GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE

Singapore consists of the main island of Singapore and 58 smaller islands. The total land area, including the islets is 626.4 sq km. Lying 137 km north of equator, it is linked to Peninsular Malaysia by a causeway across the Straits of Johore and separated from Indonesia to the south by the Straits of Singapore.

Singapore has a tropical climate with relatively high, uniform temperatures, high humidity and abundant rainfall. Mean daily temperatures range from 24 deg C to a maximum 31 deg C. November to January are generally the coolest months.

POPULATION

The population in 1990 was 3,002,800. Population density rose from 4,231 persons to a square kilometre in 1988 to 4,287 persons to a square kilometre in 1989. The population comprised 2,038,000 Chinese, 408,000 Malays, 174,300 Indians (including Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans) and 64,300 persons of other ethnic groups. Chinese constituted 75.9 per cent of the population, Malays 15.2 per cent, the Indians 6.5 per cent and persons of other ethnic groups the remaining 2.4 per cent.

LANGUAGE

The official languages are Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil and English. Malay is the national language and English the language of business administration.

RELIGION

Buddhists constitute 28.3 per cent of the total population, Christians 18.7 per cent and Taoists (including followers of Confucius, Mencius and Lao Zi) 13.4 per cent. Most of the Chinese community adhere to these religions. The Muslims, predominately Malay, comprised an estimated 16 per cent of the population, and the Hindus, mainly Indians, nearly 5 per cent. There are also small communities of Zoroastrians, Jains and Jews. Freedom of worship is guaranteed by the Constitution.

GOVERNMENT

Singapore is a republic with a parliamentary system of government. The President is the Head of State and is elected by Parliament every four years. The administration of the government is vested in the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister. The Cabinet is responsible to Parliament.

The Parliament is unicameral and consists of 81 members who are elected for five-year terms by voting in single-member wards and Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs). The GRCs were formed by a 1988 amendment to the Constitution to ensure continued representation in Parliament from the minority races of Singapore.

Since independence, Singapore has remained politically stable. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has been in power since 1959, having won nine general elections in succession. It is currently the governing party in Singapore.