ography
_#_Total area: 632.6 km2; land area: 622.6 km2

_#_Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of
Washington, DC

_#_Land boundaries: none

_#_Coastline: 193 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Exclusive fishing zone: not specific;

Territorial sea: 3 nm

_#_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

_#_Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports

_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 5%; other 84%

_#_Environment: mostly urban and industrialized

_#_Note: focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

_*_People
_#_Population: 2,756,330 (July 1991), growth rate 1.3% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 77 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Singaporean(s), adjective--Singapore

_#_Ethnic divisions: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other
2.3%

_#_Religion: majority of Chinese are Buddhists or atheists; Malays
are nearly all Muslim (minorities include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs,
Taoists, Confucianists)

_#_Language: Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English (all official);
Malay (national)

_#_Literacy: 88% (male 93%, female 84%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: 1,280,000; financial, business, and other services
35.3%, manufacturing 29.0%, commerce 22.8%, construction 6.6%,
other 6.3% (1989)

_#_Organized labor: 210,000; 16.1% of labor force (1989)

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Singapore

_#_Type: republic within Commonwealth

_#_Capital: Singapore

_#_Administrative divisions: none

_#_Independence: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysia)

_#_Constitution: 3 June 1959, amended 1965; based on preindependence
State of Singapore Constitution

_#_Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

_#_National holiday: National Day, 9 August (1965)

_#_Executive branch: president, prime ministe