Singapore

Singapore COUNTRY

5,839,272 CITY POPULATION

Unitary Dominant GOVERNMENT TYPE

Introduction

Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore's tropical climate welcomes both leisure and business travelers year round. Though physically small, Singapore is an economic giant. It has been Southeast Asia's most modern city for over a century. The city blends Malay, Chinese, Arab, Indian and English cultures and religions. Its unique ethnic tapestry affords visitors a wide array of sightseeing and culinary opportunities from which to choose. A full calendar of traditional festivals and holidays celebrated throughout the year adds to its cultural appeal. In addition, Singapore offers luxury hotels, delectable cuisine and great shopping! The island nation of the Republic of Singapore lies one degree north of the Equator in Southern Asia. The country includes the island of Singapore and 58 or so smaller islands. Because of its efficient and determined government, Singapore has become a flourishing country that excels in trade and tourism and is a model to developing nations. The capital city, also called Singapore, covers about a third of the area of the main island.

Data and facts

Singapore is one of only three surviving city-states in the world. The other two are Monaco and the Vatican City.
The current population of Singapore is 5,839,239 as of Saturday, April 4, 2020, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
Singapore population is equivalent to 0.08% of the total world population. Singapore ranks number 114 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population. The population density in Singapore is 8358 per Km² (21,646 people per mi²). The total land area is 700 Km2 (270 sq. miles).
Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world, with a total land area of only 682.7 square kilometers. The United States is about 15,000 times bigger.
The red of Singapore’s flag represents universal brotherhood and equality of man while the white symbolizes purity and virtue. The crescent moon stands for a young nation on the rise and the five stars signify the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
The national language of Singapore is Malay. The four official languages of the country are English, Chinese, Tamil, and Malay.
Buildings in Singapore cannot be higher than 280 metres. Currently, there are three buildings of that height – OUB Centre, UOB Plaza and Republic Plaza.
Singapore’s Bukit Timah Nature Reserve holds more species of trees than the entire North American continent.
Singapore’s national anthem is in micro-text on the back of their $1,000 note.

Administration

As one of the ‘four little dragons’, Singapore’s rapid economic growth and success during the past two decades is well known. One of the major factors contributing to Singapore’s political stability and economic prosperity is the quality of its public administration. Indeed, its public bureaucracy and bureaucrats are perceived to be honest, efficient and effective in the performance of their functions and duties.

The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his/her personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check on the Cabinet and Parliament of Singapore, his/her role is largely ceremonial. It is the Cabinet, composed of the Prime Minister and other Ministers appointed on his/her advice by the President, that generally directs and controls the Government. The Cabinet is formed by the political party that gains a simple majority in each general election. A statutory board is an autonomous agency of the Government that is established by an Act of Parliament and overseen by a government ministry. Unlike ministries and government departments that are subdivisions of ministries, statutory boards are not staffed by civil servants and have greater independence and flexibility in their operations.

Economy

The economy of Singapore is a highly developed free-market economy. Singapore's economy has been ranked as the most open in the world, 3rd least corrupt, most pro-business, with low tax rates (14.2% of gross domestic product (GDP)) and has the third highest per-capita GDP in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). APEC is headquartered in Singapore. Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys an open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries. Unemployment is very low. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly of electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, medical and optical devices, pharmaceuticals, and on Singapore’s vibrant transportation, business, and financial services sectors.

Infrastructure

Singapore’s economic growth over the past 50+ years has produced a robust infrastructure ecosystem, including developers, financiers, professional services and other supporting services. Scroll down to unveil Singapore's evolution into Asia’s infrastructure hub through the photos below. With world-renowned expertise in areas such as project structuring, management, financing and investment, Singapore-based developers can work closely with governments and other stakeholders to bring a project from conceptualization to completion. As a thriving financial hub, Singapore now serves as the Asia-Pacific base for many global banks with project finance lending and advisory specialization – with about 60% of project finance transactions in Southeast Asia lead-managed by Singapore-based banks.

Technology

Singapore’s plug-and-play business environment lets tech companies hit the ground running almost immediately. In Singapore, businesses get instant access to one of the most technologically advanced IT infrastructures in the world. In fact, Singapore was ranked first in digital infrastructure in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Asian Digital Transformation Index. Companies can tap into that infrastructure to easily test and pilot new products as soon as they set up their WiFi network. The 2017 Global Innovation Index ranked Singapore as the most innovative country in Asia, while the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index ranked Singapore sixth globally. That’s a big reason why companies like Amazon and IBM are using Singapore to pilot groundbreaking new projects before they roll them out globally.

Social Wellness and Human Resources

Education

Primary school lasts for 6 years and secondary school lasts for 4 years, preparing children to move to a junior college (in preparation for university) or a polytechnic (for vocational training and adult learning). In 2018, there were 145 government primary schools and 41 primary schools receiving government funding in the country. Thanks to the emphasis on education, almost all (around 97%) of Singapore’s population over the age of 15 is literate. Singapore is a global leader for reading and science proficiency, ranking above Japan.

Health

Government healthcare facilities are primarily designed to provide subsidised healthcare services to Singaporeans. These facilities consist of a number of government hospitals for inpatient services and numerous polyclinics offering outpatient services. Although wholly owned by the government, the public sector hospitals are operated as private limited companies in order to compete with the private sector on service and quality. Government healthcare facilities not only provide very good healthcare services to masses but also handle the most complicated cases referred from other hospitals and neighboring countries.

Private healthcare facilities in Singapore are as good as any in the world with excellent level of medical care and service levels. For non-Singaporeans, the difference in cost between government and private healthcare facilities is negligible as they directly compete with each other. Since private healthcare facilities in general offer better service level and minimum waiting times, most of the expatriates living in Singapore (as well as medical tourists from abroad) prefer to visit a private healthcare facility.

Tourism

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore. It champions the development of Singapore's tourism sector, one of the country's key service sectors and economic pillars, and undertakes the marketing and promotion of Singapore as a tourism destination. The tourism sector currently contributes 4 per cent to Singapore’s gross domestic product. Tourism plays an essential role in reinforcing Singapore’s status as a vibrant global city that is a magnet for capital, businesses and talent. It also enhances the quality and diversity of leisure options for local residents and helps to create a living environment that Singaporeans can be proud to call home.