al disputes: two islands in dispute with Malaysia

Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry
seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in
April)

Terrain: lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water
catchment area and nature preserve
lowest point: Singapore Strait 0 m
highest point: Bukit Timah 166 m

Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports

Land use:
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 7%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 5%
other: 84%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water
resources; limited land availability presents waste disposal problems
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change

Geographic note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

People
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Population: 3,396,924 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 379,076; female 358,739)
15-64 years: 72% (male 1,220,131; female 1,219,412)
65 years and over: 6% (male 97,882; female 121,684) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.9% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 16.28 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 4.56 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 7.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.13 years
male: 75.07 years
female: 81.39 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Singaporean(s)
adjective: Singapore

Ethnic divisions: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other
2.3%

Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu,
Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist

Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national),
Tamil (official), English (official)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 91.1%
male: 95.9%
female: 86.3%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic o