Singapore: GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY



Location: Singapore is located in Southeast Asia between Malaysia

and Indonesia, at the narrowest point of the Strait of Malacca, one of

the world’s strategic sea routes connecting the Indian Ocean with the

South China Sea. Lying off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula,

Singapore is connected to Malaysia by a causeway.



Size: The land area claimed by the government in 2004 was 699 square kilometers; the water area was 10 square kilometers, for a total national area of 709 square kilometers. The area has increased through land reclamation and landfill projects along the coast. Since 1988, the total land area has increased by some 63 square kilometers.



Land Boundaries: Singapore is an island nation with no land boundaries. Malaysia lies north across the Johore Strait and Indonesia to the south across the Strait of Malacca.



Length of Coastline: Singapore comprises one main island and 58 islets. The total coastline in 2005 was 193 kilometers. Since 1988, the coastline has increased by 55 kilometers as a result of extensive land reclamation and landfill projects.



Maritime Claims: Singapore claims a 3-nautical-mile territorial sea, as well as an exclusive fishing zone beyond the territorial sea as defined in treaties and practice.



Topography: Singapore is mainly low-lying, with rounded granite hills, especially in the island’s center. At 166 meters above sea level, the highest point is Bukit Timah Peak. Low but steep ridges are found in the west and southwest. To the east is a large region of generally flat alluvial soils, where streams have cut steep-sided valleys and gullies. Singapore was once covered with tropical rain forest and surrounded by mangrove swamps. As the island urbanized, hills were leveled and swamps drained. By 2005 forest covered only about 4,000 hectares, or 6.6 percent of the land area. The gently undulating central plateau contains a water catchment area and a nature preserve.

Principal Rivers: The Singapore River is only 4.1 kilometers in length but was an important resource historically for early settlers and traders. The Singapore River has five tributaries: the Rochor, Whampoa, Kallang, Pelton, and Geylang rivers. There are other small streams, some of which flow directly into the sea through mangrove swamps, lagoons, or broad estuaries. Some of the large streams have been damned at their mouths to form freshwater reservoirs. Singapore has 10 major reservoirs, both coastal and inland.



Climate: Only two degrees north of the equator, Singapore has a tropical climate, with high temperatures moderated by sea breezes and high humidity. There are two monsoon seasons, the northeastern (dry) monsoon from December to March and the southwestern (wet) monsoon from June to September. In the inter-monsoon seasons, afternoon and early evening thunderstorms are frequent in occurrence.



Natural Resources: Fish and deepwater ports.



Land Use: Only 1.6 percent of the land is arable. In 1967, 25 percent of the land was in agricultural use, but by 1988, despite increases through land reclamation, that percentage had decreased to 8.5 percent and is predicted to shrink to 3.2 percent by 2030. Singapore has no irrigated land, and none of the land is planted to permanent crops. More than 60 percent of the land is devoted to residential, industrial, commercial, institutional, and infrastructure spaces.

Environmental Factors: The major environmental issues are industrial pollution, limited freshwater resources, waste disposal, and seasonal smoke and haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia.



Time Zone: Singapore is in one time zone, 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.