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REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE |
| AREA | 618 sq km (239 sq mi) |
| POPULATION | 2,988,000 |
| CAPITAL | none |
| RELIGION | Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Hindu |
| LANGUAGE | English, Malay, Chinese, Tamil |
| LITERACY | 91% |
| LIFE EXPECTANCY | 75 years |
| ECONOMY | Industry: petroleum refining, shipbuilding, chemicals, electronics, finance, tourism. Export crops: orchids, aquarium fish. |
| PCI | $19,310 |
| Singapore
- the Lion City, is an independent island state which is linked to the
southern tip of the Malaysia peninsula by two causeways. The country strives
on trade, shipping, tourism; and is one of Asia's top financial centres
and the world's second busiest port. It has a population of 3 million with
the majority of Chinese decent; and English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil
are the 4 official languages in the state. With its dynamic economy and
stable government, Singapore has become very modern, clean and orderly.
While offering all the conveniences of a modern nation, its rich cultural heritage still points to the fact that Singapore is part of the Orient - from the hustle and bustle of the lively waterfront and harbour, to the colourful ethnic shopping districts of Little India, Chinatown, and Arab Street. The hotel 'belts' in the Orchard Road and the Marina area provide the most modern and sophisticated shopping, while the preserved waterfront shophouses of Boat Quay and Clarke Quay offer a wide selection of entertainment and dining along the Singapore River. Some 3,000 multi-national companies have offices in this tropical island nation—Southeast Asia’s financial hub and one of the busiest entrepôts in the world. At the entrance to the Strait of Malacca, the city-state was a swampy Malay fishing village when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles established a trade depot in 1819. Once part of the British Empire, Singapore became independent in 1965. Political stability, maintained by the one-party dominance of the PAP, and low corporate taxes help explain Singapore’s emergence as a high-rise center of high-tech manufacturing. In office from 1959 to 1990. It citizens enjoyed, and still do, one of the highest living standards in Asia. |
