Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Dec 14, 10:04 PM EST
U.S. Expands Cargo Flights Over Iraq
By JOHN J. LUMPKINAssociated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Air Force is making more cargo flights over Iraq to keep Army transport trucks off the country's dangerous roads, accepting the increased risk to planes and added cost to reduce the threat on the ground, officials said Tuesday.
During the last month, the Air Force reorganized the operations of its cargo lifters and is now flying about 450 tons of cargo around Iraq daily, said Lt. Col. Mike Caldwell, an Air Force spokesman. That's an increase of about 100 tons a day over its previous average, he said.
Most of the missions are flown by propeller-driven C-130 Hercules transports; the Air Force has 64 available in and around the Iraq theater, officials said. The larger C-17 Globemaster and commercial aircraft also are used for some flights.
The cargo consists primarily of repair parts and ammunition. They flights also carry armored Humvees from Kuwait to Baghdad, eliminating for the vehicles the risks of a four-day drive.
While they carry only a small portion of the 25,000 tons hauled daily around Iraq in support of the U.S.-led military effort there, Air Force officials say the cargo flights keep about 180 people off the roughest roads in a 24-hour period.
The flights "give the ground forces the opportunity to reduce the traffic on the most dangerous routes," said Gen. John Jumper, the Air Force's chief of staff, according to a transcript of comments he made Tuesday.
On a given day in Iraq, 3,000 vehicles in 215 convoys are moving around, according to Air Force figures. They face ambush by insurgents and attacks from roadside bombs. Scores of soldiers and drivers have been killed or wounded while on convoy duty.
Many of the heavy trucks in these convoys are without armor and are protected only by troops in escorting Humvees. An Army Reserve unit refused to go on a convoy mission in October because they believed it was too dangerous. The military acknowledged some of their concerns were valid but punished some of the soldiers for refusing orders.
PHOTO GALLERY
Iraq
Interactives
Iraq: Sights and Sounds
Street Fighting
1000 U.S. Deaths
Iraq's New Government
Prison Abuse Scandal
Tribes of Iraq
Reconstruction of Iraq
Coalition Casualties
Documents
Key Findings on WMD
Recent Stories
U.S. Expands Cargo Flights Over Iraq
Iraq War Crimes Trials to Begin Next Week
Navy Documents Detail Iraqi Abuse Claims
A Daily Look at U.S. Iraq Military Deaths
SEC Questions Tyco on Iraq Program
Iraq War Crimes Trials to Begin Next Week
Celebrities Offer Brief Relief for Troops
Still, increased flights by cargo aircraft subject them to greater risk. Insurgents have shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) that are capable of taking down low-flying aircraft, although C-130s and other military planes have defenses against them.
"There will be increased SAMs," Jumper said. "But we've also got 100 casualties a month in convoys. We're not sending C-130s in there undefended, so they have the right kind of equipment to go in there and defend themselves."
Last year, a civilian cargo jet was hit with a shoulder-launched missile after takeoff from Baghdad, and earlier this year a burst of automatic gunfire killed a passenger aboard an Australian C-130.
In addition, the increased flights probably will mean greater fuel and maintenance costs and stress on aircrews. Flying a C-130 costs $3,400 an hour, Air Force officials said.
"I am totally disinterested in the cost," Jumper said. "It will be paid for. We will do what it takes."
Some Air Force officials ultimately hope to haul as much as 1,600 tons a day around Iraq, officials said.
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn
U.S. Expands Cargo Flights Over Iraq
By JOHN J. LUMPKINAssociated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Air Force is making more cargo flights over Iraq to keep Army transport trucks off the country's dangerous roads, accepting the increased risk to planes and added cost to reduce the threat on the ground, officials said Tuesday.
During the last month, the Air Force reorganized the operations of its cargo lifters and is now flying about 450 tons of cargo around Iraq daily, said Lt. Col. Mike Caldwell, an Air Force spokesman. That's an increase of about 100 tons a day over its previous average, he said.
Most of the missions are flown by propeller-driven C-130 Hercules transports; the Air Force has 64 available in and around the Iraq theater, officials said. The larger C-17 Globemaster and commercial aircraft also are used for some flights.
The cargo consists primarily of repair parts and ammunition. They flights also carry armored Humvees from Kuwait to Baghdad, eliminating for the vehicles the risks of a four-day drive.
While they carry only a small portion of the 25,000 tons hauled daily around Iraq in support of the U.S.-led military effort there, Air Force officials say the cargo flights keep about 180 people off the roughest roads in a 24-hour period.
The flights "give the ground forces the opportunity to reduce the traffic on the most dangerous routes," said Gen. John Jumper, the Air Force's chief of staff, according to a transcript of comments he made Tuesday.
On a given day in Iraq, 3,000 vehicles in 215 convoys are moving around, according to Air Force figures. They face ambush by insurgents and attacks from roadside bombs. Scores of soldiers and drivers have been killed or wounded while on convoy duty.
Many of the heavy trucks in these convoys are without armor and are protected only by troops in escorting Humvees. An Army Reserve unit refused to go on a convoy mission in October because they believed it was too dangerous. The military acknowledged some of their concerns were valid but punished some of the soldiers for refusing orders.
PHOTO GALLERY
Iraq
Interactives
Iraq: Sights and Sounds
Street Fighting
1000 U.S. Deaths
Iraq's New Government
Prison Abuse Scandal
Tribes of Iraq
Reconstruction of Iraq
Coalition Casualties
Documents
Key Findings on WMD
Recent Stories
U.S. Expands Cargo Flights Over Iraq
Iraq War Crimes Trials to Begin Next Week
Navy Documents Detail Iraqi Abuse Claims
A Daily Look at U.S. Iraq Military Deaths
SEC Questions Tyco on Iraq Program
Iraq War Crimes Trials to Begin Next Week
Celebrities Offer Brief Relief for Troops
Still, increased flights by cargo aircraft subject them to greater risk. Insurgents have shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) that are capable of taking down low-flying aircraft, although C-130s and other military planes have defenses against them.
"There will be increased SAMs," Jumper said. "But we've also got 100 casualties a month in convoys. We're not sending C-130s in there undefended, so they have the right kind of equipment to go in there and defend themselves."
Last year, a civilian cargo jet was hit with a shoulder-launched missile after takeoff from Baghdad, and earlier this year a burst of automatic gunfire killed a passenger aboard an Australian C-130.
In addition, the increased flights probably will mean greater fuel and maintenance costs and stress on aircrews. Flying a C-130 costs $3,400 an hour, Air Force officials said.
"I am totally disinterested in the cost," Jumper said. "It will be paid for. We will do what it takes."
Some Air Force officials ultimately hope to haul as much as 1,600 tons a day around Iraq, officials said.
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn
Macau
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, short form Macau or Macao (see Names), is a small territory on the southern coast of China. It is 70 km southwest of Hong Kong and 145 km from Guangzhou. It was the oldest European colony in China, dating back to the 16th century. The Portuguese government transferred sovereignty over Macau to the People's Republic of China in 1999, and it is now run as a Special Administrative Region of the PRC. Residents of Macau mostly speak Cantonese natively; Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and English are also spoken.
Broadly, Macanese refers to all permanent inhabitants of Macau. But narrowly, it refers to an ethnic group in Macau originating from Portuguese descent, usually mixed with Chinese blood.
Besides historical colonial relics, the biggest attractions in Macau are the casinos. Though many forms of gambling are legal there, the most popular game is Pai Gow, a game played with Chinese dominoes. Gamblers from Hong Kong often take a one-day excursion to the city. Ferry service by hydrofoil between Hong Kong and Macau is available 24 hours a day, every day.
??????????????Região Administrativa Especial deMacau da República Popular da China
(In Detail)
(Full size)
National motto: none
Official languages
Cantonese and Portuguese
Chief Executive
Edmund Ho Hau-wah
Area - Total - % water
(Not ranked)27.3 km²0%
Population
- Total (March, 2004) - Density
(Not ranked)
451,00016,521/km²
Establishment
- Date
Handover from Portugal to the People's Republic of China
December 20, 1999
Currency
Pataca (MOP)
Time zone
UTC +8 (AWST)
Internet TLD
.mo
Calling Code
853
Contents
//
[showhide]
1 Names
2 History
3 Politics
4 Subdivisions
5 Geography
6 Economy
7 Demographics
8 Culture
9 Landmarks
10 Miscellaneous topics
11 External link
[edit]
Names
The name "Macau" (?? Cantonese: Magau) is thought to be derived from "Mage Temple" (??? Cantonese: Magok), a still existing landmark built in 1448 dedicated to the goddess Matsu. The more popular Chinese name of Àomén (??) means "Inlet Gates". The "gates" refer to two erect gate-like mountains of Nantai (??) and Beitai (??). Macau is also known as Haojing'ao (??? "Trench-mirror Inlet"), Xiangshan'ao (??? "Fragrant-mountain Inlet"), Liandao (?? "Lotus Island"), as well as "Soda port" (???).
Macau is the official Portuguese spelling. Sometimes in English, Macao is used.
[edit]
History
Main article: History of Macau
Macau was officially founded as a colony of Portugal in 1557 and recognized by the Chinese in 1670. Macau prospered as a port and was a subject of repeated attempts by the Dutch to conquer it in the 17th century.
After the House of Braganza regained control of Portugal from the Spanish Habsburgs in 1640, Macau was granted the official title of Cidade do Nome de Deus, de Macau, Não há outra mais Leal (City of the Name of God, Macau, There is None More Loyal).
A church in Macau, with the region's distinctive striped tiling.
With Hong Kong established as a British Crown Colony, Macau declined as regional trading center as larger ships were drawn to the deep water port of Victoria Harbour.
After the leftist military coup of 1974, the now democratic Portuguese government was determined to free up all its overseas possessions. In 1976, Lisbon redefined Macau as a Special Territory and granted it a large measure of administrative and economic independence. Following the example of the British, an agreement was made with the People's Republic of China to make Macau a Special Administrative Region in 1999.
[edit]
Politics
Main article: Politics of Macau
The chief executive is appointed by the People's Republic of China's central government after selection by an election committee, whose members are nominated by corporate bodies. The chief executive appears before a cabinet, the Executive Council, of between 7 and 11 members. Edmund Ho, a community leader and banker, is the first China-appointed chief executive of the Macau SAR, having replaced General de Rocha Vieira on December 20, 1999.
The legislative organ of the territory is the Legislative Assembly, a 23-member body comprising eight directly elected members, eight appointed members representing functional constituencies and seven members appointed by the chief executive. The Legislative Assembly is responsible for general lawmaking. The city of Macau and the islands of Taipa and Coloane each have a municipal council.
The legal system is based largely on Portuguese law. The territory has its own independent judicial system, with a high court - the Court of Final Appeal (CFA). Judges are selected by a committee and appointed by the chief executive.
[edit]
Subdivisions
Macau comprises two administrative subdivisions:
The Northern District (??): Macao proper
The Islands District (???): Taipa and Coloane
Although the phrase "Northern District", broadly speaking, may refer to the entire Macau peninsula, some of the people in Macau use the phrase "Northern District" more narrowly. It refers to the northern part of the Macau peninsula, and the northern part of the Macau peninsula is situated near the border of China. In this way, a lot of people travel to and from China by land (i.e. on foot or all sorts of land transportation) through the northern district.
[edit]
Geography
Main article: Geography of Macau
Macau consists of a peninsula, and the islands of Taipa and Coloane.
The peninsula is formed by the Zhujiang (Pearl River) estuary on the east and the Xijiang (West River) on the west. It borders the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone in mainland China.
Macau has a generally flat terrain resulting from extensive land reclamation, but numerous steep hills mark the original natural land mass. The Macau peninsula was originally an island, but gradually a connecting sandbar turned into a narrow isthmus. Land reclamation in the 17th century made Macau into a peninsula.
With a dense urban environment, Macau has no arable land, pastures, forest, or woodland. Because of this deficiency, Macau's people traditionally have looked to the sea for their livelihood.
[edit]
Economy
Main article: Economy of Macau
Macau's economy is based largely on tourism, including gambling, and textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small industries, such as toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The clothing industry has provided about three-fourths of export earnings, and the gambling industry is estimated to contribute more than 40% of GDP. More than 8 million tourists visited Macau in 2000. Although the recent growth in gambling and tourism has been driven primarily by mainland Chinese, tourists from Hong Kong remain the most numerous. Recently, gang violence, a dark spot on the economy, has declined somewhat, to the benefit of the tourism sector.
[edit]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Macau
Considered as a "dependency", Macau is the most densely populated of the countries/dependencies in the world.
Macau's population is 95% Chinese, primarily Cantonese and some Hakka, both from nearby Guangdong Province. The remainder are of Portuguese or mixed Chinese-Portuguese ancestry, or the so-called Macanese. The official languages are Portuguese (especially its creole Patuá or Macaista Chapado, which is almost extinct) and Mandarin Chinese, though the residents commonly speak Cantonese Chinese. English is spoken in tourist areas.
[edit]
Culture
Main article: Culture of Macau
[edit]
Landmarks
Ruins of Saint Paul's Cathedral
Casino Lisboa
Macau Tower
[edit]
Miscellaneous topics
Communications in Macau
Education in Macau
Transportation in Macau
Military of Macau
Crime and Police in Macau
Gambling in Macau
Macau Law
[edit]
External link
Government of Macau (http://www.macau.gov.mo/)
Province-level divisions administered by the People's Republic of China
Provinces¹:
Anhui Fujian Gansu Guangdong Guizhou Hainan Hebei Heilongjiang Henan Hubei Hunan Jiangsu Jiangxi Jilin Liaoning Qinghai Shaanxi Shandong Shanxi Sichuan Yunnan Zhejiang
Autonomous Regions:
Guangxi Inner Mongolia Ningxia Tibet Xinjiang
Municipalities:
Beijing Chongqing Shanghai Tianjin
Special Administrative Regions:
Hong Kong Macau
¹ See also: Political status of Taiwan
.
Countries in East Asia
China (PRC) Japan North Korea South Korea Taiwan (ROC)Dependencies: Hong Kong Macau
Edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Template:Portuguese_former_colonies&action=edit)
Portuguese former colonies
Angola Brazil Cape Verde East Timor Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese Guinea) Portuguese India Macau (Macao) Mozambique São Tomé and Príncipe
Not to be confused with the parrot macaw.
Macau is also the name of a commune in the Gironde département, in France
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau"
Categories: Macau Special territories
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, short form Macau or Macao (see Names), is a small territory on the southern coast of China. It is 70 km southwest of Hong Kong and 145 km from Guangzhou. It was the oldest European colony in China, dating back to the 16th century. The Portuguese government transferred sovereignty over Macau to the People's Republic of China in 1999, and it is now run as a Special Administrative Region of the PRC. Residents of Macau mostly speak Cantonese natively; Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and English are also spoken.
Broadly, Macanese refers to all permanent inhabitants of Macau. But narrowly, it refers to an ethnic group in Macau originating from Portuguese descent, usually mixed with Chinese blood.
Besides historical colonial relics, the biggest attractions in Macau are the casinos. Though many forms of gambling are legal there, the most popular game is Pai Gow, a game played with Chinese dominoes. Gamblers from Hong Kong often take a one-day excursion to the city. Ferry service by hydrofoil between Hong Kong and Macau is available 24 hours a day, every day.
??????????????Região Administrativa Especial deMacau da República Popular da China
(In Detail)
(Full size)
National motto: none
Official languages
Cantonese and Portuguese
Chief Executive
Edmund Ho Hau-wah
Area - Total - % water
(Not ranked)27.3 km²0%
Population
- Total (March, 2004) - Density
(Not ranked)
451,00016,521/km²
Establishment
- Date
Handover from Portugal to the People's Republic of China
December 20, 1999
Currency
Pataca (MOP)
Time zone
UTC +8 (AWST)
Internet TLD
.mo
Calling Code
853
Contents
//
[showhide]
1 Names
2 History
3 Politics
4 Subdivisions
5 Geography
6 Economy
7 Demographics
8 Culture
9 Landmarks
10 Miscellaneous topics
11 External link
[edit]
Names
The name "Macau" (?? Cantonese: Magau) is thought to be derived from "Mage Temple" (??? Cantonese: Magok), a still existing landmark built in 1448 dedicated to the goddess Matsu. The more popular Chinese name of Àomén (??) means "Inlet Gates". The "gates" refer to two erect gate-like mountains of Nantai (??) and Beitai (??). Macau is also known as Haojing'ao (??? "Trench-mirror Inlet"), Xiangshan'ao (??? "Fragrant-mountain Inlet"), Liandao (?? "Lotus Island"), as well as "Soda port" (???).
Macau is the official Portuguese spelling. Sometimes in English, Macao is used.
[edit]
History
Main article: History of Macau
Macau was officially founded as a colony of Portugal in 1557 and recognized by the Chinese in 1670. Macau prospered as a port and was a subject of repeated attempts by the Dutch to conquer it in the 17th century.
After the House of Braganza regained control of Portugal from the Spanish Habsburgs in 1640, Macau was granted the official title of Cidade do Nome de Deus, de Macau, Não há outra mais Leal (City of the Name of God, Macau, There is None More Loyal).
A church in Macau, with the region's distinctive striped tiling.
With Hong Kong established as a British Crown Colony, Macau declined as regional trading center as larger ships were drawn to the deep water port of Victoria Harbour.
After the leftist military coup of 1974, the now democratic Portuguese government was determined to free up all its overseas possessions. In 1976, Lisbon redefined Macau as a Special Territory and granted it a large measure of administrative and economic independence. Following the example of the British, an agreement was made with the People's Republic of China to make Macau a Special Administrative Region in 1999.
[edit]
Politics
Main article: Politics of Macau
The chief executive is appointed by the People's Republic of China's central government after selection by an election committee, whose members are nominated by corporate bodies. The chief executive appears before a cabinet, the Executive Council, of between 7 and 11 members. Edmund Ho, a community leader and banker, is the first China-appointed chief executive of the Macau SAR, having replaced General de Rocha Vieira on December 20, 1999.
The legislative organ of the territory is the Legislative Assembly, a 23-member body comprising eight directly elected members, eight appointed members representing functional constituencies and seven members appointed by the chief executive. The Legislative Assembly is responsible for general lawmaking. The city of Macau and the islands of Taipa and Coloane each have a municipal council.
The legal system is based largely on Portuguese law. The territory has its own independent judicial system, with a high court - the Court of Final Appeal (CFA). Judges are selected by a committee and appointed by the chief executive.
[edit]
Subdivisions
Macau comprises two administrative subdivisions:
The Northern District (??): Macao proper
The Islands District (???): Taipa and Coloane
Although the phrase "Northern District", broadly speaking, may refer to the entire Macau peninsula, some of the people in Macau use the phrase "Northern District" more narrowly. It refers to the northern part of the Macau peninsula, and the northern part of the Macau peninsula is situated near the border of China. In this way, a lot of people travel to and from China by land (i.e. on foot or all sorts of land transportation) through the northern district.
[edit]
Geography
Main article: Geography of Macau
Macau consists of a peninsula, and the islands of Taipa and Coloane.
The peninsula is formed by the Zhujiang (Pearl River) estuary on the east and the Xijiang (West River) on the west. It borders the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone in mainland China.
Macau has a generally flat terrain resulting from extensive land reclamation, but numerous steep hills mark the original natural land mass. The Macau peninsula was originally an island, but gradually a connecting sandbar turned into a narrow isthmus. Land reclamation in the 17th century made Macau into a peninsula.
With a dense urban environment, Macau has no arable land, pastures, forest, or woodland. Because of this deficiency, Macau's people traditionally have looked to the sea for their livelihood.
[edit]
Economy
Main article: Economy of Macau
Macau's economy is based largely on tourism, including gambling, and textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned other small industries, such as toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The clothing industry has provided about three-fourths of export earnings, and the gambling industry is estimated to contribute more than 40% of GDP. More than 8 million tourists visited Macau in 2000. Although the recent growth in gambling and tourism has been driven primarily by mainland Chinese, tourists from Hong Kong remain the most numerous. Recently, gang violence, a dark spot on the economy, has declined somewhat, to the benefit of the tourism sector.
[edit]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Macau
Considered as a "dependency", Macau is the most densely populated of the countries/dependencies in the world.
Macau's population is 95% Chinese, primarily Cantonese and some Hakka, both from nearby Guangdong Province. The remainder are of Portuguese or mixed Chinese-Portuguese ancestry, or the so-called Macanese. The official languages are Portuguese (especially its creole Patuá or Macaista Chapado, which is almost extinct) and Mandarin Chinese, though the residents commonly speak Cantonese Chinese. English is spoken in tourist areas.
[edit]
Culture
Main article: Culture of Macau
[edit]
Landmarks
Ruins of Saint Paul's Cathedral
Casino Lisboa
Macau Tower
[edit]
Miscellaneous topics
Communications in Macau
Education in Macau
Transportation in Macau
Military of Macau
Crime and Police in Macau
Gambling in Macau
Macau Law
[edit]
External link
Government of Macau (http://www.macau.gov.mo/)
Province-level divisions administered by the People's Republic of China
Provinces¹:
Anhui Fujian Gansu Guangdong Guizhou Hainan Hebei Heilongjiang Henan Hubei Hunan Jiangsu Jiangxi Jilin Liaoning Qinghai Shaanxi Shandong Shanxi Sichuan Yunnan Zhejiang
Autonomous Regions:
Guangxi Inner Mongolia Ningxia Tibet Xinjiang
Municipalities:
Beijing Chongqing Shanghai Tianjin
Special Administrative Regions:
Hong Kong Macau
¹ See also: Political status of Taiwan
.
Countries in East Asia
China (PRC) Japan North Korea South Korea Taiwan (ROC)Dependencies: Hong Kong Macau
Edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Template:Portuguese_former_colonies&action=edit)
Portuguese former colonies
Angola Brazil Cape Verde East Timor Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese Guinea) Portuguese India Macau (Macao) Mozambique São Tomé and Príncipe
Not to be confused with the parrot macaw.
Macau is also the name of a commune in the Gironde département, in France
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau"
Categories: Macau Special territories
Brunei
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Sultanate of Brunei, more commonly referred to as Brunei Darussalam or simply Brunei, is an oil-rich country located on the island of Borneo, in southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by Malaysia.
Brunei is one of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
???? ?????????Negara Brunei Darussalam
(In Detail)
(Full size)
National motto: Always Render Service by God's guidance
Official language
Malay language
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan
Sultan
Hassanal Bolkiah
Area - Total - % water
Ranked 163rd5,770 km²8.6%
Population
- Total (2001) - Density
Ranked 162nd
343,65361/km²
Independence
January 1, 1984
Currency
Dollar
Time zone
UTC + 8
National anthem
Ya Allah lanjutkanla usia Duli tuanku
Internet TLD
.bn
Calling Code
673 (080 from Malaysia)
Contents
//
[showhide]
1 History
2 Politics
3 Districts
4 Geography
5 Economy
6 Demographics
7 Culture
8 Miscellaneous topics
9 External links
[edit]
History
Main article: History of Brunei
The Sultanate of Brunei was very powerful from the 14th through 16th century, covering the southern Philippines, Sarawak and Sabah. European influence gradually brought an end to this power, and Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888.
[edit]
Politics
Main article: Politics of Brunei
The Sultan of Brunei, whose title has passed within the same dynasty since the 14th century, is the head of state and head of government in Brunei. The Sultan is advised by several councils and a cabinet of ministers. There is no elected legislative body. In September 2004, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah convened an appointed Parliament which had not met since independence in 1984.
[edit]
Districts
Main article: Districts of Brunei
Brunei is divided into four districts, called daerah. These are:
Belait
Brunei and Muara
Temburong
Tutong
[edit]
Geography
Main article: Geography of Brunei
Brunei consists of two unconnected parts; 97% of the population lives in the larger western part, only about 10,000 live in the mountainous eastern part, the district of Temburong. Major cities are the capital Bandar Seri Begawan (about 46,000 inhabitants), the port town Muara and Seria.
The climate in Brunei is tropical, with high temperatures, a high humidity and heavy rainfall.
[edit]
Economy
Main article: Economy of Brunei
This small, wealthy economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.
[edit]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Brunei
About two-thirds of the Brunei population are of Malay origin. The most important minority ethnic group are the Chinese, with about 15%. These groups also reflect the most important languages: Malay, which is the official language, and Chinese. English is also spoken.
Islam is the official religion of Brunei, and the sultan is the head of the religion in the country. Other faiths practised are Buddhism (mainly by the Chinese) and Christianity.
[edit]
Culture
Main article: Culture of Brunei
The culture of Brunei is similar to Malay culture, with heavy influences from Hinduism and Islam.
See also:
Music of Brunei
[edit]
Miscellaneous topics
Communications in Brunei
Transportation in Brunei
Military of Brunei
Foreign relations of Brunei
Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
[edit]
External links
Official Website of the Government of Brunei (http://www.brunei.gov.bn/)
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam
Observer status: Papua New Guinea
Commonwealth of Nations
Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Botswana Brunei Cameroon Canada Cyprus Dominica Fiji The Gambia Ghana Grenada Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu Zambia
Organization of the Islamic Conference
Afghanistan Albania Algeria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Benin Burkina Faso Brunei Cameroon Chad Comoros Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Gabon Gambia Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Indonesia Iran Iraq Jordan Kuwait Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Libya Maldives Malaysia Mali Mauritania Morocco Mozambique Niger Nigeria Oman Pakistan Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia Sudan Surinam Syria Tajikistan Turkey Tunisia Togo Turkmenistan Uganda Uzbekistan United Arab Emirates Yemen
Observer countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina Central African Republic Thailand
Observer Muslim organizations and communities: Moro National Liberation Front Turkish Cypriot State
Observer international organizations: Economic Cooperation Organization Organization of African Unity League of Arab States Non-Aligned Movement United Nations
Countries in Southeast Asia
Brunei Cambodia East Timor Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunei"
Categories: Brunei Monarchies Southeast Asian countries Island nations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Sultanate of Brunei, more commonly referred to as Brunei Darussalam or simply Brunei, is an oil-rich country located on the island of Borneo, in southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by Malaysia.
Brunei is one of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
???? ?????????Negara Brunei Darussalam
(In Detail)
(Full size)
National motto: Always Render Service by God's guidance
Official language
Malay language
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan
Sultan
Hassanal Bolkiah
Area - Total - % water
Ranked 163rd5,770 km²8.6%
Population
- Total (2001) - Density
Ranked 162nd
343,65361/km²
Independence
January 1, 1984
Currency
Dollar
Time zone
UTC + 8
National anthem
Ya Allah lanjutkanla usia Duli tuanku
Internet TLD
.bn
Calling Code
673 (080 from Malaysia)
Contents
//
[showhide]
1 History
2 Politics
3 Districts
4 Geography
5 Economy
6 Demographics
7 Culture
8 Miscellaneous topics
9 External links
[edit]
History
Main article: History of Brunei
The Sultanate of Brunei was very powerful from the 14th through 16th century, covering the southern Philippines, Sarawak and Sabah. European influence gradually brought an end to this power, and Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888.
[edit]
Politics
Main article: Politics of Brunei
The Sultan of Brunei, whose title has passed within the same dynasty since the 14th century, is the head of state and head of government in Brunei. The Sultan is advised by several councils and a cabinet of ministers. There is no elected legislative body. In September 2004, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah convened an appointed Parliament which had not met since independence in 1984.
[edit]
Districts
Main article: Districts of Brunei
Brunei is divided into four districts, called daerah. These are:
Belait
Brunei and Muara
Temburong
Tutong
[edit]
Geography
Main article: Geography of Brunei
Brunei consists of two unconnected parts; 97% of the population lives in the larger western part, only about 10,000 live in the mountainous eastern part, the district of Temburong. Major cities are the capital Bandar Seri Begawan (about 46,000 inhabitants), the port town Muara and Seria.
The climate in Brunei is tropical, with high temperatures, a high humidity and heavy rainfall.
[edit]
Economy
Main article: Economy of Brunei
This small, wealthy economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas.
[edit]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Brunei
About two-thirds of the Brunei population are of Malay origin. The most important minority ethnic group are the Chinese, with about 15%. These groups also reflect the most important languages: Malay, which is the official language, and Chinese. English is also spoken.
Islam is the official religion of Brunei, and the sultan is the head of the religion in the country. Other faiths practised are Buddhism (mainly by the Chinese) and Christianity.
[edit]
Culture
Main article: Culture of Brunei
The culture of Brunei is similar to Malay culture, with heavy influences from Hinduism and Islam.
See also:
Music of Brunei
[edit]
Miscellaneous topics
Communications in Brunei
Transportation in Brunei
Military of Brunei
Foreign relations of Brunei
Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
[edit]
External links
Official Website of the Government of Brunei (http://www.brunei.gov.bn/)
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam
Observer status: Papua New Guinea
Commonwealth of Nations
Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Botswana Brunei Cameroon Canada Cyprus Dominica Fiji The Gambia Ghana Grenada Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu Zambia
Organization of the Islamic Conference
Afghanistan Albania Algeria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Benin Burkina Faso Brunei Cameroon Chad Comoros Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Gabon Gambia Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Indonesia Iran Iraq Jordan Kuwait Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Libya Maldives Malaysia Mali Mauritania Morocco Mozambique Niger Nigeria Oman Pakistan Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia Sudan Surinam Syria Tajikistan Turkey Tunisia Togo Turkmenistan Uganda Uzbekistan United Arab Emirates Yemen
Observer countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina Central African Republic Thailand
Observer Muslim organizations and communities: Moro National Liberation Front Turkish Cypriot State
Observer international organizations: Economic Cooperation Organization Organization of African Unity League of Arab States Non-Aligned Movement United Nations
Countries in Southeast Asia
Brunei Cambodia East Timor Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunei"
Categories: Brunei Monarchies Southeast Asian countries Island nations
Singapore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Republic of Singapore (Chinese ??????, pinyin: X?nj?ap? Gònghéguó; Malay Republik Singapura; Tamil ??????????? ????????, Cingkapp?r Kudiyarasu), is an island city-state in Southeast Asia, at latitude 1°17'35"N longitude 103°51'20"E, situated on the southern tip of Malay Peninsula, south of the state of Johor of Peninsular Malaysia and north of the Indonesian islands of Riau.
Republic of Singapore??????Republik Singapura??????????? ????????
(Flag)
(Coat of Arms)
(Symbol)
(Flower)
National motto: Majulah Singapura(Malay: Onward, Singapore)
Official languages
English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil
National language
Malay
Capital
Singapore
Head of State
Sellapan Rama NATHAN
Head of Government
LEE Hsien Loong
Area - Total - % water
697.1 km²1.444%
Population - Total (July 2003 est.) - Density
Ranked 114th4,185,2006,004/km²
GDP (2003) - Total - Total - GDP/head - GDP/head
56th, 37nd, 25th, 21stUS$112 billion (PPP)$91 billion (Nominal)$25,200 (PPP)$23,999 (Nominal)
Independence - Date
From MalaysiaAugust 9, 1965
Currency
Singapore Dollar (S$, SGD)
Time zone
UTC +8
National anthem
Majulah Singapura
Internet TLD
.sg
Calling code
65 (02 when dialling from Malaysia)
Contents
//
[showhide]
1 History
2 Geography & Climate
2.1 Geography2.2 Climate
3 Demographics
4 Culture
5 Politics
6 Economy
7 Transportation
8 Laws
9 Reference
10 Miscellaneous topics
11 External links
[edit]
History
Main article: History of Singapore
The history of Singapore begins with the earliest references to the island in Chinese texts from the 3rd century. The island served as an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire and was originally given the Javanese name Temasek. Temasek rose to become a significant trading city in its heyday, but later declined in significance - little is to be found of old Temasek in Singapore other than archaeological evidence.
The current name of the city derives from the Sanskrit Singapura (Lion City); this name became common by the late 14th century. The 15th and 16th century Sultanate of Johore included Singapore. During the Malay-Portugal wars, Singapura was burned down by Portugese forces in 1617. The city was officially abandoned; the island remained inhabited by small bands of fishermen and pirates.
In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, an official with the British East India Company, established Singapore as a trade post and settlement, having made a treaty with the Sultan of Johor, the effective ruler of the island of Singapore then. After some conflict over the territory between the Dutch and the British, the Dutch withdrew objections to Great Britain's founding of Singapore as a trade city in Southeast Asia in August 1824. After undergoing a number of territorial incarnations, Singapore was made a crown colony in 1867.
Singapore prospered as a trading port. Entrepot trade grew, no doubt helped by Singapore's strategic location at an important trade route along the Straits of Malacca, later to become the busiest shipping route in the world.
1888 German map of Singapore
During World War II, Japanese forces invaded Malaya and pushed southwards towards Singapore. The British and Allied forces were forced to retreat towards Singapore with the Japanese in pursuit. Despite having numerical superiority, the British and Allied troops were less well trained and they did not have the combined arms support of the navy and air force that the Japanese enjoyed after successful raids on the Royal Air Force base in Singapore and the destruction of the battleships, the "Prince of Wales" and the "Repulse". The Japanese landed in Singapore on February 7, 1942. On February 15, 1942, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, commander of British forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita. The Japanese held Singapore until September 1945.
Singapore became a self-governing crown colony in 1959. Singapore joined Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as part of the Federation of Malaysia between 1963 and 1965. It however, withdrew from Malaysia, becoming a sovereign nation on August 9, 1965. This was due to the fact that, during the years of merger, racial tensions had grown within Singapore, culminating in numerous riots and curfews, notably the clash that took place on Prophet Mohammed's birthday, between the Malay and Chinese races. Malaysia and Singapore, therefore, both decided that separation was for the best. Singapore rapidly formed its own armed forces as Britain withdrew troops from Singapore in October 1971. Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his memoirs of his feelings of insecurity regarding the country's safety, writing that Singapore was "a Chinese island in a Malay sea", referring to Singapore's position at the tip of Malaysia. He also lamented the partial loss of the Malaysian hinterland.
Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore's first Prime Minister, governing Singapore from 1959 to 1990. His main priority then was to raise Singapore from the ashes after the World War II and develop it to compete in the global market, which was extremely hard, given the economic and political state of Singapore after the war.
His successor, Goh Chok Tong, took office in 1990 as the second Prime Minister, while Lee Kuan Yew became Senior Minister. Goh Chok Tong was faced with the problems of sustaining Singapore's growth and further promoting it as a business hub. He also saw the country through crises such as the 1997 Asian economic crisis and SARS in 2003.
On August 12, 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, took over as the third Prime Minister of Singapore. In turn, Goh Chok Tong became Senior Minister while Lee Kuan Yew took on the newly created portfolio of Minister Mentor.
[edit]
Geography & Climate
Main article: Geography & Climate of Singapore
Map of Singapore
[edit]
Geography
Singapore's main territory is a diamond-shaped island which is connected to the city of Johor Bahru in the state of Johor, Malaysia by a man-made causeway to the north. There is also a bridge (Tuas Second Link) in the western part of Singapore connecting to Johor. Singapore also has dozens of smaller islands, of which Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the larger ones. The highest point of Singapore is Bukit Timah, with a height of 164m or 538 feet.
When Singapore was first colonized by the British, the city of Singapore was situated on the southern coast, around the mouth of the Singapore River. This area remains the downtown core of Singapore. The rest of the island was farmland and jungle. However, since the 1960s the government has constructed many new towns in other areas, so that today the island is nearly entirely built-up, with only a few exceptions. In addition, Singapore has reclaimed land with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5km² in the 1960s to 697.1km² today, and may grow by another 100km² by 2030.
Since Singapore is basically a city-state, there are no further administrative divisions. Singapore does however have community development councils and town councils that handle local matters.
[edit]
Climate
Singapore's climate is tropical ("tropical rainforest climate" under Köppen climate classification), with no distinct seasons. Because of its geographical location and maritime exposure, its climate is characterised by uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity and abundant rainfall. Temperature as a diurnal range of a minimum 23-26ºC and a maximum of 31-34ºC. Relative humidity has a diurnal range in the high 90's in the early morning to around 60 % in the mid-afternoon. During prolonged heavy rain, relative humidity often reaches 100 %.
The climate of Singapore can be divided into two main seasons, the Northeast Monsoon (December to early March) and the Southwest Monsoon season (June to September), separated by two relatively short inter-monsoon periods. (These seasons are usually found in more academic contexts and are not generally familiar to laypeople in Singapore.) During the Northeast Monsoon season, northeast winds prevail, sometimes reaching 20 km/h. Cloudy conditions in December and January with frequent afternoon showers. Spells of widespread moderate to heavy rain occur lasting from 1 to 3 days at a stretch. Relatively drier in February till early March. Also generally windy with wind speeds sometimes reaching 30 to 40 km/h in the months of January and February. During the Southeast Monsoon season, southeast/southwest winds prevail. Isolated to scattered showers occur in the late morning and early afternoon. Early morning "Sumatra" line squalls are common.
[edit]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Singapore
Trishaws in Singapore
Apart from the much smaller Monaco, Singapore is the most densely populated independent country in the world. 85% of Singaporeans live in public housing provided by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Source: Singapore Department of Statistics (http://www.singstat.gov.sg/keystats/people.html#hhlds)
Singapore's population is diverse. The Chinese account for 76.8% of Singaporeans. Malays, who are the indigenous native group of the country, constitute 13.9%, though this number includes many Malay ethnic groups from other parts of the Malay archipelago including the Javanese, Bugis, Baweans and Minangs.The Indians are the third largest ethnic group at 7.9% which consisted of several groups - Tamils, who form the largest Indian group and others such as Malayalees, Punjabis and Bengalis. The rest are made up of smaller groups such as Arab and Eurasian.
The government of Singapore has been careful to maintain ethnic harmony after racial riots erupted in the 1960s. Racial harmony has been emphasized in all aspects of society, including education, military and housing. So far the policy has been successful, and there has been no signs of ethnic unrest since the early 1970s. Issues exist such as bans on fundamentalist evangelical Christian activities and the Islamic headscarf in public schools (without a reciprocal ban on other religious symbols).
The official languages are English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil. English has been promoted as the country's lingua franca since independence, and it is spoken by the majority of the population. Malay remains Singapore's national language for historical reasons and it is used in the national anthem.
[edit]
Culture
Main article: Culture of Singapore
A ferry in Singapore
Singapore is a small and relatively modern amalgam of semi-indigenous Malay population with the majority Chinese and the minority Indian and Arab migrants. There appears little in the way of specifically Singaporean culture, as there is little intermarriage, although there is a community of Peranakan or "Straits Chinese", of mixed Chinese and Malay descent. There is also a steadily increasing Eurasian community. The major public holidays in Singapore reflect this diversity, including the religious holidays of various denominations.
Officially, the English used is modelled on British English (spelling and grammar), with some American English influences. The local colloquial dialect of English is known formally as Singapore Colloquial English (though it is more commonly called "Singlish"), and has many creole-like characteristics, having incorporated much vocabulary and grammar from various dialects of Chinese, Malay, and Indian languages. Singlish is basically identical to Manglish (the English dialect of Malaysia), and is the usual language on the streets, but is frowned upon in official contexts, and this matter has been brought up in recent years in the Parliament and the ruling party.
Singapore also has several ethnic neighborhoods, including a "Little India" and a "Chinatown", formed by the Raffles Plan of Singapore to segregate the new immigrants into specific areas. Although the population are no longer segregated in distribution mainly due to the policies of the HDB now, these ethnic neighbourhoods retain selective elements of their specific culture. The usage of such neighbourhoods is mostly commercial or for cottage industry specific to the culture of its ethnic neighbourhood, and does not play a big part in housing the population, although it is used for that purpose. Hence, these neighbourhoods have patronage of all races who probably wish to either eat or buy something specific to that culture.
In other parts of the country, segregation is discouraged, and diversity is encouraged. This can often be found in the policies of the HDB, which try to make sure there is a lively mix of all races within each housing district; the effect of this can be observed in all parts of the country as for example, a store devoted to selling Malay food might be right next to stores selling Chinese or Indian goods.
[edit]
Politics
Main article: Politics of Singapore
Singapore has a Westminster-style constitution. There is an elected figurehead president, who has veto powers in a few key decisions - such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of key judiciary positions. True executive power rests with the prime minister who leads the majority party in the elected Parliament.
In practice, politics is dominated by the People's Action Party which has ruled since Independence. Over the years the PAP has been accused of taking overly harsh actions against opposition parties to discourage and impede their success, such as gerrymandering (redrawing electoral districts to one's own favour). Since most people are supportive or apathetic regarding PAP policies, the opposition parties are stereotypically associated with the truly political passionate (some say foolhardy). There are also several cases of government leaders taking out civil suits against the opposition for libel or slander. Critics point out that in any case brought before the Singaporean courts involving the PAP or the Singapore Government, judges have always ruled in their favour, although a few instances of successful opposition suits have been recorded. Western democracies consider the mode of government in Singapore to be closer to authoritarianism than true democracy.
Paradoxically (for political scientists), Singapore has a highly successful and transparent market economy. Singapore was originally known as a social democracy, but the PAP has consistently rejected the notion of being socialist. One difference from a social democracy could be the sense that it uses public opinion and feedback to make policies instead of rigorous lawmaking procedures. However, PAP's policies contain certain hallmarks of socialism, which includes government owned public housing constituting the majority of real estate and the dominance of government owned and controlled companies in the local economy. PAP has also consistently rejected Western democratic values in the past, with former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew citing incompatibilities with "Asian values". Most recently, the PAP has promulgated the loosening of social conservative policies and policies to promote enterpreneurship but the effects of both efforts have not completely manifested.
[edit]
Economy
Main article: Economy of Singapore
Singapore CBD lit up
As one of the East Asian Tigers, Singapore enjoys a highly developed and successful free-market economy, characterised by a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and one of the highest per capita GDP in the world. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing, and was hard hit in 2001 by the global recession and the slump in the technology sector. In 2001, GDP contracted by 2.2%. The economy has since recovered in response to improvements in the US economy, and is now expected to expand between 8 to 9% in 2004. In the longer term the government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle than the current export-led model, but is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub.
The per capita GDP in 2003 was US$22,366. In the third quarter of 2004, the unemployment rate was 3.4%.
The Economic Review Committee (ERC), set up in December 2001, made key recommendations to remake Singapore into:
a globalised economy where Singapore is the key node in the global network, linked to all the major economies;
a creative and entrepreneurial nation willing to take risks to create fresh businesses and blaze new paths to success; and
a diversified economy powered by the twin engines of manufacturing and services, where vibrant Singapore companies complement MNCs, and new startups co-exist with traditional businesses exploiting new and innovative ideas.
[edit]
Transportation
Public transportation in Singapore is relatively easy, convenient and cheap to use.
Main article: Transportation in Singapore
Singapore is linked to Johor, Malaysia via a causeway and bridge, as well as a railway line operated by KTMB of Malaysia. Singapore Changi Airport is situated at the eastern most tip of the main island. Comprising of two terminals, it is one of the most important air hubs in the region, serving 167 cities in 53 countries. When construction of the third terminal is completed in 2006, Changi will be capable of handling 64 million passengers every year.
Within Singapore, there is a well-developed system of expressways and public transport roads.
In addition, Singapore has a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Light Rapid Transit (LRT) train system consisting of five lines. There is also a well-worked system of bus routes throughout the island, most of which have air conditioning due to Singapore's yearlong sweltering heat, while buses without air conditioning will be gradually phased out. A contactless smartcard (EZ-link) is used to pay bus and subway fares.
[edit]
Laws
Main article: Laws of Singapore
Laws in Singapore are generally strict and aimed at instilling a self-disciplined society with restrictions and harsh punishments, for example caning and execution. Even the idea has been poked fun at by its citizens by using the saying "Singapore is a fine country", whereas the "fine" actually refers to a monetary fine.
Currently, pornography, oral sex (except as a precursor to regular intercourse), and anal sex are illegal in Singapore. Magazines, movies and TV shows have to undergo government censorship before being released to the general public and sales of several kinds of newspapers and magazines has been banned or restricted. Various minor offences could lead to heavy fines and caning while conviction of first-degree murder and drug trafficking cases instantly leads to the death penalty.
[edit]
Reference
This article incorporates public domain text from the websites of Singapore Department of Statistics, United States Department of State & CIA World Factbook (2004).
[edit]
Miscellaneous topics
Singapore Changi Airport
Communications in Singapore
Education in Singapore
Foreign relations of Singapore
Military of Singapore
Singapore Army
Republic of Singapore Air Force
Republic of Singapore Navy
Singapore Police Force
Religion in Singapore
Tourism in Singapore
[edit]
External links
The Singapore Wiki (http://www.sgwiki.com)
Singapore Government Online Portal (http://www.gov.sg/)
The Singapore Infomap (http://www.sg/)
Singapore travel guide at Wikitravel (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Singapore)
Singapore Hotels (http://www.2pl.com/Singapore/bs-4380100001.htm)
Panorama of Singapore from Boat Quay
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam
Observer status: Papua New Guinea
Commonwealth of Nations
Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Botswana Brunei Cameroon Canada Cyprus Dominica Fiji The Gambia Ghana Grenada Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Republic of Singapore (Chinese ??????, pinyin: X?nj?ap? Gònghéguó; Malay Republik Singapura; Tamil ??????????? ????????, Cingkapp?r Kudiyarasu), is an island city-state in Southeast Asia, at latitude 1°17'35"N longitude 103°51'20"E, situated on the southern tip of Malay Peninsula, south of the state of Johor of Peninsular Malaysia and north of the Indonesian islands of Riau.
Republic of Singapore??????Republik Singapura??????????? ????????
(Flag)
(Coat of Arms)
(Symbol)
(Flower)
National motto: Majulah Singapura(Malay: Onward, Singapore)
Official languages
English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil
National language
Malay
Capital
Singapore
Head of State
Sellapan Rama NATHAN
Head of Government
LEE Hsien Loong
Area - Total - % water
697.1 km²1.444%
Population - Total (July 2003 est.) - Density
Ranked 114th4,185,2006,004/km²
GDP (2003) - Total - Total - GDP/head - GDP/head
56th, 37nd, 25th, 21stUS$112 billion (PPP)$91 billion (Nominal)$25,200 (PPP)$23,999 (Nominal)
Independence - Date
From MalaysiaAugust 9, 1965
Currency
Singapore Dollar (S$, SGD)
Time zone
UTC +8
National anthem
Majulah Singapura
Internet TLD
.sg
Calling code
65 (02 when dialling from Malaysia)
Contents
//
[showhide]
1 History
2 Geography & Climate
2.1 Geography2.2 Climate
3 Demographics
4 Culture
5 Politics
6 Economy
7 Transportation
8 Laws
9 Reference
10 Miscellaneous topics
11 External links
[edit]
History
Main article: History of Singapore
The history of Singapore begins with the earliest references to the island in Chinese texts from the 3rd century. The island served as an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire and was originally given the Javanese name Temasek. Temasek rose to become a significant trading city in its heyday, but later declined in significance - little is to be found of old Temasek in Singapore other than archaeological evidence.
The current name of the city derives from the Sanskrit Singapura (Lion City); this name became common by the late 14th century. The 15th and 16th century Sultanate of Johore included Singapore. During the Malay-Portugal wars, Singapura was burned down by Portugese forces in 1617. The city was officially abandoned; the island remained inhabited by small bands of fishermen and pirates.
In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, an official with the British East India Company, established Singapore as a trade post and settlement, having made a treaty with the Sultan of Johor, the effective ruler of the island of Singapore then. After some conflict over the territory between the Dutch and the British, the Dutch withdrew objections to Great Britain's founding of Singapore as a trade city in Southeast Asia in August 1824. After undergoing a number of territorial incarnations, Singapore was made a crown colony in 1867.
Singapore prospered as a trading port. Entrepot trade grew, no doubt helped by Singapore's strategic location at an important trade route along the Straits of Malacca, later to become the busiest shipping route in the world.
1888 German map of Singapore
During World War II, Japanese forces invaded Malaya and pushed southwards towards Singapore. The British and Allied forces were forced to retreat towards Singapore with the Japanese in pursuit. Despite having numerical superiority, the British and Allied troops were less well trained and they did not have the combined arms support of the navy and air force that the Japanese enjoyed after successful raids on the Royal Air Force base in Singapore and the destruction of the battleships, the "Prince of Wales" and the "Repulse". The Japanese landed in Singapore on February 7, 1942. On February 15, 1942, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, commander of British forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita. The Japanese held Singapore until September 1945.
Singapore became a self-governing crown colony in 1959. Singapore joined Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as part of the Federation of Malaysia between 1963 and 1965. It however, withdrew from Malaysia, becoming a sovereign nation on August 9, 1965. This was due to the fact that, during the years of merger, racial tensions had grown within Singapore, culminating in numerous riots and curfews, notably the clash that took place on Prophet Mohammed's birthday, between the Malay and Chinese races. Malaysia and Singapore, therefore, both decided that separation was for the best. Singapore rapidly formed its own armed forces as Britain withdrew troops from Singapore in October 1971. Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his memoirs of his feelings of insecurity regarding the country's safety, writing that Singapore was "a Chinese island in a Malay sea", referring to Singapore's position at the tip of Malaysia. He also lamented the partial loss of the Malaysian hinterland.
Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore's first Prime Minister, governing Singapore from 1959 to 1990. His main priority then was to raise Singapore from the ashes after the World War II and develop it to compete in the global market, which was extremely hard, given the economic and political state of Singapore after the war.
His successor, Goh Chok Tong, took office in 1990 as the second Prime Minister, while Lee Kuan Yew became Senior Minister. Goh Chok Tong was faced with the problems of sustaining Singapore's growth and further promoting it as a business hub. He also saw the country through crises such as the 1997 Asian economic crisis and SARS in 2003.
On August 12, 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, took over as the third Prime Minister of Singapore. In turn, Goh Chok Tong became Senior Minister while Lee Kuan Yew took on the newly created portfolio of Minister Mentor.
[edit]
Geography & Climate
Main article: Geography & Climate of Singapore
Map of Singapore
[edit]
Geography
Singapore's main territory is a diamond-shaped island which is connected to the city of Johor Bahru in the state of Johor, Malaysia by a man-made causeway to the north. There is also a bridge (Tuas Second Link) in the western part of Singapore connecting to Johor. Singapore also has dozens of smaller islands, of which Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the larger ones. The highest point of Singapore is Bukit Timah, with a height of 164m or 538 feet.
When Singapore was first colonized by the British, the city of Singapore was situated on the southern coast, around the mouth of the Singapore River. This area remains the downtown core of Singapore. The rest of the island was farmland and jungle. However, since the 1960s the government has constructed many new towns in other areas, so that today the island is nearly entirely built-up, with only a few exceptions. In addition, Singapore has reclaimed land with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5km² in the 1960s to 697.1km² today, and may grow by another 100km² by 2030.
Since Singapore is basically a city-state, there are no further administrative divisions. Singapore does however have community development councils and town councils that handle local matters.
[edit]
Climate
Singapore's climate is tropical ("tropical rainforest climate" under Köppen climate classification), with no distinct seasons. Because of its geographical location and maritime exposure, its climate is characterised by uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity and abundant rainfall. Temperature as a diurnal range of a minimum 23-26ºC and a maximum of 31-34ºC. Relative humidity has a diurnal range in the high 90's in the early morning to around 60 % in the mid-afternoon. During prolonged heavy rain, relative humidity often reaches 100 %.
The climate of Singapore can be divided into two main seasons, the Northeast Monsoon (December to early March) and the Southwest Monsoon season (June to September), separated by two relatively short inter-monsoon periods. (These seasons are usually found in more academic contexts and are not generally familiar to laypeople in Singapore.) During the Northeast Monsoon season, northeast winds prevail, sometimes reaching 20 km/h. Cloudy conditions in December and January with frequent afternoon showers. Spells of widespread moderate to heavy rain occur lasting from 1 to 3 days at a stretch. Relatively drier in February till early March. Also generally windy with wind speeds sometimes reaching 30 to 40 km/h in the months of January and February. During the Southeast Monsoon season, southeast/southwest winds prevail. Isolated to scattered showers occur in the late morning and early afternoon. Early morning "Sumatra" line squalls are common.
[edit]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Singapore
Trishaws in Singapore
Apart from the much smaller Monaco, Singapore is the most densely populated independent country in the world. 85% of Singaporeans live in public housing provided by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Source: Singapore Department of Statistics (http://www.singstat.gov.sg/keystats/people.html#hhlds)
Singapore's population is diverse. The Chinese account for 76.8% of Singaporeans. Malays, who are the indigenous native group of the country, constitute 13.9%, though this number includes many Malay ethnic groups from other parts of the Malay archipelago including the Javanese, Bugis, Baweans and Minangs.The Indians are the third largest ethnic group at 7.9% which consisted of several groups - Tamils, who form the largest Indian group and others such as Malayalees, Punjabis and Bengalis. The rest are made up of smaller groups such as Arab and Eurasian.
The government of Singapore has been careful to maintain ethnic harmony after racial riots erupted in the 1960s. Racial harmony has been emphasized in all aspects of society, including education, military and housing. So far the policy has been successful, and there has been no signs of ethnic unrest since the early 1970s. Issues exist such as bans on fundamentalist evangelical Christian activities and the Islamic headscarf in public schools (without a reciprocal ban on other religious symbols).
The official languages are English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil. English has been promoted as the country's lingua franca since independence, and it is spoken by the majority of the population. Malay remains Singapore's national language for historical reasons and it is used in the national anthem.
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Culture
Main article: Culture of Singapore
A ferry in Singapore
Singapore is a small and relatively modern amalgam of semi-indigenous Malay population with the majority Chinese and the minority Indian and Arab migrants. There appears little in the way of specifically Singaporean culture, as there is little intermarriage, although there is a community of Peranakan or "Straits Chinese", of mixed Chinese and Malay descent. There is also a steadily increasing Eurasian community. The major public holidays in Singapore reflect this diversity, including the religious holidays of various denominations.
Officially, the English used is modelled on British English (spelling and grammar), with some American English influences. The local colloquial dialect of English is known formally as Singapore Colloquial English (though it is more commonly called "Singlish"), and has many creole-like characteristics, having incorporated much vocabulary and grammar from various dialects of Chinese, Malay, and Indian languages. Singlish is basically identical to Manglish (the English dialect of Malaysia), and is the usual language on the streets, but is frowned upon in official contexts, and this matter has been brought up in recent years in the Parliament and the ruling party.
Singapore also has several ethnic neighborhoods, including a "Little India" and a "Chinatown", formed by the Raffles Plan of Singapore to segregate the new immigrants into specific areas. Although the population are no longer segregated in distribution mainly due to the policies of the HDB now, these ethnic neighbourhoods retain selective elements of their specific culture. The usage of such neighbourhoods is mostly commercial or for cottage industry specific to the culture of its ethnic neighbourhood, and does not play a big part in housing the population, although it is used for that purpose. Hence, these neighbourhoods have patronage of all races who probably wish to either eat or buy something specific to that culture.
In other parts of the country, segregation is discouraged, and diversity is encouraged. This can often be found in the policies of the HDB, which try to make sure there is a lively mix of all races within each housing district; the effect of this can be observed in all parts of the country as for example, a store devoted to selling Malay food might be right next to stores selling Chinese or Indian goods.
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Politics
Main article: Politics of Singapore
Singapore has a Westminster-style constitution. There is an elected figurehead president, who has veto powers in a few key decisions - such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of key judiciary positions. True executive power rests with the prime minister who leads the majority party in the elected Parliament.
In practice, politics is dominated by the People's Action Party which has ruled since Independence. Over the years the PAP has been accused of taking overly harsh actions against opposition parties to discourage and impede their success, such as gerrymandering (redrawing electoral districts to one's own favour). Since most people are supportive or apathetic regarding PAP policies, the opposition parties are stereotypically associated with the truly political passionate (some say foolhardy). There are also several cases of government leaders taking out civil suits against the opposition for libel or slander. Critics point out that in any case brought before the Singaporean courts involving the PAP or the Singapore Government, judges have always ruled in their favour, although a few instances of successful opposition suits have been recorded. Western democracies consider the mode of government in Singapore to be closer to authoritarianism than true democracy.
Paradoxically (for political scientists), Singapore has a highly successful and transparent market economy. Singapore was originally known as a social democracy, but the PAP has consistently rejected the notion of being socialist. One difference from a social democracy could be the sense that it uses public opinion and feedback to make policies instead of rigorous lawmaking procedures. However, PAP's policies contain certain hallmarks of socialism, which includes government owned public housing constituting the majority of real estate and the dominance of government owned and controlled companies in the local economy. PAP has also consistently rejected Western democratic values in the past, with former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew citing incompatibilities with "Asian values". Most recently, the PAP has promulgated the loosening of social conservative policies and policies to promote enterpreneurship but the effects of both efforts have not completely manifested.
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Economy
Main article: Economy of Singapore
Singapore CBD lit up
As one of the East Asian Tigers, Singapore enjoys a highly developed and successful free-market economy, characterised by a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and one of the highest per capita GDP in the world. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing, and was hard hit in 2001 by the global recession and the slump in the technology sector. In 2001, GDP contracted by 2.2%. The economy has since recovered in response to improvements in the US economy, and is now expected to expand between 8 to 9% in 2004. In the longer term the government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle than the current export-led model, but is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub.
The per capita GDP in 2003 was US$22,366. In the third quarter of 2004, the unemployment rate was 3.4%.
The Economic Review Committee (ERC), set up in December 2001, made key recommendations to remake Singapore into:
a globalised economy where Singapore is the key node in the global network, linked to all the major economies;
a creative and entrepreneurial nation willing to take risks to create fresh businesses and blaze new paths to success; and
a diversified economy powered by the twin engines of manufacturing and services, where vibrant Singapore companies complement MNCs, and new startups co-exist with traditional businesses exploiting new and innovative ideas.
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Transportation
Public transportation in Singapore is relatively easy, convenient and cheap to use.
Main article: Transportation in Singapore
Singapore is linked to Johor, Malaysia via a causeway and bridge, as well as a railway line operated by KTMB of Malaysia. Singapore Changi Airport is situated at the eastern most tip of the main island. Comprising of two terminals, it is one of the most important air hubs in the region, serving 167 cities in 53 countries. When construction of the third terminal is completed in 2006, Changi will be capable of handling 64 million passengers every year.
Within Singapore, there is a well-developed system of expressways and public transport roads.
In addition, Singapore has a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Light Rapid Transit (LRT) train system consisting of five lines. There is also a well-worked system of bus routes throughout the island, most of which have air conditioning due to Singapore's yearlong sweltering heat, while buses without air conditioning will be gradually phased out. A contactless smartcard (EZ-link) is used to pay bus and subway fares.
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Laws
Main article: Laws of Singapore
Laws in Singapore are generally strict and aimed at instilling a self-disciplined society with restrictions and harsh punishments, for example caning and execution. Even the idea has been poked fun at by its citizens by using the saying "Singapore is a fine country", whereas the "fine" actually refers to a monetary fine.
Currently, pornography, oral sex (except as a precursor to regular intercourse), and anal sex are illegal in Singapore. Magazines, movies and TV shows have to undergo government censorship before being released to the general public and sales of several kinds of newspapers and magazines has been banned or restricted. Various minor offences could lead to heavy fines and caning while conviction of first-degree murder and drug trafficking cases instantly leads to the death penalty.
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Reference
This article incorporates public domain text from the websites of Singapore Department of Statistics, United States Department of State & CIA World Factbook (2004).
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Miscellaneous topics
Singapore Changi Airport
Communications in Singapore
Education in Singapore
Foreign relations of Singapore
Military of Singapore
Singapore Army
Republic of Singapore Air Force
Republic of Singapore Navy
Singapore Police Force
Religion in Singapore
Tourism in Singapore
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External links
The Singapore Wiki (http://www.sgwiki.com)
Singapore Government Online Portal (http://www.gov.sg/)
The Singapore Infomap (http://www.sg/)
Singapore travel guide at Wikitravel (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Singapore)
Singapore Hotels (http://www.2pl.com/Singapore/bs-4380100001.htm)
Panorama of Singapore from Boat Quay
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