70,068
female: 73,930 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.3% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues
Sierra Leone

Disputes - international:

as domestic fighting among disparate ethnic groups, rebel groups,
warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and
Sierra Leone gradually abate, the number of refugees in border areas
has begun to slowly dwindle; UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)
has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone since 1999;
Sierra Leone considers excessive Guinea's definition of the flood
plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa
rivers and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands
including the hamlet of Yenga occupied since 1998

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 27,311 (Liberia) (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Singapore

Introduction
Singapore

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. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's
most prosperous countries with strong international trading links
(its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled)
and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of
Western Europe.

Geography
Singapore

Location:

Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Geographic coordinates:

1 22 N, 103 48 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km
water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

193 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: within and beyond territorial sea, as
defined in treaties and practice

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons -
Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon
(June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early
evening thunderstorms

Terrain:

lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment
area and nature preserve

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m

Natural resources: