Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Singapore
conventional short form:
Singapore
local long form:
Republic of Singapore
local short form:
Singapore
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name:
Singapore
geographic coordinates:
1 17 N, 103 51 E
time difference:
UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none
Independence:
9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
National holiday:
National Day, 9 August (1965)
Constitution:
several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1965; amended several times, last in 2010 (2013)
Legal system:
English common law
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal and compulsory
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
:
chief of state:
President Tony TAN Keng Yam (since 1 September 2011)
head of government:
Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004); Deputy Prime Ministers TEO Chee Hean (since 1 April 2009) and Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM (since 21 May 2011)
cabinet:
appointed by president, responsible to parliament
elections:
president elected by popular vote for six-year term; election last held on 27 August 2011 (next to be held by August 2017); following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by president; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
election results:
Tony TAN Keng Yam elected president from a field of four candidates with 35.2% of the votes cast
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (87 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members (NMP) and up to nine Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP); traditionally, members of parties that came closest to winning seats may be appointed as NCMPs; NMPs are appointed by the president to ensure that a wide range of community views are present in Parliament; NMPs are independent and non-partisan members
elections:
last held on 7 May 2011 (next to be held by 2017)
election results:
percent of vote by party - PAP 60.1%, WP 12.8%, NSP 12.1%, others 15%; seats by party - PAP 81, WP 6; (seats as of February 2013 PAP 80, WP 7)
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Supreme Court (consists of the president or chief justice and 16 justices and organized into an upper tier Appeal Court and a lower tier High Court)
judge selection and term of office:
all judges appointed by the president from candidates recommended by the prime minister after consultation with the chief justice; justices appointed for life
subordinate courts:
district, magistrates', juvenile, family, community, and coroners' courts; small claims tribunals
Political parties and leaders:
National Solidarity Party or NSP [Jeannette CHONG-ARULDROSS]
People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]
Reform Party [Kenneth JEYARETNAM]
Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [Desmond LIM] (includes Singapore Justice Party or SJP [Desmond LIM] and Singapore National Malay Organization/Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura or PKMS [Abu Bin MOHAMED])
Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]
Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong]
Workers' Party or WP [LOW Thia Khiang]
Political pressure groups and leaders: none
International organization participation:
ADB, AOSIS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, FATF, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIT, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ashok Kumar MIRPURI (since 24 July 2012)
chancery:
3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 537-3100
FAX:
[1] (202) 537-0876
consulate(s) general:
New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Kirk WAGER (since 4 September 2013)
embassy:
27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508
mailing address:
FPO AP 96507-0001
telephone:
[65] 6476-9100
FAX:
[65] 6476-9340
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; red denotes brotherhood and equality; white signifies purity and virtue; the waxing crescent moon symbolizes a young nation on the ascendancy; the five stars represent the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality
National symbol(s):
lion, merlion (mythical half lion-half fish creature), orchid
National anthem:
name:
"Majulah Singapura" (Onward Singapore)
lyrics/music: ZUBIR Said
note: adopted 1965; the anthem, which was first performed in 1958 at the Victoria Theatre, is sung only in Malay