Singapore

By John R.

Singapore is a remarkable city. It's not a country, as it has no territory outside of borders, but it's considered a city-state. A city-state is a sovereign city that acts like a nation, but nothing else. Singapore's main strength lies in its economy, an economy that makes China and the U.S. blush. In this article we will discuss their economy, their influence on the world stage, what everyday life looks like, and a little bit about their innovations in technology.

First off, their economy is first-rate. Their GDP is a whopping $405.68 billion USD (Central Intelligence Agency). GDP is short for Gross Domestic Product, or the total value of all goods and services produced in the span of a year. (CIA) That would include things like electronic circuits, wind turbines, and everything else that a country produces within a year's time. Zoe, a Singaporean student here at NSA explained: ”It took some time for Singapore to generate the prosperity it enjoys today. The country also opened up many doors to trading with other countries and that made a lot of ties…There have also been a lot of investments in the country from other companies. One example is the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most successful accomplishments in Singapore. The infrastructure was built and funded by the founder of the Las Vegas Casino, this gained a lot of popularity and became a tourist destination. So in summary, [...] Singapore generates its prosperity by keeping peaceful ties with countries, being a center trading destination, and also a country that has a lot of investments from businesses.” Capital, the machines and tools used to produce other goods, also plays a key part in the economy. Dorshea, the StuCo vice-president and a resident of Singapore, said: “Singapore has a state capitalist economy. While the majority of the United States’ capital comes from privately owned companies and the government owns 28% of the land, the Singapore government owns 90% of Singapore land and manages much of the capital. She also said: “In fact, the Singapore government owns more capital than almost any other country worldwide, except Norway.”

As it's a very tourist and service-centered country, it's only natural that the city itself would be a technological marvel. They have technology that even America hasn't perfected yet. Think about it, the number one world power beaten by a city-state? Sure, it doesn’t sound right, but it's true. Singapore beats even the mighty United States in many categories. In the realm of tech, however, it's fair to say both nations specialize in different things. While the US favors military tech and tech for everyday use by individuals such as smartphones and watches, Singapore goes full-scale. When visiting Singapore, it's not uncommon to see self-driving cars or robotic police…yes, that's a thing, as strange as it may sound. 

Life in Singapore may be more luxurious than you think. People there have a very strong work ethic and care a lot about their education. They devote most of their teenage life to school, which is one of the toughest school systems in the world. The park-strewn city doesn’t even have much traffic compared to New York! That means, American tourists won’t have to deal with the heavy traffic they are used to back home. The lack of traffic packed streets is the result of lots of public transportation. On the note of public transportation, Singapore has much more infrastructure for this than the U.S. The reason the U.S. has so many cars is because its massive size requires them. Singapore is small in comparison, so it's natural that they don’t have traffic jammed streets resembling New York City.

There is so much more to say about Singapore. It's a truly remarkable city–it's just that I’m running out of room. Singapore brings much more than money to the field; it sets standards. Currently, the SIngapore dollar is worth more than the US one. And even though it tries not to favor sides on the world stage, it's vital for all parties involved to stay in Singapore's best interests given its heavyweight status. Singapore is possibly the most powerful city-state to ever exist. A short newspaper article will never do it justice, but it will get your foot in the door to possibly look into it more, possibly even visit. I’m sure Dorshea will give you a royal welcome.

Works Cited

“Singapore.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/singapore/#economy. 

John R. lives in Oregon, in the United States and this is his first year at NSA. He is in 11th grade, and enjoys pastimes such as reading, hanging out with friends, friendly debates, and speaking international affairs. He also loves studying and speaking of U.S. and Military history. Future career goals include engineer, architect, firefighter, or police officer.

🔎InformationalEIC NSA2021-2022, February 2022 Issue