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| | CIA - The World Factbook -- Singapore (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02) |
 | | Singapore, a highly-developed and successful free-market economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP equal to that of the Big 4 West European countries. |
 | | It was hard hit in 2001-03 by the global recession, by the slump in the technology sector, and by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003, which curbed tourism and consumer spending. |
 | | Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004, with real GDP rising by 8% by far the economy's best performance since 2000, but growth slowed to 4.5% in 2005. |
| www.cia.gov /cia/publications/factbook/geos/sn.html (1128 words) |
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