Singapore officially the
Republic of Singapore
Singapore officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Straits of Malacca to the west, the Riau Islands (Indonesia) to the south, and the South China Sea to the east. The country's territory is composed of one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet, the combined area of which has increased by 25% since the country's independence as a result of extensive land reclamation projects. It has the second greatest population density in the world. With a multicultural population and recognising the need to respect cultural identities, Singapore has four official languages; English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. English is the lingua franca. Multiracialism is enshrined in the constitution and continues to shape national policies in education, housing, and politics.
Modern Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles
as a 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 the Second World War, 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 led to Singapore
being expelled from the federation two years later and it became an independent
country.
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 based on external trade, becoming a highly developed country;
it is ranked ninth on the UN Human Development Index and has the second-highest
GDP per capita (PPP) in the world. Singapore is the only country in Asia with a
AAA sovereign rating from all major rating agencies. It is a major financial
and shipping hub, consistently ranked the most expensive city to live in since
2013, and has been identified as a tax haven. Singapore is placed highly in key
social indicators: education, healthcare, quality of life, personal safety, and
housing, with a home-ownership rate of 91%. Singaporeans enjoy one of the
world's longest life expectancies, fastest Internet connection speeds and one
of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world.
Singapore is a unitary parliamentary republic with a
Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. While elections are
considered generally free, the government exercises significant control over
politics and society, and the People's Action Party has ruled continuously since
independence. One of the five founding members of ASEAN, Singapore is also the
headquarters of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat and
Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) Secretariat, as well as many
international conferences and events. Singapore is also a member of the United
Nations, World Trade Organization, East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement, and
the Commonwealth of Nations.
Names of Singapore
The English name of "Singapore" is an anglicisation of the native Malay name for the country,
Variations of the name Siṃhapura were used for a number of
cities throughout the region prior to the establishment of the Kingdom of
Singapura. In Hindu-Buddhist culture, lions were associated with power and
protection, which may explain the attraction of such a name. The name Singapura
supplanted Temasek sometime before the 15th century, after the establishment of
the Kingdom of Singapura on the island by a fleeing Srivijayan Raja (prince)
from Palembang. However, the precise time and reason for the name change is
unknown. The semi-historical Malay Annals state that Temasek was christened
Singapura by Sang Nila Utama, a 13th-century Srivijayan Raja from Palembang.
The Annals state that Sang Nila Utama encountered a strange beast on the island
that he took to be a lion. Seeing this as an omen, he established the town of
Singapura where he encountered the beast. The second hypothesis, drawn from
Portuguese sources, postulates that this mythical story is based on the real
life Parameswara of Palembang. Parameswara declared independence from Majapahit
and mounted a Lion Throne, thus claiming the Srivijaya Empire. After then being
driven into exile by the Javanese, he usurped control over Temasek. It is
possible that he rechristened the area as Singapura, recalling the throne he
had been driven from.
Under Japanese occupation, Singapore was renamed Syonan (Hepburn:
Shōnan), meaning "Light of the South. Singapore is sometimes referred to
by the nickname the "Garden City," in reference to its parks and
tree-lined streets. Another informal name, the "Little Red Dot," was
adopted after an article publication in the Asian Wall Street Journal of 4
August 1998 regarded the third Indonesian President B. J. Habibie referred to Singapore
as a red dot on a map.
In 1299, according to the Malay Annals, the Kingdom of
Singapura was founded on the island by Sang Nila Utama. Although the
historicity of the accounts as given in the Malay Annals is the subject of
academic debat it is nevertheless known from various documents that Singapore
in the 14th century, then known as Temasek, was a trading port under the
influence of both the Majapahit Empire and the Siamese kingdoms,and was a part
of the Indosphere. These Indianised kingdoms were characterised by surprising
resilience, political integrity and administrative stabilit Historical sources
also indicate that around the end of the 14th century, its ruler Parameswara
was attacked by either the Majapahit or the Siamese, forcing him to move to
Malacca where he founded the Sultanate of Malacca. Archaeological evidence
suggests that the main settlement on Fort Canning was abandoned around this
time, although a small trading settlement continued in Singapore for some time
afterwards. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burned down the settlement, and the
island faded into obscurity for the next two centuries. By then, Singapore was
nominally part of the Johor Sultanate. The wider maritime region and much trade
was under Dutch control for the following period after the Dutch conquest of
Malacca
: Founding of modern Singapore
and Singapore in the Straits Settlements
The British governor Stamford Raffles arrived in Singapore
on 28 January 1819 and soon recognised the island as a natural choice for the
new port. The island was then nominally ruled by Tengku Abdul Rahman, the
Sultan of Johor, who was controlled by the Dutch and the Bugis. However, the
Sultanate was weakened by factional division: the Temenggong (Chief Minister)
of Tengku Abdul Rahman, as well as his officials, were loyal to the Sultan's
elder brother Tengku Long, who was living in exile in Riau. With the Temenggong's
help, Raffles managed to smuggle Tengku Long back into Singapore. Raffles
offered to recognise Tengku Long as the rightful Sultan of Johor, under the
title of Sultan Hussein, as well as provide him with a yearly payment of $5000
and another $3000 to the Temenggong; in return, Sultan Hussein would grant the
British the right to establish a trading post on Singapore. A formal treaty was
signed on 6 February 1819.
In 1824, a further treaty with the Sultan led to the entire
island becoming a British possession. In 1826, Singapore became part of the
Straits Settlements, then under the jurisdiction of British India. Singapore
became the regional capital in 1836. Prior to Raffles' arrival, there were only
about a thousand people living on the island, mostly indigenous Malays along
with a handful of Chinese.By 1860 the population had swelled to over 80,000,
more than half being Chinese. Many of these early immigrants came to work on
the pepper and gambier plantations.In 1867, the Straits Settlements were
separated from British India, coming under the direct control of Britain.
Later, in the 1890s, when the rubber industry became established in Malaya and
Singapore, the island became a global centre for rubber sorting and export.
Singapore was not greatly affected by the First World War
(1914–18), as the conflict did not spread to Southeast Asia. The only
significant event during the war was the 1915 Singapore Mutiny by Muslim sepoys
from British India, who were garrisoned in Singapore. After hearing rumours
that they were to be sent to fight the Ottoman Empire, a Muslim state, the
soldiers rebelled, killing their officers and several British civilians before
the mutiny was suppressed by non-Muslim troops arriving from Johore and Burma.
After World War I, the British built the large Singapore
Naval Base as part of the defensive Singapore strategy. Originally announced in
1921, the construction of the base proceeded at a slow pace until the Japanese
invasion of Manchuria in 1931. Costing $60 million and not fully completed in
1938, it was nonetheless the largest dry dock in the world, the third-largest
floating dock, and had enough fuel tanks to support the entire British navy for
six months. The base was defended by heavy 15-inch (380 mm) naval guns
stationed at Fort Siloso, Fort Canning and Labrador, as well as a Royal Air
Force airfield at Tengah Air Base. Winston Churchill touted it as the
"Gibraltar of the East", and military discussions often referred to
the base as simply "East of Suez". However, the British Home Fleet
was stationed in Europe, and the British could not afford to build a second
fleet to protect their interests in Asia. The plan was for the Home Fleet to
sail quickly to Singapore in the event of an emergency. As a consequence, after
World War II broke out in 1939, the fleet was fully occupied with defending
Britain, leaving Singapore vulnerable to Japanese invasion.
World War II
During the Pacific War, the Japanese invasion of Malaya
culminated in the Battle of Singapore. When the British force of 60,000 troops
surrendered on 15 February 1942, British prime minister Winston Churchill
called the defeat "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British
history". British and Empire losses during the fighting for Singapore were
heavy, with a total of nearly 85,000 personnel captured. About 5,000 were
killed or wounded of which Australians made up the majority. Japanese casualties during the fighting in Singapore amounted to 1,714 killed
and 3,378 wounded. The occupation was to become a major turning point in
the histories of several nations, including those of Japan, Britain, and
Singapore. Japanese newspapers triumphantly declared the victory as deciding
the general situation of the war. Between 5,000 and 25,000 ethnic
Chinese people were killed in the subsequent Sook Ching massacre. British
forces had planned to liberate Singapore in 1945; however, the war ended before
these operations could be carried out.
Post-war period
After the Japanese surrender to the Allies on 15 August
1945, Singapore fell into a brief state of violence and disorder; looting and
revenge-killing were widespread. British, Australian, and Indian troops led by
Lord Louis Mountbatten returned to Singapore to receive the formal surrender of
Japanese forces in the region from General Seishirō Itagaki on behalf of
General Hisaichi Terauchi on 12 September 1945. Meanwhile, Tomoyuki
Yamashita was tried by a US military commission for war crimes, but not for
crimes committed by his troops in Malaya or Singapore. He was convicted and
hanged in the Philippines on 23 February 1946.
Much of Singapore's infrastructure had been destroyed during
the war, including those needed to supply utilities. A shortage of food led to
malnutrition, disease, and rampant crime and violence. A series of strikes in
1947 caused massive stoppages in public transport and other services. However,
by late 1947 the economy began to recover, facilitated by a growing international
demand for tin and rubber. The failure of Britain to successfully defend
its colony against the Japanese changed its image in the eyes of Singaporeans.
British Military Administration ended on 1 April 1946, with Singapore becoming
a separate Crown Colony. In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative
Councils were established and the election of six members of the Legislative
Council was scheduled in the following year.
During the 1950s, Chinese communists, with strong ties to
the trade unions and Chinese schools, waged a guerrilla war against the
government, leading to the Malayan Emergency. The 1954 National Service riots,
Hock Lee bus riots, and Chinese middle schools riots in Singapore were all
linked to these events. David Marshall, pro-independence leader of the
Labour Front, won Singapore's first general election in 1955. He led a
delegation to London, and Britain rejected his demand for complete self-rule.
He resigned and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock in 1956, and after further
negotiations Britain to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all
matters except defence and foreign affairs. During the subsequent May 1959
elections, the People's Action Party (PAP) won a landslide victory. Governor Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode served as the first Yang di-Pertuan
Negara (Head of State).
Within Malaysia
PAP leaders believed that Singapore's future lay with
Malaya, due to strong ties between the two. It was thought that reuniting with
Malaya would benefit the economy by creating a common market, alleviating
ongoing unemployment woes in Singapore. However, a sizeable pro-communist wing
of the PAP was strongly opposed to the merger, fearing a loss of influence, and
hence formed the Barisan Sosialis, splitting from the PAP. The ruling
party of Malaya, United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), was staunchly
anti-communist, and it was suspected UMNO would support the non-communist
factions of PAP. UMNO, initially sceptical of the idea of a merger due to
distrust of the PAP government and concern that the large ethnic Chinese
population in Singapore would alter the racial balance in Malaya on which their
political power base depended, became supportive of the idea of the merger due
to joint fear of a communist takeover
On 27 May 1961, Malaya's prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman,
made a surprise proposal for a new Federation called Malaysia, which would
unite the current and former British possessions in the region: the Federation
of Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, North Borneo, and Sarawak. UMNO leaders
believed that the additional Malay population in the Bornean territories would
balance Singapore's Chinese population. The British government, for its
part, believed that the merger would prevent Singapore from becoming a haven
for communism.To obtain a mandate for a merger, the PAP held a referendum
on the merger. This referendum included a choice of different terms for a
merger with Malaysia and had no option for avoiding merger altogether. On 16
September 1963, Singapore joined with Malaya, the North Borneo, and Sarawak to
form the new Federation of Malaysia under the terms of the Malaysia Agreement.
Under this Agreement, Singapore had a relatively high level of autonomy
compared to the other states of Malaysia.
Indonesia opposed the formation of Malaysia due to its own
claims over Borneo and launched Konfrontasi (Confrontation in Indonesian) in
response to the formation of Malaysia. On 10 March 1965, a bomb planted by
Indonesian saboteurs on a mezzanine floor of MacDonald House exploded, killing
three people and injuring 33 others. It was the deadliest of at least 42 bomb
incidents which occurred during the confrontation. Two members of the
Indonesian Marine Corps, Osman bin Haji Mohamed Ali and Harun bin Said, were
eventually convicted and executed for the crime. The explosion caused
US$250,000 (equivalent to US$2,053,062 in 2020) in damages to MacDonald
House.
Even after the merger, the Singaporean government and the
Malaysian central government disagreed on many political and economic issues.
Despite an agreement to establish a common market, Singapore continued to face
restrictions when trading with the rest of Malaysia. In retaliation, Singapore
did not extend to Sabah and Sarawak the full extent of the loans agreed to for
economic development of the two eastern states. Talks soon broke down, and
abusive speeches and writing became rife on both sides. This led to communal
strife in Singapore, culminating in the 1964 race riots. On 7 August 1965,
Malaysian prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, seeing no alternative to avoid
further bloodshed, advised the Parliament of Malaysia that it should vote to
expel Singapore from Malaysia. On 9 August 1965, the Malaysian Parliament
voted 126 to 0 to move a bill to amend the constitution, expelling Singapore
from Malaysia, which left Singapore as a newly independent
country.
Republic of Singapore
After being expelled from Malaysia, Singapore became
independent as the Republic of Singapore on 9 August 1965, with Lee Kuan Yew
and Yusof bin Ishak as the first prime minister and president
respectively. In 1967, the country co-founded the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Race riots broke out once more in
1969. Lee Kuan Yew's emphasis on rapid economic growth, support for
business entrepreneurship, and limitations on internal democracy shaped
Singapore's policies for the next half-century Economic growth
continued throughout the 1980s, with the unemployment rate falling to 3% and
real GDP growth averaging at about 8% up until 1999. During the 1980s,
Singapore began to shift towards high-tech industries, such as the wafer
fabrication sector, in order to remain competitive as neighbouring countries
began manufacturing with cheaper labour. Singapore Changi Airport was opened in
1981 and Singapore Airlines was formed. The Port of Singapore became one of
the world's busiest ports and the service and tourism industries also grew
immensely during this period.
The PAP, which has remained in power since independence, is
believed to rule in an authoritarian manner by some activists and opposition
politicians who see the strict regulation of political and media activities by
the government as an infringement on political rights. In response,
Singapore has seen several significant political changes, such as the
introduction of the Non-Constituency members of parliament in 1984 to allow up
to three losing candidates from opposition parties to be appointed as MPs.
Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) were introduced in 1988 to create
multi-seat electoral divisions, intended to ensure minority representation in
parliament.[98] Nominated members of parliament were introduced in 1990 to
allow non-elected non-partisan MPs. The Constitution was amended in 1991 to
provide for an Elected President who has veto power in the use of national
reserves and appointments to public office.
In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee and became Singapore's
second prime minister. During Goh's tenure, the country went through the
1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2003 SARS outbreak. In 2004, Lee
Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the country's third prime
minister.Lee Hsien Loong's tenure included the 2008 global financial
crisis, the resolution of a dispute over land ownership at Tanjong Pagar
railway station between Singapore and Malaysia, and the introduction of the 2
integrated resorts (IRs), located at the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World
Sentosa. The People's Action Party (PAP) suffered its worst ever electoral
results in 2011, winning just 60% of votes, amidst debate over issues including
the influx of foreign workers and the high cost of livin On 23 March
2015, Lee Kuan Yew died, and a one-week period of public mourning was observed
nationwide. Subsequently, the PAP regained its dominance in Parliament
through the September general election, receiving 69.9% of the popular vote,
although this remained lower than the 2001 tally of 75.3% and the 1968
tally of 86.7%. The 2020 election saw the PAP drop to 61% of the vote,
while the opposition Workers' Party took 10 of the 93 seats, the highest number
ever won by an opposition party.
Government and politics
Singapore is a
parliamentary republic based on the Westminster system. The Constitution of
Singapore is the supreme law of the country, establishing the structure and
responsibility of government. The president is head of state and exercises
executive power on the advice of her ministers. The prime minister is head of
government and is appointed by the president as the person most likely to command
the confidence of a majority of Parliament. Cabinet is chosen by the prime
minister and formally appointed by the president
The government is separated
into three branches:
Executive: The
president is commander-in-chief of the military, can veto laws before they
become effective (subject to parliamentary override), and holds limited
discretionary powers of oversight over the government. The prime minister
and Cabinet are responsible for administering and enforcing laws and policies
Legislative:
The unicameral Parliament enacts national law, approves budgets, and
provides a check on government policy
Judiciary: The Supreme Court and State Courts—whose judges are appointed by the
president—adjudicate disputes between people, and interpret laws and overturn
those they find unconstitutional
The president is
directly elected by popular vote for a renewable six-year term. Requirements
for this position are extremely stringent, such that no more than several
thousand people qualify[clarification needed] for candidacy. To be qualified, a
candidate needs to be a person at least 45 years of age who is no longer a
member of a political party, to have held office for at least 3 years in a
number of specific public service roles, to also have 3 years experience as
chief executive of a private sector company with rules limiting which roles and
companies qualify, and more. The Constitution requires that presidential
elections be "reserved" for a racial community if no one from that
ethnic group has been elected to the presidency in the five most recent
terms. Only members of that community may qualify as candidates in a
reserved presidential election. In the 2017 presidential election, this
combination of stringent requirements and a reserved election that required the
candidate to be of the 13% Malay ethnic group led to a single person being
qualified for the office;Halimah Yacob won in an uncontested election.
Members of Parliament
(MPs) are elected at least every five years (or sooner in the case of a snap
election). The current Parliament has 100 members; 88 were directly elected
from the 29 constituencies, nine are nonpartisan nominated members appointed by
the president, and three are non-constituency members from opposition parties
who were not elected in the last general election but appointed to the
legislature to increase opposition party representation. In group
representation constituencies (GRCs), political parties assemble teams of
candidates (rather than nominate individuals) to contest elections. At least
one MP in a GRC must be of an ethnic minority background. All elections are
held using first-past-the-post voting. The People's Action Party (PAP)
occupies a dominant position in Singaporean politics, having won large
parliamentary majorities in every election since self-governance was granted in
1959.Even its candidates who lose elections are often turned to by constituency
residents for assistance. The most effective opposition party is the Workers'
Party.
The judicial system is based on English common law, continuing the legal tradition established during British rule and with substantial local differences. Criminal law is based on the Indian Penal Code originally intended for British India, and was at the time as a crown colony also adopted by the British colonial authorities in Singapore and remains the basis of the criminal code in the country with a few exceptions, amendments and repeals since it came into force. Trial by jury was abolished in 1970 Both corporal punishment (caning and capital punishment (by hanging) continue to be applied as legal penalties. Foreign relations
Singapore's stated
foreign policy priority is maintaining security in Southeast Asia and
surrounding territories. An underlying principle is political and economic
stability in the region.It has diplomatic relations with more than 180
sovereign states.
As one of the five
founding members of ASEAN,[128] Singapore is a strong supporter of the ASEAN
Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) as its economy is
closely linked to that of the region as a whole.[failed verification]
Former prime minister Goh Chok Tong has proposed the formation of an ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC), a step beyond the AFTA, bringing it closer to a
common market. This was agreed to in 2007 for implementation by 2015.
Other regional organisations are important to Singapore,[failed
verification] and it is the host of the APEC Secretariat. Singapore
maintains membership in other regional organisations, such as Asia–Europe
Meeting, the Forum for East Asia-Latin American Cooperation, the Indian Ocean
Rim Association, and the East Asia Summit It is also a member of the
Non-Aligned Movement, the United Nations and the Commonwealth. While
Singapore is not a formal member of the G20, it has been invited to participate
in G20 processes in most years since 2010. Singapore is also the location
of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) Secretariat
In general, bilateral
relations with other ASEAN members are strong; however, disagreements have
arisen, and relations with neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia have
sometimes been strained. Malaysia and Singapore have clashed over the
delivery of fresh water to Singapore, and access by the Singapore Armed
Forces to Malaysian airspace. Border issues exist with Malaysia and
Indonesia, and both have banned the sale of marine sand to Singapore over
disputes about Singapore's land reclamation. Some previous disputes, such
as the Pedra Branca dispute, have been resolved by the International Court of
Justice. Piracy in the Strait of Malacca has been a cause of concern for
all three countries. Close economic ties exist with Brunei, and the two
share a pegged currency value, through a Currency Interchangeability Agreement
between the two countries which makes both Brunei dollar and Singapore dollar
banknotes and coins legal tender in either country.
The first diplomatic contact
with China was made in the 1970s, with full diplomatic relations established in
the 1990s. Since then the two countries have been major players in
strengthening the ASEAN–China relationship,[failed verification] and has
maintained a long-standing and greatly prioritised close relationship partly
due to China's growing influence and essentiality in the Asia-Pacific region,
specifying that "its common interest with China is far greater than any
differences". Furthermore, Singapore has positioned itself as a strong
supporter of China's constructive engagement and peaceful development in the
region. In addition, China has been Singapore's largest trading partner since 2013,
after surpassing Malaysia. Singapore and the United States share a
long-standing close relationship, in particular in defence, the economy,
health, and education. Singapore has also pushed regional counter-terrorism
initiatives, with a strong resolve to deal with terrorists inside its borders.
To this end, the country has stepped up co-operation with ASEAN members and
China to strengthen regional security and fight terrorism, as well as
participating in the organisation's first joint maritime exercise with the
latter. It has also given support to the US-led coalition to fight
terrorism, with bilateral co-operation in counter-terrorism and
counter-proliferation initiatives, and joint military exercises.
As Singapore has
diplomatic relations with both the United States and North Korea, and was one
of the few countries that have relationships with both countries,on 12
June 2018, Singapore hosted a historic summit between US President Donald Trump
and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the first-ever meeting between the sitting
leaders of the two nations. It has also hosted the Ma–Xi meeting on 7 November
2015, the first meeting between the political leaders of the two sides of the
Taiwan Strait since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1950.
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singaporean
military, arguably the most technologically advanced in Southeast Asia, consists of the army, navy, and the air force. It is seen as the guarantor of
the country's independence, translating into Singapore culture, involving
all citizens in the country's defence. The government spends 4.9% of the
country's GDP on the military—high by regional standards—and one out of
every four dollars of government spending is spent on defence
After its independence,
Singapore had only two infantry regiments commanded by British officers.
Considered too small to provide effective security for the new country, the
development of its military forces became a priority. In addition, in
October 1971, Britain pulled its military out of Singapore, leaving behind only
a small British, Australian and New Zealand force as a token military
presence. A great deal of initial support came from Israel, a country
unrecognised by Singapore's neighbouring Muslim-majority nations of Malaysia
and Indonesia. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) commanders were tasked by the
Singapore government to create the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from scratch,
and Israeli instructors were brought in to train Singaporean soldiers. Military
courses were conducted according to the IDF's format, and Singapore adopted a
system of conscription and reserve service based on the Israeli model.Singapore still maintains strong security ties with Israel and is one of the
biggest buyers of Israeli arms and weapons systems with one recent example
being the MATADOR anti-tank weapon.
The SAF is being
developed to respond to a wide range of issues in both conventional and
unconventional warfare. The Defence Science and Technology Agency is
responsible for procuring resources for the military. The geographic
restrictions of Singapore mean that the SAF must plan to fully repulse an
attack, as they cannot fall back and re-group. The small size of the population
has also affected the way the SAF has been designed, with a small active force
and a large number of reserves.
Singapore has
conscription for all able-bodied males at age 18, except those with a criminal
record or who can prove that their loss would bring hardship to their families.
Males who have yet to complete pre-university education or are awarded the
Public Service Commission scholarship can opt to defer their draft.Though
not required to perform military service, the number of women in the SAF has
been increasing: since 1989 they have been allowed to fill military vocations
formerly reserved for men. Before induction into a specific branch of the armed
forces, recruits undergo at least 9 weeks of basic military training.
Because of the scarcity
of open land on the main island, training involving activities such as live
firing and amphibious warfare are often carried out on smaller islands,
typically barred to civilian access. However, large-scale drills, considered
too dangerous to be performed in the country, have been performed in Taiwan
since 1979 and in about a dozen other countries. In general, military
exercises are held with foreign forces once or twice per week.Due to
airspace and land constraints, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
maintains a number of overseas bases in Australia, the United States, and
France. The RSAF's 130 Squadron is based in RAAF Base Pearce, Western
Australia, and its 126 Squadron is based in the Oakey Army Aviation
Centre, Queensland The RSAF has one squadron—the 150 Squadron—based in
Cazaux Air Base in southern France. The RSAF's overseas detachments in the
United States are: Luke Air Force Base ( Arizona), Marana ( Arizona), Mountain
Home Air Force Base (Idaho), and Andersen Air Force Base (Guam).
The SAF has sent forces
to assist in operations outside the country, in areas such as Iraq and
Afghanistan,[180][181] in both military and civilian roles. In the region, they
have helped to stabilise East Timor and have provided aid to Aceh in Indonesia
following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Since 2009, the
Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has deployed ships to the Gulf of Aden to aid
in counter piracy efforts as part of Task Force 151.The SAF also helped
in relief efforts during Hurricane Katrina[183] and Typhoon Haiyan. Singapore is part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, a military alliance
with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.In 2019,
the nation was placed 7th most peaceful country on the Global Peace Index.
Human rights in Singapore and LGBT rights in
Singapore
In 2020, Singapore was
ranked 158th out of 180 nations by Reporters Without Borders in the Worldwide
Press Freedom Index. Historically, the government has restricted freedom
of speech and freedom of the press and has limited some civil and political
rights. The right to freedom of speech and association guaranteed by
Article 14(1) of the Constitution of Singapore is restricted by the subsequent
subsection (2) of the same Article.[188] Freedom House ranks Singapore as
"partly free" in its Freedom in the World report, and The Economist
Intelligence Unit ranks Singapore as a "flawed democracy", the second
best rank of four, in its "Democracy Index". In the 2015
Singaporean general election, the People's Action Party (PAP) won 83 of 89
seats contested with 70% of the popular vote. The latest elections were in
July 2020, with the People's Action Party (PAP) winning 83 of 93 seats
contested with 61% of the popular vote.
Amnesty International
has said that some legal provisions of the Singapore system conflict with
"the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty". The
government has disputed Amnesty's claims, stating that their "position on
abolition of the death penalty is by no means uncontested internationally"
and that the Report contains "grave errors of facts and
misrepresentations".Singapore's judicial system is considered one of the
most reliable in Asia. Sex trafficking in Singapore is a significant problem.
Singaporean and foreign women and girls have been forced into prostitution in
brothels and been physically and psychologically abusedA law dating from 1938
bans sexual relations between men, however the law is rarely enforced. Sexual
relations between women are legal.
In the Corruption
Perceptions Index which ranks countries by "perceived levels of public
sector corruption", Singapore has consistently ranked as one of the least
corrupt. Singapore's unique combination of a strong almost authoritarian
government with an emphasis on meritocracy and good governance is known as the
"Singapore model", and is regarded as a key factor behind Singapore's
political stability, economic growth, and harmonious social order. In
2019, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore as 13th
overall among the world's 126 countries for adherence to the rule of law.
Singapore ranked high on the factors of order and security (#1), absence of
corruption (#3), regulatory enforcement (#3), civil justice (#5), and criminal
justice (#6), and ranked significantly lower on factors of open government
(#25), constraints on government powers (#27), and fundamental rights
(#30).All public gatherings of five or more people require police
permits, and protests may legally be held only at the Speakers' Corner.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender (LGBT) people in Singapore face a number of challenges.
Same-sex marriage is not recognised and sexual relations between men are
illegal, though the latter is rarely enforced. Singaporean society is
generally regarded as conservative. Despite this, LGBT acceptance is growing in
the country. Pink Dot SG, an event held in support of the community, has drawn
thousands of people annually since 2009 with increasing attendance.According to
a survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies in 2019, Singaporean
society is rapidly becoming more liberal on LGBT rights. The survey more than
20% of people said that sexual relations between adults of the same sex were not
wrong at all or not wrong most of the time, up from 10% in 2013. The survey
found that 27% felt the same way about same-sex marriage (an increase from 15%
in 2013) and 30% did so about same-sex couples adopting a child (an increase
from 24% in 2013).
Geography of Singapore
Singapore is a very
small, heavily urbanised, island city-state in Southeast Asia, located at the
end of the Malayan Peninsula between Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore has a
total land area of 724.2 square kilometres (279.6 sq mi
The Singapore area
comprises mainland and other islands. The mainland of Singapore measures 50
kilometres (31 mi) from east to west and 27 kilometres (17 mi) from north to
south with 193 kilometres (120 mi) of coastline. These figures are based on
2.515 metres (8 ft 3.0 in) High Water Mark cadastral survey boundariesIt has an
exclusive economic zone of 1,067 km2
Singapore is separated
from Indonesia by the Singapore Strait and from Malaysia by the Straits of
Johor.
Upper Seletar Reservoir
Singapore's main
territory is a diamond-shaped island, although its territory includes
surrounding smaller islands. The farthest outlying island is Pedra Branca. Of
Singapore's dozens of smaller islands, Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin
and Sentosa are the larger ones. Most of Singapore is no more than 15 metres
above sea level.
The highest point of
Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, with a height from ground of 165 m (538 ft) and
made up of igneous rock, granite. Hills and valleys of sedimentary rock
dominate the northwest, while the eastern region consists of sandy and flatter
land. Singapore has no natural lakes, but reservoirs and water catchment areas
have been constructed to store fresh water for Singapore's water supply.
Singapore has reclaimed
land with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed, and neighbouring
countries. As a result, Singapore's land area has grown from 581.5 km² in the
1960s to 725.7 km² today, and will increase slightly more due to construction
of sea polder and barrage to deal with the ever rising sea level.
Singapore is
one-and-a-half degrees north of the equator, lying entirely between the 1st and
2nd parallels. Singapore's climate is classified as tropical rainforest climate
(Köppen climate classification Af), with no true distinct seasons. Owing to its
geographical location and maritime exposure, its climate is characterized by
uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity and abundant rainfall.
Therefore, it is almost always warm and wet. The average annual rainfall is
around 2,340 mm (92.1 in). The highest 24-hour rainfall figures ever recorded
in history were 512.4 mm (20.2 in) (2 December 1978) at Paya Lebar, 467 mm
(18.4 in) (1969) and 366 mm (14.4 in) (19 December 2006
The temperature hovers
around a diurnal range of a minimum of 25 °C (77.0 °F) and a maximum of 33 °C
(91.4 °F). May is the hottest month of the year in Singapore, followed by June.
This is due to light winds and strong sunshine during those months. The highest
recorded temperature is 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) on 17 April 1983. The lowest
recorded temperature was 19.0 °C (66.2 °F) in 14 February 1989 at Paya
Lebar. Temperature often goes above 33.2 °C (91.8 °F) and can reach 35 °C
(95 °F) at times.
Relative humidity has a
diurnal range in the high 90s in the early morning to around 60% in the
mid-afternoon, but does go below 50% at times. During prolonged heavy rain,
relative humidity often reaches 100%. Generally, there is much more rainfall on
the western side of the island than on the eastern portion of Singapore, owing
to a rain shadow effect.
Thus, the eastern side
of Singapore is much drier and slightly hotter than western Singapore. This can
cause slight weather disparities from one side of the island to the other. This
is significant to note because even a small hill such as Bukit Timah Hill can
cause this phenomenon. Despite Singapore's small size, there may be sunshine on
one side while there is rain on the other.
Further contrasts that
prevent true all-year uniformity are the monsoon seasons which happen twice
each year. The first one is the Northeast Monsoon which occurs from
mid-November to early March. The second is the Southwest Monsoon season which
occurs from June to September. Periods between monsoon seasons receive less
rain and wind. During the Northeast Monsoon, northeast winds prevail, sometimes
reach 20 km/h (12 mph). There are cloudy conditions in December and January with
frequent afternoon showers.
Spells of widespread
moderate to heavy rain occur lasting from 1 to 3 days at a stretch. It is
relatively dry in February till early March although rainfall still exceeds
120mm. It is also generally windy with wind speeds sometimes reaching 30 to 50
km/h (19 to 31 mph) in the months of January and February. During the Southwest
Monsoon season, southeast winds prevail. Isolated to scattered showers occur in
the late morning and early afternoon. Early morning "Sumatras" –
squall lines that originate over nearby Sumatra – are common.
Wildlife of Singapore
Singapore's
urbanisation means that it has lost 95% of its historical forests, and now
over half of the naturally occurring fauna and flora in Singapore is present in
nature reserves, such as the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Sungei Buloh
Wetland Reserve, which comprise only 0.25% of Singapore's land area. In
1967, to combat this decline in natural space, the government introduced the
vision of making Singapore a "garden city", aiming to improve
quality of life. Since then, nearly 10% of Singapore's land has been set
aside for parks and nature reserves. The government has created plans to
preserve the country's remaining wildlife. Singapore's well known gardens
include the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a 161-year-old tropical garden and
Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Singapore has a
tropical rainforest climate (Köppen: Af) with no distinctive seasons, uniform
temperature and pressure, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Temperatures
usually range from 23 to 32 °C (73 to 90 °F). While temperature does not vary
greatly throughout the year, there is a wetter monsoon season from November to
February.
From July to October,
there is often haze caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia, usually
from the island of Sumatra. Singapore follows the GMT+8 time zone, one
hour ahead of the typical zone for its geographical location. This causes
the sun to rise and set particularly late during February, where the sun rises
at 7:15 am and sets around 7:20 pm. During July, the sun sets at around 7:15
pm. The earliest the sun rises and sets is in late October and early November
when the sun rises at 6:46 am and sets at 6:50 pm.
Singapore recognises
that climate change and rising sea levels in the decades ahead will have major
implications for its low-lying coastline. It estimates that the nation will
need to spend $100 billion over the course of the next century to address the
issue. In its 2020 budget, the government set aside an initial $5 billion
towards a Coastline and Flood Protection Fund. Singapore is the first country
in Southeast Asia to levy a carbon tax on its largest carbon-emitting
corporations producing more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, at $5
per ton.
To reduce the country's
dependence on fossil fuels, it has ramped up deployment of solar panels on
rooftops and vertical surfaces of buildings, and other initiatives like
building one of the world's largest floating solar farms at Tengeh Reservoir in
Tuas.
Economy of Singapore
Singapore has a highly
developed market economy, based historically on extended entrepôt trade. Along
with Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, Singapore is one of the Four Asian
Tigers, and has surpassed its peers in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
per capita. Between 1965 and 1995, growth rates averaged around 6 per cent per
annum, transforming the living standards of the population.
The Singaporean economy
is regarded as free,[ innovative,[dynamic[ and business-friendly. For several
years, Singapore has been one of the few countries with an AAA credit
rating from the big three, and the only Asian country to achieve this rating.[Singapore
attracts a large amount of foreign investment as a result of its location,
skilled workforce, low tax rates, advanced infrastructure and zero-tolerance
against corruption. It is the world's most competitive economy, according to
the World Economic Forum's ranking of 141 countries, with the 2nd highest GDP
per capita. There are more than 7,000 multinational corporations from the
United States, Japan, and Europe in Singapore.[citation needed Roughly 44
percent of the Singaporean workforce is made up of non-Singaporeans.[ Despite
market freedom, Singapore's government operations have a significant stake in
the economy, contributing 22% of the GDP. The city is a popular location for
conferences and events.
The currency of
Singapore is the Singapore dollar (SGD or S$), issued by the Monetary Authority
of Singapore (MAS). It is interchangeable with the Brunei dollar at par value
since 1967. MAS manages its monetary policy by allowing the Singapore dollar
exchange rate to rise or fall within an undisclosed trading band. This is
different from most central banks, which use interest rates to manage
pol Singapore has the world's eleventh largest foreign reserves, and
one of the highest net international investment position per capita.
In recent years, the
country has been identified as an increasingly popular tax haven[258] for the
wealthy due to the low tax rate on personal income and tax exemptions on
foreign-based income and capital gains. Australian millionaire retailer Brett
Blundy and multi-billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin are two
examples of wealthy individuals who have settled in Singapore (Blundy in 2013
and Saverin in 2012In 2009, Singapore was removed from the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) "liste grise" of tax
havens,and ranked fourth on the Tax Justice Network's 2015 Financial
Secrecy Index of the world's off-shore financial service providers, banking
one-eighth of the world's offshore capital, while "providing numerous tax
avoidance and evasion opportunities". In August 2016, The Straits
Times reported that Indonesia had decided to create tax havens on two islands
near Singapore to bring Indonesian capital back into the tax base. In
October 2016, the Monetary Authority of Singapore admonished and fined UBS and
DBS and withdrew Falcon Private Bank's banking licence for their alleged role
in the Malaysian Sovereign Fund scandal.
Employment in Singapore
Singapore has a low
unemployment rate for a developed country, with the rate not exceeding 4% from
2005 to 2014, and reaching highs of 3.1% in 2005 and 3% during the 2009 global
financial crisis; it fell to 1.8% in the first quarter of 2015. Singapore
does not have a minimum wage, believing that it would lower its
competitiveness. It also has one of the highest income inequalities among
developed countries. Although recognising that foreign workers are
crucial to the country's economy, the government has considered placing limits
on inflows of these workers, as foreign workers make up 80% of the
construction industry and up to 50% of the service industry
Industry sectors
Singapore is the
world's 3rd-largest foreign exchange centre, 6th-largest financial centre,2nd-largest casino gambling market, 3rd-largest oil-refining and trading
centre, largest oil-rig producer and hub for ship repair services, and largest logistics hub. The economy is diversified, with its top
contributors being financial services, manufacturing, and oil-refining. Its
main exports are refined petroleum, integrated circuits, and computers, which constituted 27% of the country's GDP in 2010. Other significant sectors
include electronics, chemicals, mechanical engineering, and biomedical
sciences. Singapore was ranked 8th in the Global Innovation Index in 2020, the
same as 8th in 2019. In 2019, there were more than 60
semiconductor companies in Singapore, which together constituted 11% of the
global market share. The semiconductor industry alone contributes around 7% of
Singapore's GDP
Singapore's largest
companies are in the telecommunications, banking, transportation, and
manufacturing sectors, many of which started as state-run statutory
corporations and have since been publicly listed on the Singapore Exchange.
Such companies include Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), Singapore Technologies
Engineering, Keppel Corporation, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC),
Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), and United Overseas Bank (UOB). In 2011,
amidst the global financial crisis, OCBC, DBS and UOB were ranked by Bloomberg
Businessweek as the world's 1st, 5th, and 6th strongest banks in the world,
respectivelyIt is home to the headquarters of 3 Fortune Global 500 companies, the
highest in the region.
The nation's best known
global companies include Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport, and the Port of
Singapore, all of which are among the most-awarded in their respective fields.
Singapore Airlines was ranked as Asia's most-admired company, and the world's
19th most-admired company in 2015 by Fortune’s annual "50 most admired companies
in the world" industry surveys. Other awards it has received include the
US-based Travel + Leisure’s Best International Airline award, which it has won
for 20 consecutive years. Changi Airport connects over 100 airlines to more
than 300 cities. The strategic international air hub has more than 480 World's
Best Airport awards as of 2015, and is known as the most-awarded airport in the
worldOver ten free-trade agreements have been signed with other countries and
regions.Singapore is the second-largest foreign investor in India. It is the
14th largest exporter and the 15th largest importer in the world.
Tourism
Tourism is a major industry and contributor to the Singaporean economy,
attracting 18.5 million international tourists in 2018, more than three times
Singapore's total population. Singapore is the 5th most visited city in
the world, and 2nd in the Asia-Pacific. In 2019 tourism contributed
directly to about 4% of Singapore's GDP, down from 2016, when tourism
contributed, directly and indirectly, to around 9.9% of Singapore's GDP. Altogether, the sector generated approximately 8.6% of Singapore's employment
in 2016
The Singapore Tourism
Board (STB) is the statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry
which is tasked with the promotion of the country's tourism industry. In August
2017 the STB and the Economic Development Board (EDB) unveiled a unified brand,
Singapore – Passion Made Possible, to market Singapore internationally for tourism
and business purposes.The Orchard Road district, which contains multi-storey
shopping centres and hotels, can be considered the centre of shopping and
tourism in Singapore. Other popular tourist attractions include the
Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and Night Safari. The Singapore Zoo has embraced
the open zoo concept whereby animals are kept in enclosures, separated from
visitors by hidden dry or wet moats, instead of caging the animals, and the
River Wonders has 300 species of animals, including numerous endangered
species.Singapore promotes itself as a medical tourism hub, with about 200,000
foreigners seeking medical care there each year. Singapore medical services aim
to serve at least one million foreign patients annually and generate US$3
billion in revenue.[ In 2015, Lonely Planet and The New York Times listed
Singapore as their top and 6th-best world destinations to visit, respectively
Well-known landmarks
include the Merlion, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay,the Jewel the Orchard
Road shopping belt, the resort island of Sentosa, and the Singapore
Botanic Gardens, Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Singapore has a road
system covering 3,356 kilometres (2,085 mi), which includes 161 kilometres (100
mi) of expr The Singapore Area Licensing Scheme, implemented
in 1975, became the world's first congestion pricing scheme, and included other
complementary measures such as stringent car ownership quotas and improvements
in mass transit. Upgraded in 1998 and renamed Electronic Road Pricing, the
system introduced electronic toll collection, electronic detection, and video
surveillance technology.A Global Navigation Satellite System will replace
the physical gantries by 2020 As Singapore is a small island with a high
population density, the number of private cars on the road is restricted to
curb pollution and congestion. Car buyers must pay for duties one-and-a-half
times the vehicle's market value, and bid for a Singaporean Certificate of
Entitlement (COE), which allows the car to run on the road for a decade. Car
prices are generally significantly higher in Singapore than in other
English-speaking countries. As with most Commonwealth countries, vehicles
on the road and people walking on the streets keep to the left.
Common alternatives to
private vehicles include bicycles, bus, taxis and train (MRT or LRT). Two
companies run the train transport system—SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation. Four
companies, Go-Ahead, Tower-Transit, SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation run the
public buses under a 'Bus Contracting Model' where operators bid for routes. There
are six taxi companies, who together put out over 28,000 taxis on the
road. Taxis are a popular form of transport as the fares are relatively
cheap compared to many other developed countries.
Singapore is a major
international transport hub in Asia, serving some of the busiest sea and air
trade routes. Changi Airport is an aviation centre for Southeast Asia and a
stopover on the Kangaroo Route between Sydney and London.There are three
civilian airports in Singapore, Singapore Changi Airport, Seletar
Airport and Kallang Airport (which is not open to public). Singapore
Changi Airport hosts a network of over 100 airlines connecting Singapore to
some 300 cities in about 70 countries and territories worldwide. It has
been rated one of the best international airports by international travel
magazines, including being rated as the world's best airport for the first time
in 2006 by Skytrax. The national airline is Singapore Airlines.The
Port of Singapore, managed by port operators PSA International and Jurong Port,
was the world's second-busiest port in 2019 in terms of shipping tonnage
handled, at 2.85 billion gross tons (GT), and in terms of containerised
traffic, at 37.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).It is also
the world's second-busiest, behind Shanghai, in terms of cargo tonnage with 626
million tons handled. In addition, the port is the world's busiest for
transshipment traffic and the world's biggest ship refuelling centre.
Water supply and sanitation in Singapore
Singapore considers
water a national security issue and the government has sought to emphasise
conservation. Water access is universal and of high quality, though the
country is projected to face significant water-stress by 2040. To circumvent
this, the Public Utilities Board has implemented the "four national
taps" strategy – water imported from neighbouring Malaysia, urban
rainwater catchments, reclaimed water (NEWater) and seawater desalination. Singapore's approach does not rely only on physical infrastructure; it also
emphasises proper legislation and enforcement, water pricing, public education
as well as research and development. Singapore has declared that it will
be water self-sufficient by the time its 1961 long-term water supply agreement
with Malaysia expires in 2061. However, according to official forecasts, water
demand in Singapore is expected to double from 380 to 760 million US gallons
(1.4 to 2.8 billion litres; 1.4 to 2.8 million cubic meters) per day between
2010 and 2060. The increase is expected to come primarily from non-domestic
water use, which accounted for 55% of water demand in 2010 and is expected to
account for 70% of demand in 2060. By that time, water demand is expected to be
met by reclaimed water at the tune of 50% and by desalination accounting for
30%, compared to only 20% supplied by internal catchments.
Singapore is expanding
its recycling system and intends to spend $7.4 billion (Sg$10 billion) in water
treatment infrastructure upgrades. The Ula Pandan wastewater treatment was
specially built to test advanced used water treatment processes before full
deployment and won the Water/Wastewater Project of the Year Award at the 2018
Global Water Awards in Paris, France. Operation started in 2017 and was
jointly developed by PUB and the Black & Veatch + AECOM Joint Venture.
Demographics of Singapore and
Singaporeans
As of mid-2018, the
estimated population of Singapore was 5,638,700 people, 3,471,900 (61.6%) of
whom were citizens, while the remaining 2,166,800 (38.4%) were permanent
residents (522,300) or international students, foreign workers, or dependants
(1,644,500). According to the country's most recent census in 2010, nearly
23% of Singaporean residents (i.e. citizens and permanent residents) were
foreign born; if non-residents were counted, nearly 43% of the total population
were foreign born.
The same census also
reports that about 74.1% of residents were of Chinese descent, 13.4% of Malay
descent, 9.2% of Indian descent, and 3.3% of other (including Eurasian)
descent. Prior to 2010, each person could register as a member of only one
race, by default that of his or her father, therefore mixed-race persons were
solely grouped under their father's race in government censuses. From 2010
onward, people may register using a multi-racial classification, in which they
may choose one primary race and one secondary race, but no more than two.
The median age of
Singaporean residents was 40.5 in 2017and the total fertility rate is estimated
to be 0.80 children per woman in 2014, the lowest in the world and well below
the 2.1 needed to replace the population. The government has attempted to
increase fertility with limited success, as well as adjusting immigration
policy to maintain its working-age population.
91% of resident
households (i.e. households headed by a Singapore citizen or permanent
resident) own the homes they live in, and the average household size is 3.43
persons (which include dependants who are neither citizens nor permanent
residents). However, due to scarcity of land, 78.7% of resident
households live in subsidised, high-rise, public housing apartments developed
by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Also, 75.9% of resident households
live in properties that are equal to, or larger than, a four-room (i.e. three
bedrooms plus one living room) HDB flat or in private housing. Live-in foreign domestic workers are quite common in Singapore, with about
224,500 foreign domestic workers there, as of December 2013
Climate change initiatives
Singapore recognises
that climate change in the decades ahead will have major implications for the
island-nation. It has taken a three-prong approach to the issue - researching
how the nation will be affected in specific details, implementing mitigation
measures and adapting to the coming changes. For the research, a Centre for
Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) has been established.
The government
estimates that $100 billion will need to be spent over a 100-year time frame to
address the issue. In the 2020 budget, it has set aside an initial $5 billion
dollars towards a Coastline and Flood Protection Fund. For the population,
it will provide incentives for owners to convert to electric vehicles (EVs),
like rebates on the Additional Registration fees and expanding the EV charging
network. By 2040, it expects to phase out petrol and diesel (internal
combustion engine) vehicles. The country's transport policy continues to focus
on a "car-lite" future with most commuters using public
transportation (MRT trains, buses, taxis) instead.
Singapore is the first
country in Southeast Asia to levy a carbon tax, at $5 per ton, applicable for
its largest carbon-emitting corporations that produce more than 25,000 tons of
carbon dioxide per year. To reduce the country's dependence on fossil
fuels, it is building one of the world's largest floating solar farm at Tengeh
Reservoir in Tuas, with a capacity of 60MW.
Time zone
Although Singapore does not observe daylight
saving time (DST), it follows the UTC+8 time zone, one hour ahead of the
typical zone for its geographical location.
Geology of Singapore
Igneous rocks are found in Bukit Timah and
Woodlands and Pulau Ubin island. Granite makes up the bulk of the igneous rock.
Gabbro is also found in the area and is found in an area called Little Guilin
named for its resemblance to Guilin in Southern China. This area is in Bukit
Gombak. Sedimentary rocks are found on the western part of Singapore and is
mainly made of sandstone and mudstones. It also includes the southwestern area.
Metamorphic rocks are found in the northeastern part of Singapore and also on
Pulau Tekong off the east coast of Singapore. The rocks are mainly made up of
quartzite and also make up the Sajahat Formation.
Seismic
activity
Singapore is relatively safe from seismic
activity in the region, as the nearest major active faults (Sumatran fault and
Sunda megathrust fault) are hundreds of kilometres away in Indonesia. However,
the population and buildings are prone to being only very slightly affected by
any activity as tremors, which is not uncommon, but generally does not do any
harm and is limited to small amounts of swaying or vibration of objects.
In late 2004, several parts of Asia and Africa
were struck by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami.
Singapore was fortunate as it was protected by the Sumatra landmass, which bore
the brunt of the tsunami; the effect on Singapore was limited to tremors felt
in some of the common high-rise buildings there.
Political and
human geography
When Singapore was
first colonized by the British, the City of Singapore was situated on the
southern coast, around the mouth of the Singapore River. This area remains the
Central Area of Singapore. The rest of the island was farmland and primary
rainforest. However, since the 1960s the government has constructed many new
towns in other areas, so that today the island is nearly entirely built-up and urbanised,
with only a few exceptions, such as the district of Lim Chu Kang or reclaimed
land in the process of being developed.
The country has several
subdivisions, mostly used for administrative or statistical purposes.
Politically, Singapore is divided into five administrative districts, these are
then further subdivided into town councils which usually consists of one or
more political constituencies. However, unlike other countries where local
government subdivisions are used to cite locations, the same practice is often
uncommon in Singapore. Political boundaries fluctuate with every general
election and thus, the areas they cover do not necessarily correspond to the
local perception of a place. Most geographical regions, districts and
neighbourhoods within the city-state are usually overlapping and can sometimes
be arbitrarily defined. Planning and census boundaries, called planning areas,
have been used by the Urban Redevelopment Authority to define certain districts
and neighbourhoods, although these boundaries may not necessarily
correspond with the common perception of a certain place. While boundaries for
new towns do exist, there have been instances where certain neighbourhoods
can be identified separately from the town it is located in. Tiong Bahru for
example, is often identified separately from the HDB town it is a part of,
Bukit Merah.
As the main government
agency responsible for the urban planning of Singapore, the Urban Redevelopment
Authority seeks to implement efficient land use and minimise pollution while
maintaining convenient transport, which are Singapore's largest concerns
because of its situation as a city-state. A Development Guide Plan for each of
the 55 planning areas has been released in the process.
In order to reduce
traffic congestion, Electronic road pricing (ERP) has been enacted around
entrances into the Central Area. The other parts of Singapore are less dense
and busy, and are often filled with housing estates such as from the Housing
and Development Board (HDB) or condominiums, and commercial districts are less
concentrated. However, to reduce strain on the Central Area, several regional
centres have been developed, each containing a concentrated commercial
district.
Light industry tends to
be distributed around the island as industrial estates and located in flats,
similar to the HDB, and only allow tenants which produce close to nil
pollution, whereas heavy industry tends to be located around Jurong and Jurong
Island. A list of such estates can be found here.
There are two
connections to the state of Johor, Malaysia. In the north there is a causeway
for both rail and road traffic, which connects to the city of Johor Bahru. In
the west there is a road bridge (Tuas Second Link), which connects to Johor,
for road traffic only. The connections are an important economic link to
Malaysia, which can be seen as a hinterland.
The causeway (1,038 m
in length) was designed by Coode, Fizmaurice, Wilson and Mitchell of
Westminster and constructed by Topham, Jones & Railton Ltd of London. It
was started in 1909 as a railway link by Johor State Railway to connect Johor
Bahru to Singapore, then the administrative headquarters of British interests
in Southeast Asia. Construction of the road section started in 1919 and
completed in 1923.
The causeway has caused
ecological problems, most notably accumulation of silt in the Johore Strait.
This has led to disagreements with Malaysia. Singapore has rejected Malaysia's
proposal to replace the causeway with a bridge, and Malaysia has since proposed
the idea of what became known as "the crooked half-bridge",
descending halfway to link up with the low-level causeway.
Since Singapore lacks
natural freshwater rivers and lakes, the primary source of domestic water is
rainfall. Demand for fresh water is approximately twice that supplied by
rainfall, so Singapore imports much of its fresh water from Malaysia and
Indonesia. To lessen its reliance on imports, Singapore has built reservoirs to
collect rainwater from both forest catchment and urban catchment run-offs and
from recycled water facilities. In addition, Singapore has built three desalination
plants on the western coast of Tuas with two more under construction. They are
expected to at least meet 30% of Singapore's water demands in 2060. Recent
plans to produce NEWater-recycled water from treatment by filtration via
reverse osmosis have been very successful as the government has opened up three
plants around the island to help meet the demand.
There are more than 300
parks and 4 nature reserves in Singapore. There are also many trees planted,
and almost fifty per cent of the country is covered by greenery. Because of
this, Singapore is also commonly known as the 'Garden City'.
Singapore remains
highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change; in particular, the rising
sea levels may pose a major threat to the very survival of the country in the
long-term perspective.
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