phased GST increase (December 21, 2002). Retrieved on 2006-04-26. The GST could be increased to 7% in Year 2007.

Singapore is a popular travel destination, making tourism one of its largest industries. In 2005, a total of 9.05 million tourists visited Singapore ^{[citation�needed]}. By 2015, Singapore hopes to achieve about 17 million visitor arrivals ^{[citation�needed]}. In July 2006, a record high of a total of 913,000 visitors arrived in Singapore, mostly due to the Great Singapore Sale ^{[citation�needed]}.

The Orchard Road district, which is dominated by multi-storey shopping centres and hotels, is the centre of tourism in Singapore. Other popular tourist attractions include the Singapore Zoo and its Night Safari along with the tourist island of Sentosa. To attract more tourists, the government decided in 2005 to legalise gambling and to allow two Integrated Resorts to be developed at Marina South and Sentosa. Proposal to develop Integrated Resorts - Ministerial Statement by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 18 April 2005. Other than the Integrated Resort, many other new developments are coming up that includes the Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay.

Cuisine has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists, and is usually promoted by various initiatives undertaken by the Singapore Tourism Board or the associations it deals with as one of Singapore's best attractions alongside shopping. The government organises the Singapore Food Festival in July annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine. The multiculturalism of local food, the ready availability of international cuisine, and their wide range in prices to fit all budgets at all times of the day and year helps create a "food paradise" to rival other contenders claiming the same moniker.

See also: Tourism in Singapore

Military

Main articles: Military of Singapore and Total Defence

The military of Singapore serves primarily as a deterrent to potential invaders of the island. Singapore has mutual defence pacts with several countries, most notably the Five Power Defence Arrangements. Singapore subscribes to a philosophy of Total Defence, in which five aspects of a holistic national defence are identified. Non-military aspects of total defence include civil defence, which is carried out by the Singapore Civil Defence Force; 'economic defence', which stresses the need for a robust economy in order to maintain a viable society; 'psychological defence', which calls for a patriotic citizenry willing to do all in the name of its country; and 'social defence', in which the need for a population at harmony with itself and strongly identified with each other is emphasised.

The military of Singapore includes the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force, collectively known as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Various agencies of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and some private companies also play a supporting role. The military of Singapore is one of the most modern in Asia, with its advanced equipment and high level of training reflecting the continued emphasis of the government on military defence — military expenditures dominate the annual government budget.

The recent rise in unconventional warfare and terrorism has cast increasing emphasis upon the non-military aspects of Total Defence. The Gurkha Contingent, which is part of the Singapore Police Force, is also a counter-terrorist force. Singapore's defence resources have been used in international humanitarian aid missions, including United Nations peacekeeping assignments in Kosovo, Kuwait and East Timor,Peacekeepers�:: In the Service of Peace. Retrieved on 2006-05-01. and participatin