One of the amazing facts on Singapore is, how it managed to rapidly developed itself from a developing country to a first world nation in short 40+ years. Modern day Singapore has got everything to offer from buzzing city lives, beautiful natural reserves, parks and beaches, great arts scene, vibrant ethnic mix, world's premier fashion and exotic western and South east asian cuisines.
Here's some quick facts on Singapore.
Geographical facts on Singapore:
It is located just North of Equator, Southern most Tip of West Malaysia. It is made up of 63 islands inclusive of the main island itself. The main island is a diamond-shaped island some 45km west to east and 25km norht to south.
Demographic facts on Singapore
Singapore is the second most densely populated independent country in the World. It has a population (as of June 2006) of 4.49 million comprising different ethnic groups each with their own unique culture. More than 80% of it's population live in public housing built by the Housing Development Board (HDB).
Ethnic chinese : 76.8% Ethnic Malay : 13.9% Ethnic Indian:7.9% Other minority enthnic groups : 1.4%
Brief History
According to legend, Singapore was discovered by Sang Nila Utama, a Sumatran prince during a sailing expedition. Upon landing, he spotted a lion which was regarded as a symbol of good fortune and hence decided to stay on this island. He later renamed the island 'Singa Pura', which means 'Lion City'.
In the early 19th Century, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, a British Lieutenant-Governor arrived in Singapore in 1819. He established Singapore as a British port for free trade and Singapore quickly developed from a fishing village into an important international trading zone. In 1867, it became part of a British Crown Colony and had a time of peace, growth and prosperity for many years until World War II.
During WWII, the Japanese invaded and ruled Singapore for 3 years and 8 months. When the War ended, Singapore returned to civil administration as a Crown Colony. However, the people realized that it' was important for them to self rule. In 1959, handover took place and the People's Action Party (PAP) led by a young lawyer Lee Kuan Yew won the majority of the seat . In 1963, Singapore merged with Malaysia but was subsequently separated 2 short years later because of political differences. It became independent in 1965.
Today, Lee Kuan Yew is known as the Father of Singapore and is a direct instrument to Singapore's modern day success.
Climate facts on Singapore :
Singapore has a tropical climate that is warm and humid all year round. Average temperature ranges from 23 degree Celsius to 31 degree Celsius. It is wet during monsoon season November - January with showers that come suddenly and heavily. Humidity is high about 90% in the morning, 60% in the afternoon and 100% on a rainy day.
Click here to view Singapore fortnight weather report
Singapore official working language is English, however, the more popular 'language' is Singlish. Singlish is a mix of English and Singaporean dialects and other languages. Other languages like Mandarin, Malay and Tamil are also spoken too.
Public transport system in Singapore is among the best in the World. It is the easiest city to get around in Asia. You can go to almost anywhere via the MRT (subway), buses and Taxis.Taxi fares are considered as inexpensive compared to many other countries. (Average SGD$8 -$15 per trip) Get a copy of pocket size Transit Link Guide (from MRT ticket offices). It is very useful if you plan to use the public transport a lot.
Tips: Taxis can be very difficult to find during shift changing hours between 4pm and 5pm, when it's raining and between 10pm-11pm. The best thing to do during such time is to dial for a taxi (with a booking fee of SGD$2.50-SGD$4.00 depending on peak or off peak hours), or take the MRT.
Food facts on Singapore
Singapore is well known for it's love and appreciation for food. One common way to show hospitality to guests and visitors is to bring them to sample good food all round the island. We have various cuisines, Western, Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan (a combination of Malay and chinese ingredientsand cooking methods), Italian, Japanese, you name it... Vegetarian food is also popular and can be found in many places.
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