afficking, ethnic
conflicts, and refugees in border areas; 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): 59,952 (Liberia) (2006)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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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:
fish, deepwater ports

Land use:
arable land: 1.47%
permanent crops: 1.47%
other: 97.06% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
industrial pollution; limited natural fresh water resources;
limited land availability presents waste disposal problems; seaso