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			 Country name: 
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				conventional long form: Republic of Singapore 
			 conventional short form: Singapore 
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				 Government type: 
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				parliamentary republic 
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				 Capital: 
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				Singapore 
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				 Administrative divisions: 
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				none 
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				 Independence: 
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				9 August 1965 (from Malaysian Federation) 
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				 National holiday: 
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				Independence Day, 9 August (1965) 
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				 Constitution: 
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				3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State of Singapore Constitution) 
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				 Legal system: 
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				based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 
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				 Suffrage: 
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				21 years of age; universal and compulsory 
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				 Executive branch: 
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					chief of state: President Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN (since 1 September 1999) 
			 head of government: Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since 28 November 1990) and Deputy Prime Ministers Brig. Gen. (Ret.) LEE Hsien Loong (since 28 November 1990) and TAN Keng Yam Tony (since 1 August 1995) 
			 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament 
			 elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 28 August 1999 (next to be held by August 2005); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president 
			 election results: Sellapan Rama (S. R.) NATHAN elected president unopposed 
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				 Legislative branch: 
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				unicameral Parliament (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - in addition, there are up to nine nominated members; the losing opposition candidate who came closest to winning a seat may be appointed as a "nonconstituency" member 
			 elections: last held 3 November 2001 (next to be held 25 June 2007) 
			 election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 75.3% (in contested constituencies), other 24.7%; seats by party - PAP 82, WP 1, SDA 1 
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				 Judicial branch: 
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				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 
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				 Political parties and leaders: 
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				governing party: People's Action Party or PAP [GOH Chok Tong]; opposition parties: Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [leader NA]; National Solidarity Party or NSP [Steve CHIA]; Singapore Democratic Alliance or SDA [CHIAM See Tong] (includes SPP, PKMS, NSP, SJP); Singapore Democratic Party or SDP [CHEE Soon Juan]; Singapore Justice Party or SJP [leader NA]; Singapore National Malay Organization or PKMS [Muhammad ALI Aman]; Singapore People's Party or SPP [CHIAM See Tong]; Workers' Party or WP [LOW Thia Kiang] 
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				 Political pressure groups and leaders: 
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				NA 
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				 International organization participation: 
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				APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, ESCAP, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO 
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				 Diplomatic representation in the US: 
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					chief of mission: Ambassador CHAN Heng Chee 
			 consulate(s): New York 
			 consulate(s) general: San Francisco 
			 FAX: [1] (202) 537-0876 
			 telephone: [1] (202) 537-3100 
			 chancery: 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 
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				 Diplomatic representation from the US: 
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					chief of mission: Ambassador Franklin L. LAVIN 
			 embassy: 27 Napier Road, Singapore 258508 
			 mailing address: PSC Box 470, FPO AP 96507-0001 
			 telephone: [65] 6476-9100 
			 FAX: [65] 6476-9340 
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				 Flag description: 
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				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   
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