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$Unique_ID{COW03160}
$Pretitle{384}
$Title{Singapore
Front Matter}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Nena Vreeland}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{singapore
percent
malaysia
united
authors
country
major
political
government
malay}
$Date{1976}
$Log{Global Map*0316001.scf
}
Country: Singapore
Book: Singapore, A Country Study
Author: Nena Vreeland
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date: 1976
Front Matter
Authors:
Glenn B. Dana, Geoffrey B. Hurwitz, Peter Just, R.S. Shinn
Foreword
This volume is one in a continuing series of books now being prepared by
the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country
Studies-Area Handbook Program. The last page of this book lists the other
published studies.
Most books in the series deal with a particular foreign country,
describing and analyzing its political, economic, social, and national
security systems and institutions, and examining the interrelationships of
those systems and the ways they are shaped by cultural factors. Each study is
written by a multidisciplinary team of social scientists. The authors seek to
provide a basic understanding of the observed society, striving for a dynamic
rather than a static portrayal. Particular attention is devoted to the people
who make up the society, their origins, dominant beliefs and values, their
common interests and the issues on which they are divided, the nature and
extent of their involvement with national institutions, and their attitudes
toward each other and toward their social system and political order.
The books represent the analysis of the authors and should not be
construed as an expression of an official United States government position,
policy, or decision. The authors have sought to adhere to accepted standards
of scholarly objectivity. Corrections, additions, and suggestions for changes
from readers will be welcomed for use in future editions.
Louis R. Mortimer
Acting Chief
Federal Research Division
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540
Preface
In 1965, shortly before the tiny Republic of Singapore became a fully
independent state, the Area Handbook for Malaysia and Singapore was published.
Since that time Singaporeans have experienced ten years of constant economic
and social change in a remarkably stable political system and-compared with
several of their neighbors-a relatively free and open society. A very high
rate of economic growth and a rapid pace of industrialization have transformed
the physical profile of this urbanized island nation and the everyday lives
and expectations of its people. To the obvious strategic importance of
Singapore's location at the narrow entrance to the Strait of Malacca have been
added its emergence as the world's fourth busiest port, its new role as the
region's major financial center, and its substantial petroleum-processing
facilities. The 1976-86 period is likely to be equally momentous as the
country seeks to resolve the problems and predicaments generated by internal
change and by international economic events over which Singapore has little
control.
This handbook seeks to provide a compact and objective outline of the
dominant social, economic, political, and military aspects of Singapore and to
give the reader an idea of the forces at work in its society. Interpretations
are offered on a tentative basis as befits research undertaken without
fieldwork. The authors have relied on published and unpublished documents and
secondary sources as well as on the knowledge and insight of public officials
and private persons.
The 1965 edition of the handbook was the product of a team composed of
Susan E. Callaway, Gustavo A. Mellander, Elaine M. Themo, and John O. Weaver
under the chairmanship of Bela C. Maday. Some historical materials have been
drawn from that edition.
The present edition results from the combined efforts of a
multidisciplinary team of researchers assisted by the staff of Foreign Area
Studies. The team was chaired by Nena Vreeland, who wrote chapter 1 and
coordinated the contributions of the other authors. Glenn B. Dana wrote
chapters 3 and 9; Geoffrey B. Hurwitz wrote chapter 7; Peter Just wrote
chapters 2 and 4; and R. S. Shinn wrote chapters 5 and 6. The authors express
their thanks to Donald P. Whitaker, who wrote chapter 8.
Spellings of place-names used in the handbook generally conform to those
approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names in the second edition,
published in 1970, of its Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, Official standard
Names, Gazetteer No. 10. In instances where information is expressed in
weights and measures not customarily employed in the United States, the
equivalent is provided; tons are metric unless otherwise specified. Maps,
charts, and other figures appear within the text; tables are presented in an
appendix. The reader may refer to the glossary for United States
dollar-Singapore dollar equivalents and for other frequently used terms.
On December 23, 1976, after research and writing for the present edition
were completed, general elections were held in Singapore. The People's Action
Party (PAP) predictably captured all sixty-nine parliamentary seats and
received about 76 percent of the popular vote. Sixteen PAP candidates were
returned unopposed. In no constituency did opposition candidates poll more
than 40 percent of the vote, and the combined opposition vote was reduced to
24 percent from the roughly 30 percent obtained in the previous general
election of 1972. The inner core of the power structure remained unaffected;
all but one of the government's ministers were reappointed to the new cabinet
announced on December 30.
Country Profile
[See Global Map: Map of Singpore on the Globe.]
Country
Formal Name: Republic of Singapore.
Term for Nationals: Singaporeans.
Preindependence Political Status: British crown colony until 1963,
internal self-government beginning 1959; became a semiautonomous state of
Malaysia in September 1963; separated from Malaysia and became independent
republic August 9, 1965.
Capital: Singapore.
Geography
Size and Topography: 1975 land area about 230 square miles, roughly the
size of Chicago, mostly concentrated in Singapore Island; numerous smaller
islands and islets; located at narrow point of Strait of Malacca off the tip
of the Malay Peninsula; connected with Malaysia by causeway.
Climate: Tropical with high temperature and high humidity; northeast
monsoon November to March, southwest monsoon May to September, occasional
heavy rains and flooding.
Society
Population: 1970 Census reported 2,074,507; 1976 estimate over 2.3
million; low annual growth rate of 1.3 in 1975, result of vigorous family
planning effort; 1975 birthrate 17.8 per 1,000, death rate 5.1 per 1,000; 1975
density about 9,673 people per square mile.
Ethnic Groups and Languages: Ethnic composition in 1975 was 76.1 percent
Chinese, 15.1 percent Malay, 6.9 percent Indian (including Pakistanis and Sri
Lankans), 1.9 percent others. Major ethnic groups subdivided by differences of
dialect and region of origin. National language Malay; Malay, Chinese
(Mandarin), Tamil, and English official languages; English principal language
of business, government, and education.
Health: Deaths caused by infectious and parasitic diseases greatly
reduced since 1950s by improved medical facilities and technology and by
better sanitation and public health measures. Cancer and circulatory diseases
most frequent causes of death in mid-1970s. Government and private hospitals
and clinics; one physician for every 1,400 people. Life expectancy in 1970
sixty-five years for males and seventy years for females.
Religion: Chinese mostly Buddhist and Taoist; Malays and some Indians
Muslim; other Indians Hindu.
Education: Noncompulsory system includes free universal primary school
education. Four streams based on language of instru