Land

Singapore is a small island country in Southeast Asia, lying at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It consists of a large island, and 58 smaller islands. The large island, also called Singapore, covers about 250 square miles, while the other islands combined cover about 20 square miles. About half of these islands are uninhabited. Most of the islands lie near sea level, with the highest point being only 581 feet above sea level. Only 2% of Singapore’s land is used for agriculture.

Singapore has a hot, humid climate, with the average annual temperature being about 80°F. The main island receives around 95 inches of rain annually. Monsoons blow from November to March, making them the wettest months. The dry season is June to October, when thunderstorms occur. Even with the plentiful rainfall, Singapore lacks water to meet demands, and must buy water from Johor in Malaysia to supplement its own reservoirs.

Government

Singapore is a republic. A unicameral, or one-house Parliament makes the country’s laws. A prime minister leads the Cabinet, which carries out government operations. Members of the parliament serve five-year terms, and are elected by the people of Singapore. Every citizen over 21 must vote.

The people also elect a president for a six-year term, who serves as head of state of Singapore. The president appoints some Parliament members, has some control over government finances, and makes some civil service appointments.

The government of Singapore keeps a very tight control over people’s rights and freedoms. It censors what news organizations may publish and does not allow Singaporeans to receive outside television broadcasts that the government does not approve. Residents of Singapore must also have permits to gather publicly in groups larger than five.

Current Events

Singapore has been facing a garbage problem. On the tiny island, room to create landfills for trash has lessened. It currently uses four incinerators to burn up 93% of the island’s waste. However, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) is looking towards recycling instead of incinerating. Incinerating burns up waste, but creates dioxins, which has been found to cause many major health problems, such as cancer. And with nowhere to put the waste, recycling has been looked into. The NEA wants people to be aware of the results of their actions toward the environment. Some projects have been put into place, such as supermarkets asking shoppers to bring their own bags, hoping to reduce the amount of plastic bags ending up in incinerators. Food waste recycling is also being put into action, hoping to save 800 tons of organic scraps from being sent to the incinerator everyday. These scraps are fed into a bacteria-filled digester, which turns it into biogas energy and compost. The NEA also hopes to legislate recycling, such as in Europe, to help normalize the idea.