Singapore (2003) | Barbados (2008) | |
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Administrative divisions | none | 11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.3% (male 411,656; female 385,575)
15-64 years: 75.5% (male 1,687,217; female 1,793,783) 65 years and over: 7.2% (male 144,277; female 186,087) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 19.7% (male 27,659/female 27,573)
15-64 years: 71.4% (male 98,633/female 102,020) 65 years and over: 8.9% (male 9,662/female 15,399) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rubber, copra, fruit, orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs, fish, ornamental fish | sugarcane, vegetables, cotton |
Airports | 9 (2002) | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 9
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km water: 10 sq km |
total: 431 sq km
land: 431 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe. | The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. |
Birth rate | 12.75 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 12.61 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $27.9 billion
expenditures: $19.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.4 billion (FY 00/01 est.) |
revenues: $847 million (including grants)
expenditures: $886 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | Singapore | name: Bridgetown
geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon from December to March and Southwestern monsoon from June to September; inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms | tropical; rainy season (June to October) |
Coastline | 193 km | 97 km |
Constitution | 3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution) | 30 November 1966 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados |
Currency | Singapore dollar (SGD) | - |
Death rate | 4.31 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 8.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $8.2 billion (2002 est.) | $668 million (2003) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin L. LAVIN
embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508 mailing address: PSC Box 470, FPO AP 96507-0001 telephone: [65] 6476-9100 FAX: [65] 6476-9340 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN
embassy: U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100 FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876 consulate(s) general: San Francisco consulate(s): New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York consulate(s): Los Angeles |
Disputes - international | disputes with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation works on Johor, maritime boundaries, and Singapore-occupied Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three years | in April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a decision that delimited a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and compelled Barbados to enter a fishing agreement limiting Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $2.07 million (2005) |
Economy - overview | Singapore, a highly developed and successful free market economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing. It was hard hit in 2001-2002 by the global recession and the slump in the technology sector. The government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle than the current export-led model but is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub. | Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism, with nearly three-quarters of GDP and 80% of exports being attributed to services. Growth has rebounded since 2003, bolstered by increases in construction projects and tourism revenues - reflecting its success in the higher-end segment. The country enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region and an investment grade rating which benefits from its political stability and stable institutions. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners and thrive from having the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and a relatively highly educated workforce. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. |
Electricity - consumption | 28.35 billion kWh (2001) | 886.3 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 30.48 billion kWh (2001) | 953 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m |
Environment - current issues | industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia | pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Chinese 76.7%, Malay 14%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% | black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% |
Exchange rates | Singapore dollars per US dollar - 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.72 (2000), 1.69 (1999), 1.67 (1998) | Barbadian dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers Brig. Gen. (Ret.) LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) and TAN Keng Yam Tony (since 1 August 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1999 (next to be held by August 2005); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN elected president unopposed |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister David THOMPSON (since 16 January 2008) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
Exports | NA (2001) | 1,666 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels | manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components |
Exports - partners | Malaysia 17.4%, US 15.3%, Hong Kong 9.2%, Japan 7.1%, China 5.5%, Taiwan 4.9%, Thailand 4.6%, South Korea 4.2% (2002) | US 27.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 15%, UK 10.2%, Saint Lucia 7%, Jamaica 6.5%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.3% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $112.4 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NEGL%
industry: 33% services: 67% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $25,200 (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.2% (2002 est.) | 4% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 1 22 N, 103 48 E | 13 10 N, 59 32 W |
Geography - note | focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes | easternmost Caribbean island |
Highways | total: 3,066 km
paved: 3,066 km (including 150 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | as a transportation and financial services hub, Singapore is vulnerable, despite strict laws and enforcement, to be used as a transit point for Golden Triangle heroin and as a venue for money laundering | one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center |
Imports | NA (2001) | 7,071 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, mineral fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs | consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components |
Imports - partners | Malaysia 18.2%, US 14.3%, Japan 12.5%, China 7.6%, Thailand 4.6%, Taiwan 4.6% (2002) | US 37.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 22.6%, UK 5.9% (2006) |
Independence | 9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation) | 30 November 1966 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | -9.8% (2002 est.) | -3.2% (2000 est.) |
Industries | electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology | tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export |
Infant mortality rate | total: 3.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 11.55 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.88 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -0.4% (2002 est.) | 5.5% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 9 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 50 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals | Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice is the highest court of appeal |
Labor force | 2.19 million (2000) | 128,500 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | financial, business, and other services 35%, manufacturing 21%, construction 13%, transportation and communication 9%, other 22% | agriculture: 10%
industry: 15% services: 75% (1996 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0% other: 98.36% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2005) |
Languages | Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official) | English |
Legal system | based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest to winning a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member
elections: last held 3 November 2001 (next to be held 25 June 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 75.3% (in contested constituencies), other 24.7%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at his discretion) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 15 January 2008 (next to be called in 2013) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by party - DLP 20, BLP 10 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.42 years
male: 77.46 years female: 83.6 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 73 years
male: 71.02 years female: 75.01 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.2% male: 96.7% female: 89.7% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.7% (2002 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia | Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as defined in treaties and practice
territorial sea: 3 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 859 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,836,021 GRT/32,765,063 DWT
ships by type: bulk 125, cargo 85, chemical tanker 87, combination bulk 6, combination ore/oil 8, container 176, liquefied gas 38, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, petroleum tanker 277, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 12, vehicle carrier 31 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 7, Belgium 6, China 12, Denmark 27, Germany 17, Greece 4, Hong Kong 44, Indonesia 8, Japan 52, Malaysia 4, Monaco 22, Netherlands 2, Norway 42, Philippines 6, Russia 3, Slovenia 1, South Korea 10, Sweden 13, Switzerland 7, Taiwan 46, Tanzania 2, Thailand 22, UAE 4, UK 14, US 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 71 ships (1000 GRT or over) 539,579 GRT/793,899 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 39, chemical tanker 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 67 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 9, Greece 11, India 1, Lebanon 1, Monaco 1, Norway 35, Sweden 5, UK 3) registered in other countries: 1 (St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007) |
Military - note | - | the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2005) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force | Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2007) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $4.47 billion (FY01 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.9% (FY01) | 0.5% (2006 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,392,740 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,012,498 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 9 August (1965) | Independence Day, 30 November (1966) |
Nationality | noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore |
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) |
Natural hazards | NA | infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides |
Natural resources | fish, deepwater ports | petroleum, fish, natural gas |
Net migration rate | 25.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 139 km (2003) | - |
Political parties and leaders | governing party: People's Action Party or PAP [GOH Chok Tong]; opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [leader NA]; National Solidarity Party or NSP [Steve CHIA]; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong] (includes SPP, PKMS, NSP, SJP); Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Singapore Justice Party or SJP [leader NA]; Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS [Muhammad ALI Aman]; Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong]; Workers' Party or WP [LOW Thia Kiang] | Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST]; Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, which includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados Workers Union or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD] |
Population | 4,608,595 (July 2003 est.) | 280,946 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.42% (2003 est.) | 0.369% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Singapore | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 16, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Railways | total: 38.6 km
narrow gauge: 38.6 km 1.000-m gauge note: there is also an 83 km mass transit system with 48 stations |
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Religions | Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist | Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.003 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.967 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.627 male(s)/female total population: 0.938 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: major consideration given to serving business interests; excellent international service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region) |
general assessment: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of 75 per 100 persons
domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-246; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2007) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.95 million (2000) | 134,900 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2.74 million (2000) | 206,200 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (2000) | 1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004) |
Terrain | lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve | relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region |
Total fertility rate | 1.24 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4.6% (2002 est.) | 10.7% (2003 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |