elections: last held 2 January 1997 (next to be held by 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party--PAP 65% (in contested
constituencies), other 35%; seats by party--PAP 81, WP 1, SPP 1

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

Political parties and leaders:
general]

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN,
Australia Group (observer), BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee
chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Steven J. GREEN
embassy: 27 Napier Street, Singapore 258508
mailing address: FPO AP 96534-0001

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

Economy

Economy--overview: Singapore has an open economy with strong
service and manufacturing sectors and excellent international
trading links derived from its entrepot history. Extraordinarily
strong fundamentals allowed Singapore to weather the effects of the
Asian financial crisis better than its neighbors, but the crisis did
pull GDP growth down to 1.3% in 1998 from 6% in 1997. Projections
for 1999 GDP growth are in the -1% to 1% range. Rising labor costs
and appreciation of the Singapore dollar against its neighbors'
currencies continue to be a threat to Singapore's competitiveness.
The government's strategy to address this problem includes cutting
costs, increasing productivity, improving infrastructure, and
encouraging higher value-added industries. In applied technology,
per capita output, investment, and labor discipline, Singapore has
key attributes of a developed country.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$91.7 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 1.3% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$2