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Singapore (Template:IPAc-en or Template:IPAc-en), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign city-state and island country in Southeast Asia. It lies off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula and is Template:Convert north of the equator. Made up of the lozenge-shaped main island (widely known as Singapore Island but also as Pulau Ujong, its native Malay name) and over 60 much smaller islets, it is separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. The country is highly urbanised, with very little primary rainforest remaining. Its territory has consistently expanded through land reclamation.

Part of various local empires since being settled in the second century AD, modern Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles as a trading post of the East India Company with the permission of the Johor Sultanate. The British obtained sovereignty over the island in 1824, and Singapore became one of the British Straits Settlements in 1826. Occupied by the Japanese during World War II, Singapore declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 and united with other former British territories to form Malaysia, from which it departed two years later. Since then, it has developed rapidly, earning recognition as one of Four Asian Tigers.

Singapore is one of the world's leading commercial hubs, with the fourth-biggest financial centre and one of the five busiest ports. Its globalized and diversified economy depends heavily on trade, especially in manufacturing, which constituted 26 percent of Singapore's GDP in 2005. In terms of purchasing power parity, Singapore has the third-highest per capita income in the world. It ranks high in international rankings of education, healthcare, government transparency, and economic competitiveness.

Singapore is a unitary multiparty parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959. Slightly over five million people live in Singapore, of which around 2 million are foreign-born. Singapore is highly diverse: 75 percent of the population are Chinese, followed by significant minorities of Malays, Indians, Eurasians, and others. This diversity is reflected in the country's four official languages — English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil — as well as in official policies that promote multiculturalism.

One of the five founding members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Singapore is also the host of the APEC Secretariat, and a member of the East Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth. Singapore's rapid development has given it disproportionate influence in global affairs, leading some analysts to identify it as a middle power.

Etymology[]

Main article: Names of Singapore

The English name of Singapore is derived from the Malay word Template:Lang (Template:Lang-sa, literally Lion City), hence the customary reference to the nation as the Lion City. Lions probably never lived there; the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama, who founded and named ancient Singapore, was most likely a tiger.

History[]

Main article: History of Singapore

The earliest known settlement on Singapore was in the second century AD. It was an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, named Temasek ('sea town'). Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, it was part of the Johor Sultanate. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burnt down the settlement and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries.

In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor on behalf of the British East India Company to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824, the entire island became a British possession under a further treaty with the Sultan and the Temenggong. In 1826, it became part of the Straits Settlements, under the jurisdiction of British India. Singapore became the capital of the Straits Settlements in 1836. Before Raffles arrived, there were around 1,000 people living in Singapore, mostly indigenous Malay community, and 20-30 Chinese. By 1860, the population exceeded 80,000, with over half of the population being Chinese. Many immigrants came to work at rubber plantations; and, after the 1870s, the island became a global centre for rubber exports.

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Malaya culminating in the Battle of Singapore. The British were defeated, and surrendered on 15 February 1942. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called this "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". The Sook Ching massacre of ethnic Chinese after the fall of Singapore claimed between 5,000 and 25,000 lives. The Japanese occupied Singapore until the British repossessed it in September 1945, after the Surrender of Japan.

Singapore's first general election in 1955 was won by the pro-independence David Marshall, leader of the Labour Front. Demanding complete self-rule he led a delegation to London but was turned down by the British. He resigned when he returned and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock, whose policies convinced Britain to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all matters except defence and foreign affairs.

During the May 1959 elections, the People's Action Party won a landslide victory. Singapore had become an internally self-governing state within the Commonwealth, with Lee Kuan Yew as the first Prime Minister. Governor Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode served as the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara ("Head of State"), and was succeeded by Yusof bin Ishak who in 1965 became the first President of Singapore. During the 1950s Communists, mostly supported by the Chinese-speaking group, with strong ties to the trade unions and Chinese schools, carried out an armed struggle against the state, resulting in the Malayan Emergency and later, the Communist Insurgency War. The 1954 National Service Riots, Chinese middle schools riots and Hock Lee bus riots in Singapore were all linked to the Communists.

On 31 August 1963, Singapore declared independence from the United Kingdom and joined with the Federation of Malaya, the Crown Colony of Sarawak and British North Borneo to form the new Federation of Malaysia as the result of the 1962 Merger Referendum. Singaporean leaders joined Malaysia for various reasons. Firstly, as a small country, they did not believe that the British would find it viable for Singapore to become independent by itself. Secondly, they also did not believe that Singapore could survive on its own, due to scarcity of land, water, markets and natural resources. Lastly, the Singapore government wanted the help of the Malaysian government to flush out the Communists.

However, the two years that Singapore spent as part of Malaysia were filled with strife and bitter disagreements. The Malaysians insisted on a pro-Bumiputera (Malay for indigenous) society, where indigenous Malays and tribes were given special Bumiputera rights, which still exist to this day to assist the majority Malay community who were left behind in terms of economic share of the country compared to the minority Chinese and to maintain harmony within a multiethnic society. The Malaysians were also suspicious about Singapore's majority of ethnic Chinese and worried that Singapore's economic clout would shift the centre of power from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. There were also linguistic and religious issues. The Singaporeans, on the other hand, wanted an equal and meritocratic society, a Malaysian Malaysia where all citizens were given equal rights.

As part of Malaysia, Singapore's economic and social development came to a halt as the Malaysian parliament blocked many bills. Race riots broke out in Singapore in 1964. After much heated ideological conflicts between the two governments, in 1965, the Malaysian parliament voted 126 to 0 to expel Singapore from Malaysia. Race riots broke out once more in 1969.

Singapore gained independence as the Republic of Singapore (remaining within the Commonwealth) on 9 August 1965 with Yusof bin Ishak as president and Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister. Everyone who was present in Singapore on the date of independence was offered Singapore citizenship. In 1967, it helped found the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and in 1970 it joined the Non-Aligned Movement.

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister. During his tenure, the country faced the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak and terrorist threats posed by Jemaah Islamiyah.

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the country's third prime minister. Lee Hsien Loong's tenure included the 2008 global financial crisis, the resolution of a dispute over Malayan railways land, and the introduction of integrated resorts. Despite the economy's exceptional growth, the People's Action Party (PAP) suffered its worst election results in 2011, winning 60% of votes, amidst hot-button issues of high influx of foreign workers and cost of living. On 23 March 2015 Lee Kuan Yew passed away, during the 50th year of independence, declaring a one-week period of public mourning. Subsequently, the PAP maintained its dominance in Parliament at the September general elections, receiving 69.9% of the popular vote, its second-highest polling result behind the 2001 tally of 75.3%.

Government and politics[]

Main article: Government of Singapore

Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. Its constitution establishes representative democracy as its political system. Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free" in its Freedom in the World report, and The Economist ranks Singapore as a "hybrid regime", the third rank out of four, in its "Democracy Index". Singapore is consistently rated one of the least corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International.

Executive power rests with the Cabinet of Singapore, led by the Prime Minister, and the President. The president is elected through popular vote, and has some veto powers for a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges, but otherwise occupies a ceremonial post.

The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of government. Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Elected MPs are voted into parliament on a "first-past-the-post" (plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group-representation constituencies. The People's Action Party has won control of Parliament with large majorities in every election since self-governance was secured in 1959. However, in the most recent parliamentary elections in 2011, the opposition, led by the Workers' Party, made significant gains and increased its representation in the House to 6 elected MPs.

The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law, albeit with substantial local differences. Trial by jury was entirely abolished in 1970 leaving judicial assessment performed wholly by judgeship. Singapore has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning for rape, rioting, vandalism, and some immigration offences. There is a mandatory death penalty for murder, and for certain drug-trafficking and firearms offences. Amnesty International has said that some legal provisions conflict with the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that Singapore has "possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population". The government has disputed Amnesty's claims. In a 2008 survey, international business executives believed Singapore, along with Hong Kong, had the best judicial system in Asia.

In 2011, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore in the top countries surveyed for "Order and Security", "Absence of Corruption", and "Effective Criminal Justice". However, it scored low for both "Freedom of Speech" and "Freedom of Assembly". All public gatherings of five or more people require police permits, and protests may legally be held only at Speakers' Corner.

Geography[]

Main article: Geography of Singapore

Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island, widely known as Singapore Island but also as Pulau Ujong. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia: the Johor–Singapore Causeway in the north, and the Tuas Second Link in the west. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at Template:Convert.

There are ongoing land reclamation projects, which have increased Singapore's land area from Template:Convert in the 1960s to Template:Convert today; it may grow by another Template:Convert by 2030. Some projects involve merging smaller islands through land reclamation to form larger, more functional islands, as with Jurong Island. 5% of Singapore's land is set aside as nature reserves. Urbanisation has eliminated most primary rainforest on the main island, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve being the only significant remaining forest. There are only about Template:Convert of farmland remaining in Singapore.

Singapore is divided into several neighbourhoods, these are:

Downtown Core Downtown Core is the city centre of Singapore and is the most urbanised area in Singapore. Several sub-towns do include Bayfront, Bugis, City Hall, Marina Centre, Raffles Place, Shenton Way and Tanjong Pagar. It is also the colonial core with museums, statues and theatres. The Burmese do also frequent the Peninsula Plaza, and the Chinese will frequent not just Chinatown alone, but rather Waterloo Street (Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple). The Koreans will usually rely on the Tanjong Pagar Road as well.
Outram Outram is the city centre of Singapore, which also includes the sub-district of Chinatown.
Marina Bay The newest feature of Singapore, dominated by the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort and the Marina Barrage. The newly opened Gardens by the Bay is a large public garden with a cluster of gigantic Super Trees, which is also a favourite for all Singaporeans and teens.
Museum Museum plays a bridging role between Orchard Road and Downtown Core, out of which it includes Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut and Fort Canning as a sub-district.
Orchard Road A famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned department stores, restaurants and coffeehouses located in its vicinity. The Filipinos will likely to take control of the Lucky Plaza, the Japanese will also take control of the Cuppage Plaza and Takashimaya in Orchard Road.
Rochor The two sub-districts which are heritage districts are Kampong Glam and Little India. Also, Haji Lane is definitely a personal favourite - it is the best to have a wander down and see what you find but there are some shops and restaurants that stand out. While Timothy Mok had walked along the area in 2016, bus services took over the area which is service 107/107M as well as service 961 (going towards Crawford Street). Also, the Arabs do however, frequent Arab Street, and the names resemble more like Malays. Thais will usually go around Golden Mile and Beach Road.
Singapore River The two sub-districts of Singapore River are Boat Quay and Clarke Quay. Clarke Quay has plenty of good bars and restaurants. However, if you’re underage, don’t fret, as this is also a wonderful place to go to in the day. Daredevils can take on the GX-5 Extreme Swing that operates daily, and there’s also a river taxi along the Singapore River for those looking to relax with friends. Clarke Quay also has some Japanese value.
Changi Changi Airport is one of the busiest airports of the world. It is also the location where there is Changi Village, Changi North, Changi South, Singapore Expo and Timothy ION. There is also another building called Jewel Changi Airport.
Sentosa Sentosa is the Singapore's island resort. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the Keppel Harbour, and is adjacent to Pulau Brani, a smaller island wedged between Sentosa and the main island. Otherwise, in the Southern Islands, it also forms Kusu Island, Lazarus Island, Pulau Seringat, Pulau Tekukor, St John's Island and Sisters Islands.
Bukit Timah and Tanglin Notable for the views in Singapore as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, it has a lot of expensive homes and the KTM Rail Corridor.
Mandai Home to the animals and nature reserve - commonly having Mandai Bird Park, Rainforest Park, Mandai Zoo, Night Safari and River Safari.
Bukit Merah Home to the disability areas such as the Enabling Village, the Pacific Tech Centre, E-Centre @ Redhill and Bukit Merah Central (JTC). It is also coined after the Bus Contracting Model contract in 2018. Tiong Bahru is widely known for being a ‘hipster paradise’, and has grown massively in recent years thanks to all the weird and wonderful spots that have opened up there – still, the cute Art Deco shophouses and century-old Qi Tian Gong temple give the area an old-Singapore feel to them that’s hard to find anywhere else. It’s the go-to-spot for foodies, shopaholics and history lovers alike – and for good reason.
Novena Home to the healthcare institutions such as Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Communicable Disease Centre (National Centre for Infectious Diseases) and Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, it is a hub of the public healthcare sector.
Newton Home to the Newton Food Centre.
Tampines Tampines is notable in terms of the housing estate due to Tampines Primary School, Tampines Secondary School and ITE College East, including Temasek Polytechnic and Tampines Polytechnic.
Western Water Catchment Home to the reservoirs such as Poyan Reservoir, Murai Reservoir and Sarimbun Reservoir, including River Wrexham. In addition, it is home to three army camps - Pasir Laba Camp, Sungei Gedong Camp and Chua Chu Kang Camp (201 Squadron, tethered blimp area).
Lim Chu Kang Lim Chu Kang is still largely rural and is located in close proximity with the Western Water Catchment. Lim Chu Kang is commonly served by two main roads known as Lim Chu Kang Road and Old Choa Chu Kang Road. As this area is still undeveloped, it has a lot of military training areas, agriculture, farms, have the only remaining cemeteries in Singapore (due to exhumations to others to make way for new developments) and a major columbarium. There are also side-roads, like Jalan Sungei Poyan, Lim Chu Kang Road Track 11/13 and Jalan Bahtera. There are also several roads that are not listed on certain publications, largely due to military secrecy.
North-Eastern Islands Home to Pulau Ubin, Chiau Au and Pulau Tekong.
Boon Lay, Pioneer, Tuas, Western Islands The area is bounded by Benoi Sector, Gul Circle, Joo Koon and Pioneer Sector. It is also home to the Jurong Industrial Estate, with several factories such as Brightsun Marine, as well as Raffles Marina, and the new Integrated Train Testing Centre, replacing the Raffles Country Club. An industrial estate, also comprising of Markono Print Media (M-Cube) and Universal Studios Jurong.
Tengah Future new town in Singapore.
Sungei Kadut An industrial estate and does not have MRT station yet.
Marina East, Marina South, Straits View Located at the new Downtown area.
Holland Village One of the most popular ‘hoods among teenagers is Holland Village, which is conveniently located near an MRT station and several bus stops. While it’s calm during the day time, once the sun goes down it gets packed with teens and young adults. Although it’s mainly a place to eat and drink, and boasts many cafes and restaurants, it’s also a great place to hang out among the roads, as the police close off the main street, making it a pedestrian-friendly place to sit and talk with friends.
Central Water Catchment Home to MacRitchie Reservoir and Lower Peirce Reservoir.
East Coast and Marine Parade For teens who are craving some physical activity, I’d recommend East Coast. This breezy coastal haven has great views of the vast container ships dotting the ocean. You can have a stroll along the beach or hire a wide variety of bikes, in-line skates, segways, and skateboards for a ride on the designated pathways. If it’s a hot day (it usually is in Singapore!), you can grab some cool refreshments or ice creams from the small cafés lining the stretch, or have a bite in the local food court. Peranakan Chinese usually frequent Katong area and Joo Chiat area, together with Vietnamese.
Pasir Ris Home to the entertainment area, Downtown East which also rivals to the Poyan Reservoir and Woodlands North (Downtown North). In addition, home to the Pasir Ris Block 159, as well as Zi Teng House, White Sands and Pasir Ris MRT Station.
Punggol With the Punggol Waterway, the Waterway Point, Coney Island and Punggol Road End in between, and now the modern day is that service 3 goes a big round of Punggol East, Pasir Ris and Tampines which is the northern loop.
Queenstown The first oldest estate in Singapore, it was built in the 1960s.
Toa Payoh The second oldest estate in Singapore, and it is home to the HDB Hub.
Seletar Home to Seletar Airport and Seletar Camp.
Geylang Geylang is perhaps best known as a red-light district, particularly the areas along Geylang Road. Geylang is also where one of Singapore's oldest Malay settlements, Geylang Serai, is located. The Indonesians will likely congregate at Paya Lebar and City Plaza areas.
Paya Lebar As part of the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Master Plan 2014, Paya Lebar Central was identified as one of the five growth areas. It was since earmarked as an up-and-coming commercial hub, in line with the wider decentralisation strategy to ensure the city's sustainable growth. Through its participation in the pilot Business Improvement District (BID) programme, stakeholders will be able to work together to form a collective vision that taps into the creativity and resources of everyone to strengthen the district. Despite its name, it is in fact located within the Geylang planning area, along Paya Lebar Road. It also encompasses Paya Lebar Airbase.
Hougang Home to Montfort School, Hougang Block 607 as well as Institute of Mental Health, Heartland Mall, Peng's Restaurant and Hougang Mall.
Bukit Panjang Home to Bukit Panjang Plaza, Hillion Mall, Bukit Panjang Block 106 and Bukit Panjang Block 216.
Bukit Batok Home to Hillview Regency.
Choa Chu Kang Home to Lot One, 142 Verde View and Choa Chu Kang Block 688C.
Kallang Throughout its history, Kallang was home to several national landmarks, some of which were built along the banks of the Kallang Basin, including the old National Stadium as well as the country's first purpose-built civil airport, the Kallang Airport. The famous Kallang Roar and Kallang Wave could have their roots traced to the former National Stadium which hosted 18 National Day Parades, as well as numerous notable cultural and sporting events. As such, Kallang played a pivotal role in Singapore's aviation and sporting histories, now known as Sports Hub.
Sengkang Originally a fishing village, the area is undergoing rapid development under the ambition of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to transform it into a fully mature housing estate with Compass One, Rivervale Mall, Rivervale Plaza and Seletar Mall.
Serangoon Divided into Serangoon Gardens, Serangoon Central (NEX) and Serangoon North. The French will usually frequent Serangoon Gardens, together with the residing Chinese and Indian population.
North (Yishun, Sembawang, Simpang and Woodlands) These areas are those that I hardly went, which includes the Northpoint City, Causeway Point, Republic Polytechnic; and Simpang is hardly developed with just Ion Khatib. Two condos are present, which is The Shaughnessy, The Criterion and Yishun Block 504C.
Ang Mo Kio Prior to urbanization, the area, much like other rural districts in Singapore at the time, was largely undeveloped, being mainly used for agricultural purposes, with uninhabited plots of land usually covered in dense secondary forest or swamps. Ang Mo Kio was subsequently redeveloped by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in 1973 as their seventh satellite town and the first to be built in metric dimensions, being fully completed by 1980. The first three town councils in the country were established in Ang Mo Kio in 1986, as part of a pilot project to better serve residents of HDB new towns. The concept eventually became adopted under the Town Council Act of 1988 which today, remains as the second-level of administration in Singapore.
Bedok Bedok is a planning area and matured residential town located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah along the south-eastern coast of the East Region of Singapore. Population wise, Bedok is the largest planning area in the Republic, being home to an estimated 289,000 residents. This high demographic is largely explained by the affordable public housing in Bedok New Town, due to its relatively distant location from the Central Area. Besides public housing developments, private residences are also prevalent in the area, most of which are found in the neighbourhoods of Bayshore, Frankel Avenue and Siglap, in western and southwestern Bedok. It also showcases the Bedok East and Bedok West previously in 2008 - 2011, before being split into various areas: Bedok Mall, Bedok Point, TPS E-Hub and Waringin Walk, but since 2019, Bizlink Centre also comes under the picture.
Bishan It is a planning area and matured residential town located at the northernmost portion of the Central Region of Singapore. Statistically, the area is ranked the 38th biggest in terms of geographical size and the 22nd most populated planning area in the country. It is located at the most Central point of Singapore, and is made out of Upper Thomson, Marymount, Shunfu, Sin Ming, Bishan North and Bishan East. There are also many private residential properties in Bishan. It also includes Junction 8 and Tse Tho Aum Temple.
Clementi Clementi is a planning area and residential town located at the easternmost fringe of the West Region of Singapore. Once famous for the Clementi Combined Temple and Clementi Market & Hawker Centre in the central part of the area. Between Clementi and Jurong East, it is one of the connections to Ulu Pandan Depot.
River Valley River Valley is a planning area that is once known to the expensive condos, similar to Bukit Timah.
Jurong (Jurong East and Jurong West) Jurong was largely industrialised in the early 1960s in a response to the general economic situation of post-war Singapore. The heavy redevelopment of the region paved the way for the opening of a large-scale industrial sector in the country, something which was unprecedented at that time. Otherwise, the east and west parts are all developed into the housing estate.

Climate[]

Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen: Af ) with no distinctive seasons, uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Temperatures usually range from Template:Convert. Relative humidity averages around 79% in the morning and 73% in the afternoon. April and May are the hottest months, with the wetter monsoon season from November to January. From July to October, there is often haze caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia. Although Singapore does not observe daylight saving time, it follows time zone GMT+8, one hour ahead of its geographical location.

Economy[]

Main article: Economy of Singapore

Pre-independence economy[]

Before independence in 1965, Singapore was the capital of the British Straits Settlements, a Crown Colony. It was also the main British naval base in East Asia. Because of its status as the main British naval base in the region, as well as hosting the largest dry dock in the world at that time in the form of the Singapore Naval Base, it was described in the press as the 'Gibraltar of the East'. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 caused global trade to boom, and Singapore became a major world trade node, and the Port of Singapore became one of the largest and busiest ports in the world. Before independence in 1965, Singapore had a GDP per capita of $511, then the third-highest in East Asia. After independence, foreign direct investment and a state-led drive for industrialisation based on plans by Goh Keng Swee and Albert Winsemius created a modern economy.

Modern-day economy[]

Today, Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, based historically on extended entrepôt trade. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, Singapore is one of the original Four Asian Tigers. The Singaporean economy is known as one of the freest, most innovative, most competitive, and most business-friendly. The 2011 Index of Economic Freedom ranks Singapore as the second freest economy in the world, behind Hong Kong. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, Singapore is consistently ranked as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, along with New Zealand and the Scandinavian countries.

Singapore is the 14th largest exporter and the 15th largest importer in the world. The country has the highest trade-to-GDP ratio in the world at 407.9 percent, signifying the importance of trade to its economy. The country is currently the only Asian country to have AAA credit ratings from all three major credit rating agencies; Standard & Poor's, Moody's, and Fitch. Singapore attracts a large amount of foreign direct investment as a result of its location, corruption-free environment, skilled workforce, low tax rates and advanced infrastructure. There are more than 7,000 multinational corporations from the United States, Japan, and Europe in Singapore. There are also 1,500 companies from China and 1,500 from India. Foreign firms are found in almost all sectors of the economy. Singapore is also the second largest foreign investor in India. Roughly 44 percent of the Singaporean workforce is made up of non-Singaporeans. Over ten free trade agreements have been signed with other countries and regions.

Singapore also possesses the world's eleventh largest foreign reserves, and is rated top in terms of net international investment position per capita. The currency of Singapore is the Singapore dollar, issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.It is interchangeable with the Brunei dollar.

In recent years, the country has been identified as an increasingly popular tax haven for the wealthy due to the low tax rate on personal income, a full tax exemption on income that is generated outside of Singapore and legislation that means that capital gains are also tax exempt. Australian millionaire retailer Brett Blundy, with an estimated personal wealth worth AU$835 million, and multi-billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin are two examples of wealthy individuals who have settled in Singapore (Blundy in 2013 and Saverin in 2012). Singapore ranked fifth place on the Tax Justice Network's 2013 Financial Secrecy Index of the world's top tax havens, scoring narrowly ahead of the United States.

Sectors[]

The Singaporean economy depends heavily on exports and refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing, which constituted 27.2% of GDP in 2010 and includes significant electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences sectors. In 2006 Singapore produced about 10% of the world's foundry wafer output. Despite its small size, Singapore has a diversified economy, a strategy that the government considers vital for growth and stability.

Tourism[]

Tourism forms several parts of the economy. Singaporeans have been used to travel from point A to point B safely and precisely in a domestic tourism. Domestic tourism can be derived into several attractions, shopping malls, hawker centres, food courts, coffeeshops and getting there by public transport. To attract more tourists, in 2005 the government legalised gambling and allowed casinos to be developed such as Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa and TPSS Casino. Singapore is promoting itself as a medical tourism hub: about 200,000 foreigners seek medical care there each year, and Singapore medical services aim to serve one million foreign patients annually by 2012 and generate USD 3 billion in revenue.

Employment and poverty[]

Singapore has the world's highest percentage of millionaires, with one out of every six households having at least one million US dollars in disposable wealth. This excludes property, businesses, and luxury goods, which if included would further increase the number of millionaires, especially as property in Singapore is among the world's most expensive. Despite its relative economic success, Singapore does not have a minimum wage, believing that it would lower its competitiveness. It also has one of the highest income inequality levels among developed countries, coming in just behind Hong Kong and in front of the United States.

Acute poverty is rare in Singapore; the government has rejected the idea of a generous welfare system, stating that each generation must earn and save enough for its entire life cycle. There are, however, numerous means-tested 'assistance schemes' provided by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports in Singapore for the needy, including some that pay out SGD 400 to SGD 1000 per month to each needy household, free medical care at government hospitals, money for children's school fees, rental of studio apartments for SGD 80 a month, training grants for courses, etc.

Foreign relations[]

Singapore's foreign policy is directed to maintaining a secure environment in Southeast Asia as well as the surrounding territories. An underlying principle is political and economic stability in the region. It has diplomatic relations with 175 other sovereign states. As one of the five founding members of the ASEAN, the country is a strong supporter of the ASEAN Free Trade Area and the ASEAN Investment Area, because Singapore's economic growth is closely linked with the economic progress of the region as a whole. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong proposed the formation of an ASEAN Economic Community, a step beyond the current AFTA bringing it closer to a common market. This idea was agreed to in 2007 for implementation by 2015. Other regional organisations are also important to Singapore, and it is the host of the APEC Secretariat. Singapore also maintains membership in other regional organisations, such as Asia–Europe Meeting, the Forum for East Asia-Latin American Cooperation, the Asian Network of Major Cities 21, and the East Asia Summit. It is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Commonwealth.

In general, bilateral relations with other ASEAN members are strong; however, disagreements have arisen, and relations with neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia have historically sometimes been very strained and difficult. Malaysia and Singapore have clashed over the delivery of fresh water to Singapore, access of the Singapore Armed Forces to Malaysian airspace, the sovereignty of Pedra Branca, and the relocation of Tanjong Pagar railway station, among others.Template:Citation needed Border issues exist with both Malaysia and Indonesia, and both have banned the sale of marine sand to Singapore over disputes about Singapore's land reclamation. Some previous disputes have been resolved by the International Court of Justice. Piracy in the Malacca Strait has been a cause of concern for all three countries. Close economic ties exist with Brunei, and the two share a pegged currency value.

The first diplomatic contact with China was made in the 1970s, with full diplomatic relations being established in the 1990s. Since then the two countries have enjoyed a strong relationship, being major players in strengthening the ASEAN–China relationship. Singapore and the United States share a long-standing and strong relationship, in particular in defence, the economy, health and education. The United States was Singapore's third largest trading partner in 2010, behind China (2nd) and Malaysia (1st). The two countries have a free-trade agreement, and Singapore views its relationship with the United States as an important counterbalance to China's influence. A Strategic Framework Agreement between the two signed in 2005 formalises security and defence cooperation. Singapore has pushed regional counter-terrorism initiatives, with a strong resolve to deal with terrorists inside its borders. To this end it has given support to the US-led coalition to fight terrorism, with bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation initiatives, and joint military exercises.

Military[]

Main article: Singapore Armed Forces

The Singaporean military is arguably the most technologically advanced in Southeast Asia. It comprises the Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Navy, and Republic of Singapore Air Force. It is seen as the guarantor of the country's independence. The nation's philosophy of defence is one of diplomacy and deterrence. This principle translates into the culture, involving all citizens in the country's defence. The government spends 4.9% of the country's GDP on the military and one out of every four dollars of government spending is spent on defence.

On independence, Singapore had two infantry regiments commanded by British officers. This force was considered too small to provide effective security to the new country, so the development of the military became a priority. Britain pulled its military out of Singapore in October 1971, leaving behind only a small British, Australian and New Zealand force as a token military presence. The last British soldier left Singapore in March 1976. New Zealand troops were the last to leave, in 1989.

A great deal of initial support came from Israel, a country that is not recognised by neighbouring Muslim-majority Malaysia, Indonesia or Brunei. The main fear after independence was an invasion by Malaysia. Israel Defense Forces commanders were tasked with creating the Singapore Armed Forces from scratch, and Israeli instructors were brought in to train Singaporean soldiers. Military courses were conducted according to the Israel Defense Forces' format, and Singapore adopted a system of conscription and reserve service based on the Israeli model. Singapore still maintains strong security ties with Israel and is one of the biggest buyers of Israeli arms and weapons systems. The MATADOR is one example of recent Singapore-Israeli collaboration.

The SAF is being developed to respond to a wide range of issues, in both conventional and unconventional warfare. The Defence Science and Technology Agency is responsible for procuring resources for the military. The geographic restrictions of Singapore mean that the SAF must plan to fully repulse an attack, as they can not fall back and re-group. The small size of the population has also affected the way the SAF has been designed, with a small active force but a large number of reserves.

Singapore has conscription for all able-bodied males at age 18, except those with a criminal record or who can prove that their loss would bring hardship to their families. Males who have yet to complete pre-university education or are awarded the Public Service Commission scholarship can opt to defer their draft. Though not required to perform military service, the number of women in the SAF has been increasing: since 1989 they have been allowed to fill military vocations formerly reserved for men. Before induction into a specific branch of the armed forces, recruits undergo at least 9 weeks of basic military training.

Because of the scarcity of open land on the main island, training involving activities such as live firing and amphibious landings is often carried out on smaller islands, typically barred to civilian access. This also avoids risk to the main island and the city. However, large-scale drills are considered too dangerous to be performed in the area, and since 1975 have been performed in Taiwan. Training is also held in about a dozen other countries. In general, military exercises are held with foreign forces once or twice per week.

Due to airspace and land constraints, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) maintains a number of overseas bases in Australia, the United States, and France. The RSAF's 130 Squadron is based in RAAF Base Pearce, Western Australia, and its 126 Squadron is based in the Oakey Army Aviation Centre, Queensland. The RSAF has one squadron – the 150 Squadron – based in Cazaux Air Base in southern France. The RSAF also has a few overseas detachments in the United States, in San Diego, California, Marana, Arizona, Grand Prairie, Texas and Luke Air Force Base, among others.

The SAF has sent forces to assist in operations outside the country in areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan, in both military and civilian roles. In the region, it has helped stabilise East Timor and has provided aid to Aceh in Indonesia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The SAF also helped in relief efforts during Hurricane Katrina. Singapore is part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, a military alliance with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Demographics[]

Main article: Demographics of Singapore

Template:As of, the population of Singapore is 5.312 million people, of whom 3.285 million (62%) are citizens while the rest (38%) are permanent residents or foreign workers/students. Twenty-three percent of Singaporean citizens were born outside Singapore (i.e. foreign born citizens). There are half a million permanent residents in Singapore in 2012. The resident population does not take into account the 11 million transient visitors who visit Singapore annually.

The median age of Singaporeans is 37 years old and the average household size is 3.5 persons. Due to scarcity of land, four out of five Singaporeans live in subsidised, high-rise, public housing apartments known as Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, after the board responsible for public housing in the country. Live-in domestic helpers are quite common in Singapore and there are nearly 200,000 domestic helpers there.

Religion[]

Main article: Religion in Singapore

Template:Bar box Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. The next-most practised religion is Christianity, followed by Islam, Taoism, and Hinduism. 17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The proportion of Christians, Taoists, and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, whilst the proportion of Buddhists decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population.

There are monasteries and Dharma centres from all three major traditions of Buddhism in Singapore: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Most Buddhists in Singapore are Chinese and are of the Mahayana tradition. Chinese Mahayana is the most predominant form of Buddhism in Singapore, with missionaries coming into the country from Taiwan and China for several decades. However, Thailand's Theravada Buddhism has seen growing popularity among the people (not only the Chinese) in the past decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organisation, is practised by many people in Singapore, but mostly by those of Chinese descent. Tibetan Buddhism has also made slow inroads into the country in recent years.

Languages[]

Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. English is the common language of the nation and is the language of business, government, and the medium of instruction in schools. Public bodies in Singapore conduct their businesses in English, and official documents written in a non-English official language such as Chinese, Malay or Tamil typically have to be translated into English to be accepted for submission. The Constitution of Singapore and all laws are written in English, and translators are required if one wishes to address the Singaporean Courts in a language other than English. However, English is the native tongue for only one-third of all Singaporeans, with roughly a third of all Singaporean Chinese, a quarter of all Singaporean Malays and half of all Singaporean Indians speaking it as their native tongue. Twenty percent of Singaporeans cannot read or write in English.

Many, but not all, Singaporeans are bilingual in English and another official language, with vastly varying degrees of fluency. The official languages ranked in terms of literacy amongst Singaporeans are English (80% literacy), Mandarin Chinese (65% literacy), Malay (17% literacy), and Tamil (4% literacy). Singaporean English is based on British English, and forms of English spoken range from Standard English to a pidgin known as "Singlish". Singlish is heavily discouraged by the government.

Chinese is the language that is spoken as the native tongue by the greatest number of Singaporeans, half of them. Singaporean Mandarin is the most common version of Chinese in the country, with 1.2 million using it as their home language. Nearly half a million speak other Chinese dialects, mainly Hokkien, Teochew, and Cantonese, as their home language, although the use of these is declining in favour of Mandarin and English.

Malay was chosen as the national language by the Singaporean government after independence from Britain in the 1960s to avoid friction with Singapore's neighbours — Malaysia and Indonesia — which are Malay-speaking. It has a symbolic rather than functional purpose. It is used in the national anthem "Majulah Singapura", in citations of Singaporean orders and decorations, and in military commands. Today, in general, Malay is spoken within the Singaporean Malay community, with only 16.8% of all Singaporeans literate in Malay and only 12% using it as their native language.

Around 100,000, or 3%, of Singaporeans speak Tamil as their native language. Tamil has official status in Singapore and there have been no attempts to discourage the use of other Indian languages.

Important Locations[]

Governmental locations[]

Singapore is an important city because it is where the Government of the whole Singapore is located. Some of its governmental locations include:

  • 38 Oxley Road - that is where Lee Kuan Yew's house is located.
  • Istana, that is where the official residence and office of the Prime Minister and President.
  • Parliament House, main offices

Other locations[]

Hotels[]

Singapore is praised for the high-quality hotels. However, all of the Singaporeans do not stay in the hotels (staycation) as they have houses in the HDB flats or condominiums, they only stay there either for emergency/temporary usage (such as when there is no house to stay in for a meantime), or for people who have Stay-Home Notice (SHN) within COVID-19 or any health diseases. Any Singaporean who plans to a staycation in the hotel, please consider staying at home according to the residential address. Cancel your bookings for the hotels. However, Singaporeans can still eat buffet at the hotels with some of the food being available (Western Food, Japanese Food and normal Chinese Food), they only do so on a major changing event (e.g. disposal of large grounds of items). Even so, swimming pools are off-limits, and people always do some exercise activities at ActiveSG areas or private condominiums.

  • Carlton Hotel
  • Copthorne Orchid Singapore (Closed)
  • Grand Park City Hall
  • Hilton Hotel
  • Mandarin Orchard Singapore
  • Marriott Hotel
  • Raffles Hotel
  • Shangri-La Hotel

Cinemas[]

This is a list of cinemas in Singapore. All of Singapore's cinemas are fully digital, with the majority of them equipped with Dolby Surround 7.1 speakers.

Filmgarde[]

Cinema Status Location Movies Additional Features
Century Square Current Level 4 N/A Opened in June 2018, formerly under Shaw Theatres.

Golden Village[]

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GV Tiong Bahru

Golden Village is the largest cinema chain in Singapore. Other than these locations mentioned, photographs were taken at Tiong Bahru Plaza, VivoCity, Great World City and Junction 8.

Cinema Status Location Movies Additional Features
Capitol Building Current N/A 7 Letters Opened in July 2015
City Square Mall Current Level 5 Ah Boys to Men Opened in November 2012
Funan Current N/A N/A
Junction 8 Current Level 4 N/A N/A
Marina Square Former Level 3 The Bourne Legacy Using cash and credit cards. Closed in September 2014.
PSB Future Academy took over the Marina Square area, together with John Little.
Plaza Singapura Current Level 7 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Was refurbished in November 2013
Suntec City Current Level 3 Terminator: Genisys Opened in November 2014
Tampines Mall Current Level 4 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Battleship
How to Train Your Dragon 2
N/A
Tiong Bahru Plaza Current Level 4 N/A N/A
VivoCity Current Level 3 N/A N/A

Shaw Theatres[]

Cinema Status Location Movies Additional Features
Century Square Former Level 5 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Closed in August 2017
Filmgarde will be opening one cinema at Century Square.
JCube Current Level 4 Men in Black 3 Opened in April 2012
Waterway Point Current Basement 2 Deadpool Opened in January 2016
Poyan Court Current Level 3 N/A Opened in November 2010

Cathay Cineplexes[]

Cathay Cineplexes also have the cinema in The Cathay.

Cinema Status Location Movies Additional Features
Causeway Point Current Level 7 Cars 3 N/A
Cineleisure Orchard Current Level 4 & 6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Darn Treader
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Using cash and credit cards
Downtown East Current Level 4 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides N/A
Jem Current Level 5 Edge of Tomorrow Opened in October 2013

Infrastructure[]

Science and technology[]

Internet in Singapore is provided by internet service providers (ISPs) that offer residential service plans of speeds up to 1 Gbit/s. In Singapore, the rise of Gigabit Networks increased exports and created 80,000 jobs in 2006.

Telecommunications in Singapore include 4G mobile phone services for over 6 million subscribers.Template:Citation needed

Education[]

Main article: Education in Singapore

Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with the Ministry of Education. English is the language of instruction in all public schools, and all subjects are taught and examined in English except for the "Mother tongue" language paper. While the term "Mother Tongue" in general refers to the first language internationally, in Singapore's education system, it is used to refer to the second language, as English is the first language. Students who have been abroad for a while or who struggle with their "Mother Tongue" language are allowed to take a simpler syllabus or drop the subject.

Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of English, the mother tongue, and maths. There are four standard subjects taught to all students: English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and science. Secondary school lasts from four to five years and is divided between Special, Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams in each school, depending on a student's ability level. The basic coursework breakdown is the same as in the primary level, although classes are much more specialised. Pre-university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools mostly called Junior Colleges.

Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum and are known as autonomous schools. These exist from the secondary education level.

National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken after each stage. After the first six years of education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination, which determines their placement at secondary school. At the end of the secondary stage, GCE "O"-Level exams are taken; at the end of the following pre-university stage, the GCE "A"-Level exams are taken. Of all non-student Singaporeans aged 15 and above, 18% have no education qualifications at all while 45% have the Primary School Leaving Examination as their highest qualification. 15% have the GCE 'O' Level as their highest qualification and 14% have a degree.

Singaporean students consistently rank in the top five in the world in the two major international assessments of mathematics and science knowledge. Singaporean students were ranked first in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and have been ranked top three every year since 1995. Singaporean students were also ranked top five in the world in terms of mathematics, science, and reading in the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment conducted by the OECD. The country's two main public universities — the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University — are among the top 50 in the world.

The most famous schools are Tampines Primary School, First Toa Payoh Primary School, Tampines Secondary School, ITE College East, ITE College Central, Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic and Singapore Management University.

Health[]

Main article: Healthcare in Singapore

Singapore has a generally efficient healthcare system, even with a health expenditure relatively low for developed countries. The World Health Organization ranks Singapore's healthcare system as 6th overall in the world in its World Health Report. In general, Singapore has the lowest infant mortality rate in the world for the past two decades. Life expectancy in Singapore is 80 for males and 85 for females, placing the country 4th in the world for life expectancy. Almost the whole population has access to improved water and sanitation facilities. There are fewer than 10 annual deaths from HIV per 100,000 people. There is a high level of immunisation. Adult obesity is below 10%.

The government's healthcare system is based upon the "3M" framework. This has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those not able to otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings scheme covering about 85% of the population, and Medishield, a government-funded health insurance scheme.  Public hospitals in Singapore have autonomy in their management decisions, and compete for patients. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income. In 2008, 31.9% of healthcare was funded by the government. It accounts for approximately 3.5% of Singapore's GDP.

The most famous hospitals that I have been to include KK Women's & Children's Hospital, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, National University Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital and Changi General Hospital.

Culture[]

Main article: Culture of Singapore

The country has strict laws against drug use and has one of the lowest rates of drug use in the world.

Foreigners also make up 42% of the population and have a strong influence on Singaporean culture. A.T. Kearney named Singapore the most globalised country in the world in 2006 in its Globalization Index. The Economist Intelligence Unit in its "Quality-of-Life Index" ranks Singapore as having the best quality of life in Asia and eleventh overall in the world.

Languages, religions, and cultures[]

Singapore is a very diverse and young country. It has many languages, religions, and cultures for a country its size. Due to the many languages and cultures in the country, there is no single set of culturally acceptable behaviours.

When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most of the newly minted Singaporean citizens were uneducated labourers from Malaysia, China and India. Many of them were transient labourers who were seeking to make some money in Singapore and they had no intention of staying for good. A sizeable minority of middle-class, local-born people, known as the Peranakans, also existed. With the exception of the Peranakans (descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants) who pledged their loyalties to Singapore, most of the labourers' loyalties lay with their respective homelands of Malaysia, China and India. After independence, the process of crafting a Singaporean identity and culture began.

Former Prime Ministers of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong have stated that Singapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling it a society-in-transition, pointing out the fact that Singaporeans do not all speak the same language, share the same religion, or have the same customs. Even though English is the first language of the nation, according to the government's 2010 census 20% of Singaporeans, or one in five, are illiterate in English. This is a marked improvement from 1990 where 40% of Singaporeans were illiterate in English.

Unlike many other countries, languages, religions and cultures among Singaporeans are not delineated according to skin colour or ancestry. Among Chinese Singaporeans, one in five is Christian, another one in five is atheist, and the rest are mostly Buddhists or Taoists. One-third speak English as their home language, while half speak Mandarin Chinese as their home language. The rest speak other mutually unintelligible Chinese languages at home. Singaporean Indians are much more religious. Only 1% of them are atheists. Six in ten are Hindus, two in ten Muslims, and the rest mostly Christians. Four in ten speak English as their home language, three in ten Tamil, one in ten Malay, and the rest other Indian languages as their home language.

Each Singaporean's behaviours and attitudes would therefore be influenced by, among many other things, his or her home language and his religion. Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean toward Western culture, while those who speak Chinese languages as their native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism. Malay-speaking Singaporeans tend to lean toward Malay culture, which itself is closely linked to Islamic culture. Those who speak Indian languages as their native language would probably lean toward Indian culture.

Cuisine[]

Main article: Singaporean cuisine

Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country's national pastime. The focus on food has led countries like Australia to attract Singaporean tourists with food-based itineraries. The diversity of food is touted as a reason to visit the country, and the variety of food representing different ethnicities is seen by the government as a symbol of its multiculturalism. The "national fruit" of Singapore is the durian.

In popular culture, food items belong to a particular ethnicity, with Chinese, Malay, and Indian food clearly defined. However, the diversity of cuisine has been increased further by the "hybridization" of different styles (e.g., the Peranakan style, a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisine).

Shopping[]

There are various shopping belts in Singapore. Not just the heartlands, but they are divided into Kampong Glam, Chinatown, Arab Street, Little India, North Bridge Road, Orchard Road, Geylang Serai, Marina Centre/Marina Bay and Bugis Street. Mustafa has been opened 24 hours. Many shops along Orchard Road and Scotts Road now offer late night shopping on the last Friday of every month with over 250 retailers staying open till midnight.

  • Books: Many of the bookshops were closed down in Singapore, but some of them are staying the game.
  • Computers: The only shopping mall left for big goods is Sim Lim Square - parts pricelists are available on Hardwarezone and are given out in Sim Lim itself, making price comparison easy. Lesser mortals (namely, who have failed to do their price-checking homework) stand a risk of getting ripped off when purchasing, but this is generally not a problem with the price lists offered by most shops. Some people are fans of the quarterly IT Shows, which takes place in Suntec City, Singapore Expo or Marina Bay Sands.
  • Consumer electronics: Quite competitively priced itself, Mustafa, Sim Lim Square and Funan are good choices. Also be wary of shops on the 1st and 2nd levels of Sim Lim Square, some of which tend to rip off tourists, so please do your research before heading down; multi-shop price comparisons and bargaining are absolutely essential. Mustafa has fixed, low prices and is a good option. For any purchases, remember that Singapore uses 230V voltage with a British-style three-pin plug.
  • Fashion: Some of the Bugis is converted by preserving the shophouses, known to the famous Bugis Street, consisting of the three levels of shops (which includes the famous ALICE Shoes, RUSH, Mimosa). Some spots of Orchard, notably Far East Plaza not to be confused with Far East Shopping Centre and the top floor of the Heeren, also target the same market but prices are generally higher. However, Rubi Shoes has evolved islandwide after successful trial in ION Orchard in 2009 but remains as flagship shop.
  • High-street fashion: ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City are the heaviest concentration for branded boutiques. Kate Spade is also available at Raffles City.
  • Games: Video and PC games are widely available in Singapore, and prices are usually cheaper than in the West. Games sold for the local market are generally in English, and though some games imported from Hong Kong or Taiwan would be in Chinese. Do note, however, that Singapore's official region code is NTSC-J (together with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong etc.), which means that games sold may not be compatible with consoles in mainland China, North America, Europe or Australia. During the four times in a year IT Shows, PC, XBox, Wii, Playstation games prices may drop at such IT shows, if not the games will be bundled with others (Example: Buy 2 at $49.90)

Arts[]

Since the 1990s, the government has been promoting Singapore as a centre for arts and culture, in particular the performing arts, and to transform the country into a cosmopolitan "gateway between the East and West". One highlight was the construction of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, a performing arts centre opened in October 2002. The national orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, plays at the Esplanade. The annual Singapore Arts Festival is organised by the National Arts Council. The stand-up comedy scene has been growing, with a weekly open mic. Singapore hosted the 2009 Genee International Ballet Competition, a classical ballet competition promoted by London's Royal Academy of Dance.

Sport and recreation[]

Singapore is not just famous in film culture, but also its sports. Popular sports include football, basketball, cricket, swimming, sailing, table tennis and badminton. Most Singaporeans live in public residential areas (known as "HDB flats", as mentioned above) near amenities such as public swimming pools, outdoor basketball courts and indoor sport complexes. Water sports are popular, including sailing, kayaking and water skiing.

Singapore's football (soccer) league, the S-League, formed in 1994, currently comprises 12 clubs including foreign teams. The Singapore Slingers, formerly in the Australian National Basketball League, is one of the inaugural teams in the ASEAN Basketball League, founded in October 2009.

Singapore began hosting a round of the Formula One World Championship, the Singapore Grand Prix, in 2008. The race takes place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit and was the inaugural F1 night race and the first F1 street race in Asia.

Kranji Racecourse is run by the Singapore Turf Club and hosts multiple weekly meetings and many important local and international races, notably the prestigious Singapore Airlines International Cup.

Singapore also hosted the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.

Locations[]

Media[]

Main article: Media of Singapore

Companies linked to the government control much of the domestic media in Singapore. MediaCorp operates most free-to-air television channels and free-to-air radio stations in Singapore. There are a total of seven free-to-air TV channels offered by Mediacorp. There are three English channels, two Chinese channels, and one Malay and Indian channel respectively. Starhub TV and SingTel TV also offers cable television and IPTV with channels from all around the world and Singtel's MioTV provides an IPTV service. Singapore Press Holdings, a body with close links to the government, controls most of the newspaper industry in Singapore.

Transport[]

Main article: Transport in Singapore

Since Singapore is a small island with a high population density, the number of private cars on the road is restricted so as to curb pollution and congestion. Car buyers must pay for duties one-and-a-half times the vehicle's market value and bid for a Singaporean Certificate of Entitlement (COE), which allows the car to run on the road for a decade. Car prices are generally significantly higher in Singapore than in other English-speaking countries and thus only one in 10 residents owns a car. As with most Commonwealth countries, vehicles on the road and people walking on the streets keep to the left.

Getting around Singapore is easy - the public transportation is extremely easy to use and taxis are priced at minimum $3.20 - $3.90 for those who are in a hurry to get one, whereas fixed fares are only at the point of booking through the apps (Grab, Gojek, ComfortDelGro). Rental cars are only in a case-by-case basis, such as inaccessible places. Google Maps, Citymapper and Moovit, does a pretty good job of figuring out the fastest route by MRT and bus and even estimating taxi fares between any two points.

If you are in Singapore, EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards are a worth while purchase. It is similar to Hong Kong's Octopus card, London's Oyster card, Taipei's EasyCard and Tokyo's Suica. You can store value on it and use it on the MRT trains as well as all city buses at a 15% discount. The card costs $12, including $7 stored value, and the card can be "topped up" in increments of at least $10 at the farecard vending machines or 7-Eleven stores (the latter will allow a top-up for a convenience fee). You can use the same card for 5 years. You can return the card to get unused credit out but not the $5 non refundable card fee.

Singapore offers a wide range of transportation, including a connected major highway system and several other smaller highways, with several exits and entries off the city. The city relies on the foot, bus, taxis and train (MRT or LRT).

Singapore has a road system covering Template:Convert, which includes Template:Convert of expressways. The Singapore Area Licensing Scheme, implemented in 1975, became the world's first congestion pricing scheme, and included other complementary measures such as stringent car ownership quotas and improvements in mass transit. Upgraded in 1998 and renamed Electronic Road Pricing, the system introduced electronic toll collection, electronic detection, and video surveillance technology.

Singapore is a major international transport hub in Asia, positioned on many sea and air trade routes. The Port of Singapore, managed by port operators PSA International and Jurong Port, was the world's second-busiest port in 2005 in terms of shipping tonnage handled, at 1.15 billion gross tons, and in terms of containerised traffic, at 23.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). It is also the world's second-busiest, behind Shanghai, in terms of cargo tonnage with 423 million tons handled. In addition, the port is the world's busiest for transshipment traffic and the world's biggest ship refuelling centre.

Singapore is an aviation hub for Southeast Asia and a stopover on the Kangaroo Route between Sydney and London. There are eight airports in the country, and Singapore Changi Airport hosts a network of 80 airlines connecting Singapore to 200 cities in 68 countries. The national airlines are Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot.

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