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Singapore
Country Name
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
local long form: Republic of Singapore
local short form: Singapore
conventional short form: Singapore
local long form: Republic of Singapore
local short form: Singapore
Location
Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Area
total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km
water: 10 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Capital
Singapore
Other major cities
Bedok, Changi, Seletar, Woodlands, Jurong
Time Zone
GMT +8
Typical Flying Time from UK
Approximate flight time from Singapore to London is 14 hours
Government type
parliamentary republic
Administrative divisions
None
UK Embassy
100 Tanglin Road
Singapore 247919
Tel: +65 6424 4200
NOTE: Access to the British High Commission is via the guardhouse and entrance at 100 Tanglin Road.
Singapore 247919
Tel: +65 6424 4200
NOTE: Access to the British High Commission is via the guardhouse and entrance at 100 Tanglin Road.
Embassy in UK
Consular Section
9 Wilton Crescent
London SW1X 8SP
+44 207 235 8315
9 Wilton Crescent
London SW1X 8SP
+44 207 235 8315
Chamber of Commerce
British Chamber Of Commerce Singapore
138 Cecil Street, #11-01 Cecil Court
Singapore 069538
Phone: +65 6222-3552
Fax: +65 6222-3556
Web: www.britcham.org.sg
138 Cecil Street, #11-01 Cecil Court
Singapore 069538
Phone: +65 6222-3552
Fax: +65 6222-3556
Web: www.britcham.org.sg
Population
4,553,009 (July 2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.275% (2007 est.)
Ethnic groups
Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4% (2000 census)
Religions
Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8% (2000 census)
Languages
Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%,
Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9% (2000
census)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.5%
male: 96.6%
female: 88.6% (2002)
total population: 92.5%
male: 96.6%
female: 88.6% (2002)
Typical working hours
0900-1700 Mon-Fri, 0900-1300 Sat
National Holidays
| 2007 | 2008 | |
| 1 Jan New Year’s Day. 18-20 Feb Chinese New Year. 6 Apr Good Friday. 1 May Labour Day. 31 May Vesak Day (Birth of the Buddha). 9 Aug National Day. 13 Oct Hari Raya Puasa (End of Ramadan). 8 Nov Deepavali. 20 Dec Hari Raya Haji (Feast of the Sacrifice). 25 Dec Christmas Day. |
1 Jan New Year's Day. 7-9 Feb Chinese New Year. 21 Mar Good Friday. 1 May Labour Day. 20 May Vesak Day (Birth of the Buddha). 9 Aug National Day. 2 Oct Hari Raya Puasa (End of Ramadan). 28 Oct Deepavali. 9 Dec Hari Raya Haji (Feast of the Sacrifice). 25 Dec Christmas Day. |
Note: (a) Not all Muslim festivals listed above are national holidays, but all will affect Muslim businesses. Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Hari Raya Puasa (Eid al-Fitr), Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Hari Raya Puasa itself. Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji (Eid al-Adha) may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the town. (b) Hindu festivals are declared according to local astronomical observations and it is only possible to forecast the month of their occurrence.
Currency
Singapore Dollar (SGD)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$138.6 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$121.5 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
7.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$30,900 (2006 est.)
Exports
$283.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - partners
Malaysia 13.3%, US 10.4%, Indonesia 9.6%, Hong Kong 9.4%, China 8.6%, Japan 5.5%, Thailand 4.1% (2005)
Imports
$246.1 billion (2006 est.)
Imports - partners
Malaysia 13.7%, US 11.7%, China 10.3%, Japan 9.6%, Taiwan 5.9%, Indonesia 5.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.5%, South Korea 4.3% (2005)
International Country Code
SG
Internet country code
.sg
International Dialling Code
65
Telephones - main lines in use
1.848 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
4.385 million (2005)
Weights and Measures
Metric system
Electricity Supply
220/240V AC 50Hz
Import Formalities
For Bill of Lading, Consular Invoices, Certificates of Origin, Commercial Invoices, Special Certificates and other forms visit Exporter's Guide to Import Formalities
Duty & Tariffs
Visit the Applied Tariffs Database
UK regulations & controls
All goods must be declared to Customs on leaving the EC (generally arranged by the freight forwarder/carrier). The export declaration for shipments leaving the EC from a UK port or airport is via the electronic system known as NES. All goods subject to Export Controls (ie covered by an export licence — SIEL, OGEL or OIEL), coming under CAP regulations or otherwise controlled under Customs regulations (eg under IPR/OPR, etc) must be exported with a full declaration unless the shipper is authorised to use one of the simplified NES procedures. All shipments must be given a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) made up of the shipper’s VAT No., TURN and export reference, eg invoice number.
Export Controls: Some classes of goods are controlled under national and EU regulations, eg military goods and dual-use technology. For UK supplies, these are listed at The Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Other goods not listed in the statutory instruments may be controlled if their end-use involves chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or the means of delivering them. Controlled dual-use goods (goods capable of being used for civil or military purposes but not specially designed for military purposes) can mostly be moved freely within the EU and to certain non-EU countries under the Community General Export Authorisation (CGEA).
Ports
Singapore
Air Lines
Singapore’s national airline is Singapore Airlines. Singapore is a major travel destination served by most major international airlines. There are direct flights to Singapore from a number of cities in the UK, Canada and USA.
Airports
9 (2006)
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