Southeast Asia > Singapore > Government

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Administrative divisions	none
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	1 17 N, 103 51 E
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Constitution 3 June 1959; amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Corruption	9.4		[5th of 160]
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address	FPO AP 96507-0001
Source: Transparency International
Executive branch > Cabinet appointed by president, responsible to parliament
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Executive branch > Chief of state President S R NATHAN (since 1 September 1999)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
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
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Government type	parliamentary republic
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Independence 9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Judicial branch Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president with the advice of the prime minister, other judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice); Court of Appeals
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Legal system based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Legislative branch unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; up to three losing opposition candidates who came closest to winning seats may be appointed as "nonconstituency" members
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Parliamentary seats > Female	4%		[117th of 143]
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Political parties and leaders People's Action Party or PAP [LEE Hsien Loong]; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong]; Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Workers' Party or WP [Sylvia LIM Swee Lian]; note: SDA includes Singapore Justice Party or SJP, Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS, Singapore People's Party or SPP
Source: United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook
Status	pseudo-democracy
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Source: electionworld.org
Time required to start a business > days	6 days		[166th of 171]
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Trademarks, residents	4,839		[23rd of 98]
Source: World Development Indicators database
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International disputes persist with Malaysia over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's extensive land reclamation works, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in November 2007, the ICJ will hold public hearings as a consequence of the Memorials and Countermemorials filed by the parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge; Indonesia and Singapore continue to work on finalization of their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's Batam Island; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Source: World Development Indicators database

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