Independence Year : 1965
Population : 3567000
Life Expectancy : 80.1
Capital : 3208
GNP : 86503.00
GNP Old : 96318.00
Local Name : Singapore/Singapura/Xinjiapo/Singapur
Government Form : Republic
Location : Southeast Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Terrain : Lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve
Climate : equatorial, a tropical rainforest climate; hot and humid.
Ethnic Group : Chinese 77%, Malay 14%, Indian 8%
Religions : Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Official Website :
www.pmo.gov.sg
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General Information - Singapore
Background
The island city-state on the southern tip of Malay Peninsula has seen many rulers in its history. It has been an outpost of the ancient Sumatran Srivijaya empire; it was part of the Sultanate of Johore in the 15th and 16th century, and it was burned down by Portugese forces in 1617.
In the beginning of the 19th century Singapore became a trade post and settlement of the British East India Company and some years later a British crown colony.
Singapore is today (beside Monaco) the most densely populated independent country in the world. Its strategic location combined with a largely corruption-free government, a skilled work force, pro-foreign investment and export-oriented, led to a successful free-market economy which attracts international investment funds on a large scale despite its relatively high-cost operating environment.
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