What links are there to find information( Eg. culture) about Singapore???

Answer 1

honestly, in my opinion, if you want information on the *culture* of singapore - a typical day in the life of a singaporean, traditions, the cultural roots, usual practices etc, your best bet is going into a singaporean chat room and looking for a couple of singaporeans to talk to.

i'd be happy to help if you need anything. :) good luck!

Answer 2

I just typed in the word "Singapore" into Yahoo's search, and it showed about 294 MILLION listings, from airplane flights to hotels, to culture, etc. Sometimes you just have to take a chance that what you are looking for will be listed in some database somewhere. :)

Answer 3

Singapore
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia - Cite This Source

Singapore, officially Republic of Singapore, republic (2005 est. pop. 4,426,000), 240 sq mi (625 sq km). It consists of the island of Singapore (210 sq mi/544 sq km) and about 60 small adjacent islands at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, SE Asia. Singapore city, the capital, largest city, and chief port, is administratively coextensive with the republic. The distinction between Singapore and Singapore city has virtually disappeared, as almost the entire island has become urbanized.
Land

Lying just north of the equator and located between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, Singapore is situated at the convergence of some of the world's major sea-lanes. It is separated from Indonesia to the south by the Singapore Strait and from Malaysia to the north by the Johore Strait. Singapore island is low-lying and is composed of a granitic core (rising to 580 ft/177 m at Bukit Timah, the country's highest point) surrounded by sedimentary lowlands. Singapore has a tropical rain-forest climate with uniformly high temperatures and rainfall throughout the year. The island was once covered by rain forest, which is now limited to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The coast is broken by many inlets. Keppel Harbor, the heart of the port of Singapore, is a natural deepwater anchorage between Singapore and the islands of Brani and Sentosa (Blakang Mati), off the S central coast of Singapore island.

The older urban areas of the city lie to the north and northeast of the port. Jurong Industrial Estate (c.20 sq mi/50 sq km), an industrial park built largely on reclaimed swampland, is in SW Singapore. The city-state's architecture is a mix of British colonial, traditional Malay and Chinese, and modern. Among Singapore's notable buildings are the city hall, the Raffles Hotel, the Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, the bristly, aluminum-clad Esplanade performance complex, and Old St. Andrew's Cathedral. The National Univ. of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological Univ., the Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and the Singapore Polytechnic are the leading educational institutions, and there are art, history, and science museums. Singapore has a botanic garden, a zoo, and a bird park as well as many parks. Sentosa island has been developed as a recreation and amusement complex.
People

As a city-state, Singapore is one of the world's most densely populated countries with about 12,000 people per sq mi (about 4,600 people per sq km). A massive urban renewal program, begun in the 1960s, has replaced virtually all of Singapore's slums with modern housing units. As a result of family planning and a strict immigration policy, the annual rate of population increase has declined to just over 1%, down from 4.5% in the 1950s. The population is over 75% Chinese; Malays and Indians constitute large minorities. Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Christianity are the religions of Singapore. The country has four official languages—Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, and English—and one of the world's highest literacy rates (a product of a fine uniform education system conducted in all the official languages).
Economy

Less than 5% of Singapore's land is used for agriculture; tropical fruits and vegetables are intensively cultivated and poultry and hogs are raised. There are no exploitable natural resources in the country. Its power is produced by thermoelectric plants, and water is supplied by a number of reservoirs. Singapore has a fine rapid transit system, good roads, a railroad that crosses the island, and a causeway carrying road and rail traffic to the mainland.

Singapore's workforce is employed primarily in manufacturing, in the service industries, and in commerce, with a negligible proportion engaged in agriculture. The country has become a major center of international finance in recent decades. The economy slowed as a result of the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 and the 2001 recession, but unemployment and inflation remained low. The increasing importance of China in manufacturing and finance, however, is seen as a threat to Singapore's future economic growth.

Singapore is one of the world's greatest commercial centers, with a large, modern port. Commerce has historically been the chief source of income. For many years the largest importer in SE Asia, Singapore is a free port and an entrepôt that reexports more than half of what it imports, notably rubber, petroleum, textiles, timber, and tin. It also exports locally manufactured goods such as computer and telecommunications equipment, petroleum products, oil drilling equipment, plastics, rubber products, and processed food and beverages. The country imports most of its food requirements.

The country's chief trading partners are Japan, the United States, Malaysia, and Indonesia; Singapore signed a free-trade agreement with the United States in 2003. With more than 300 factories and deepwater wharves, the Jurong Industrial Estate is Southeast Asia's largest industrial complex. It and the Changi International Airport are built largely on infill of marsh and shallow waters of the straits. The country has a number of large petroleum storing and refining facilities, and Keppel Harbor is one of the world's largest container-handling facilities. Development of the former British naval base at Sembawang on the Johore Strait as a commercial shipyard helped to enhance Singapore's status as a major center for shipbuilding and repairs.
Government

The country has a parliamentary form of government, with a popularly elected president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government. There is an 90-seat unicameral parliament; 84 members are popularly elected, and 6 appointed. The supreme court, the nation's highest judicial body, has seven members. The People's Action party (PAP) is the most important of Singapore's numerous political parties; it has been in power since 1959, and in 2001 55 of its parliamentary candidates were elected unopposed.
History
The Development of Singapore

Singapore was a trading center in the Srivijaya empire before it was destroyed in the 14th cent. by the Majapahit empire. It later became part of Johore (see Johor) in the Malacca Sultanate. The sparsely populated island was ceded (1819) to the British East India Company through the efforts of Sir T. Stamford Raffles; he founded the modern city of Singapore there that same year. In 1824, Singapore came under the complete control of the British and, although containing only a small fishing and trading village, quickly attracted Chinese and Malay merchants. The port grew rapidly, soon overshadowing Penang (see Pinang) and Malacca (see Melaka) in importance. With them Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements in 1826.

The development of Malaya under British rule in the late 19th and early 20th cent. made Singapore one of the leading ports of the world for the export of tin and rubber. The construction of a railroad through the Malay Peninsula to Bangkok swelled Singapore's trade, and the building of airports made it more than ever a communication center. A naval base at Sembawang, begun in 1924, was completed in 1938; the island, sometimes called the Malta of the East, was reinforced in the early days of World War II. After the swift Japanese campaign in Malaya, however, Singapore was successfully attacked across the Johore Strait, and on Feb. 15, 1942, the British garrison surrendered; Singapore was reoccupied by the British in Sept., 1945. In 1946, Singapore, no longer a part of the Straits Settlements, was constituted a crown colony, with Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Following a decade of Communist terrorism, Singapore, separated from Christmas Island and the Cocos-Keeling islands, became (June, 1959) a self-governing state.
Modern Singapore

In the 1959 general elections the People's Action party (PAP) won control of the government and continued in power after winning the 1963 elections. Under the policies of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's economic base was strengthened and a greater degree of social and cultural homogeneity was achieved. With the establishment in the 1960s of the Economic Development Board, the Development Bank of Singapore, and the International Trading Company and the subsequent influx of foreign investment, Singapore's industrial base was diversified, expanded, and modernized. Following a referendum (1962), Singapore merged (Aug., 1963) with Malaya, Sarawak, and Sabah to form the Federation of Malaysia. Frictions soon arose, however, and Singapore was, by mutual agreement, separated from the federation in Aug., 1965, becoming an independent republic. The exclusion of Singapore was largely due to Malay fears of Singapore's Chinese majority and its potential economic domination in the federation.

Singapore has remained in the Commonwealth of Nations, and it joined the United Nations in 1965; it was one of the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967. Close strategic ties to the United States are reflected in an agreement that provides access to Singapore's naval base by American warships. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was the dominant figure in Singapore's authoritarian political environment until his resignation in 1990 after 31 years in office. Singapore experienced steady economic growth and diversification during his tenure, but the country was criticized internationally during the 1980s and 1990s for severe treatment of political dissidents and a harsh system of justice.

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong became prime minister, but Lee retained considerable governmental influence, staying on as senior minister. In 1993, Ong Teng Cheong, former chairman of the PAP, became Singapore's first directly elected president. Despite the government party's overwhelming victory at the polls during the 1997 legislative elections, there were indications of growing popular opposition. Following an economic downturn in 1998, Singapore cut wages and allowed its currency to adjust downward, but it solidified its position as a world financial center. Sellapan Ramanathan Nathan, running unopposed as the PAP's endorsed candidate, was elected president in 1999. In legislative elections in 2001, the PAP again was swept into office, as a fragmented opposition failed to field candidates in 65% of the constituencies. Goh stepped down as prime minister in 2004 and was succeeded by Lee Hsien Loong, a son of Lee Kuan Yew. The elder Lee remained in the government as minister mentor, and Goh succeeded him as senior minister. President Nathan was reelected in 2005. In the 2006 legislative elections more than 50% of the constituencies were contested, but the PAP again swept nearly all the seats.
Bibliography

See N. Barber, A Sinister Twilight: The Fall of Singapore, 1942 (1968); J. W. Salaff, State and Family in Singapore (1988); T. Li, Singapore Malay Society (1989); C. M. Turnbull, A History of Singapore, 1819-1985 (2d ed. 1989); J. Minchin, No Man Is an Island (2d ed. 1990); Lee Kuan Yew, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, 1965-2000 (2000).


The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.
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Singapore
Crystal Reference Encyclopedia - Cite This Source

Official name Republic of Singapore

Local name Singapore

Timezone GMT +8

Area 618 km²/238 sq mi

population total (2002e) 4 000 000

Status Republic

Date of independence 1965

Capital Singapore City

Languages English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil (official)

Ethnic groups Chinese (77%), Malay (15%), Indian (6%)

Religions Chinese population mainly Buddhists, Malay mainly Muslim, also Taoist, Christian, and Hindu minorities

Physical features Located at the S tip of the Malay Peninsula, SE Asia; consists of the island of Singapore and c.50 adjacent islets; linked to Malaysia by a causeway across the Johor Strait; Singapore Island is low-lying, rising to 177 m/581 ft at Bukit Timah; Selatar River drains N–E; deep-water harbour (SE).

Climate Equatorial climate; high humidity; no clearly defined seasons; average annual temperature range, 21–34°C; average annual rainfall, 2438 mm/96 in.

Currency 1 Singapore Dollar/Ringgit (SGD) = 100 cents

Economy Major transshipment centre (one of world's largest ports); oil refining; rubber, food processing, chemicals, electronics; ship repair; financial services; fishing; tourism (affected by the SARS outbreak, 2003).

GDP (2002e) $112·4 bn, per capita $25 200

Human Development Index (2002) 0·885

History Originally part of the Sumatran Srivijaya kingdom; leased by the British East India Company, on the advice of Sir Stamford Raffles, from the Sultan of Johore, 1819; Singapore, Malacca, and Penang incorporated as the Straits Settlements, 1826; British Crown Colony, 1867; occupied by the Japanese, 1942–5; self-government, 1959; part of the Federation of Malaya from 1963 until its establishment as an independent state in 1965; governed by a President, a Prime Minister, and a unicameral Parliament.

See also

Malaysia
Raffles
Singapore City
Head of State (President (Yang di-Pertuan Negara))
1999– Sellapan Ramanathan Nathan
1993–9 Ong Teng Cheong
1985–93 Wee Kim Wee
1981–5 Chengara Veetil Devan Nair
1970–81 Benjamin Henry Sheares
1959–70 Yusof bin Ishak
Head of Government (Prime Minister)
2004– Lee Hsien Loong
1990–2004 Goh Chok Tong
1959–90 Lee Kuan Yew


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Singapore
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This Source

Singapore (Singapura; 新加坡, Xīnjiāpō; சிங்கப்பூர், Ciŋkappūr), officially the Republic of Singapore (Republik Singapura; 新加坡共和国, Xīnjiāpō Gònghéguó; சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு, Ciŋkappūr Kudiyarasu), is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometers (85 miles) north of the Equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 704.0 km², it is the smallest country in Southeast Asia.

The main island was a fishing village sparsely populated by indigenous Malays and Orang Lauts when it was colonized by the British East India Company in 1819. The British utilized its position as a tactical trading outpost along the spice route. Occupied by the Japanese Empire during World War II, it reverted to British rule in 1945 and was later part of the merger which established Malaysia in 1963. Two years later, it was expelled due to ideological differences.

Since gaining independence, Singapore has seen its standard of living rise dramatically. Foreign investment and government-led island-wide industrialization have created a modern economy based on electronics and manufacturing, featuring entrepôt and financial trade centering around the country's strategic location. The island-state has achieved Asian Tiger status after four decades of intense and open capitalist industrialization. In terms of GDP per capita, Singapore is the 18th wealthiest country in the world. The geographically small nation has a foreign reserve of S$212 billion (US$139 billion). In terms of quality of life, The Economist (2005) ranked Singapore highest in Asia and 11th in the world.

The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore established the city-state's political system as a representative democracy while the country has official United Nations' recognition as a parliamentary republic. The People's Action Party has won control of Parliament in every election since self-government in 1959.
History

Origin of name
The name Singapura is derived from the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which in turn is from the Sanskrit सिंह and . According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a 14th-century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, on alighting the island after a thunderstorm, renamed it Singapura after spotting an auspicious beast identified as lion.
First settlement

The first records of settlement in Singapore are from the second century AD. The island was an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire and originally bore the Javanese name Temasek ('sea town'). Temasek (Tumasek) rapidly became a significant trading city, but declined in the late 14th century. There are few remnants of old Temasek in Singapore, but archaeologists in Singapore have uncovered evidence of the civilization and other settlements. Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, Singapore was part of the Sultanate of Johor. During the Malay-Portugal wars in 1613, she was set ablaze by Portuguese troops. The Portuguese subsequently held control in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th, but throughout most of this time the island's population consisted mainly of fishermen

On 29 January 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed on the main island. Sighting its potential, Raffles signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah on behalf of the British East India Company to develop Singapore as a trading post and settlement, marking the start of the island's modern era. Raffles's deputy, William Farquhar, oversaw a period of growth and ethnic migration. The British India office governed the island in 1858, but Singapore was made a British crown colony, answerable directly to the Crown, in 1867. By 1869, the island boasted a sizeable community of 100,000.
World War II
During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Malaya, culminating in the Battle of Singapore. The ill-prepared British were defeated in six days, and surrendered the supposedly impregnable "Bastion of the Empire" to General Tomoyuki Yamashita on 15 February 1942. The Japanese renamed Singapore Shōnan (昭南), from Japanese Shō (Shōwa) and nan (South), and occupied it until the British repossessed the island on 12 September 1945, a month after the Japanese surrender.
Independence

Singapore became a self-governing state in 1959 with Yusof bin Ishak its first Yang di-Pertuan Negara and Lee Kuan Yew its first Prime Minister. Following the 1962 Merger Referendum of Singapore, Singapore joined Malaya, along with Sabah and Sarawak, to form the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, but was expelled two years later after heated ideological conflict between the state's PAP government and the federal Kuala Lumpur government. Singapore officially gained sovereignty on 9 August 1965. Yusof bin Ishak was sworn in as the first President of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew remained prime minister.

The fledgling nation had to be self-sufficient, and faced problems like mass unemployment, housing shortages, and a dearth of land and natural resources. During Lee Kuan Yew's term as prime minister from 1959 to 1990, his administration curbed widespread unemployment, raised the standard of living, and implemented a large-scale public housing programme. The country's economic infrastructure was developed, the threat of racial tension was curbed, and an independent national defence system, centered around compulsory male military service, was created.

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister. During his tenure, the country tackled the impacts of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak, and terrorist threats posed by the Jemaah Islamiyah group post-September 11. Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the third prime minister in 2004. Amongst his more notable decisions is the opening of two Integrated Resorts (which include legalised casinos) to attract more foreign tourists.
Politics and government

Singapore is a republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing different constituencies. The bulk of the executive powers rests with the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. The office of President of Singapore, historically a ceremonial one, was granted some veto powers as of 1991 for a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judiciary positions. Although the position is to be elected by popular vote, only the 1993 election has been contested to date. The legislative branch of government is the Parliament.

Parliamentary elections in Singapore are plurality-based for group representation constituencies since the Parliamentary Elections Act was modified in 1991.

Singaporean politics have been dominated by the People's Action Party (PAP) since self-government was attained. In consequence, foreign political analysts and several opposition parties like the Workers' Party of Singapore, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) have argued that Singapore is essentially a one-party state. Many analysts consider Singapore to be more of an illiberal or procedural democracy than a true democracy. The Economist Intelligence Unit lists Singapore as a country with a "hybrid" system comprised of democratic and authoritarian elements. Freedom House ranks the country as "partly free". Though general elections are free from irregularities and vote rigging, the PAP has been criticised for manipulating the political system through its use of censorship, gerrymandering, and civil libel suits against opposition politicians. Francis Seow , the exiled former solicitor-general of Singapore, is a prominent critic. Seow and opposition politicians such as J.B. Jeyaretnam and Chee Soon Juan claim that Singapore courts favour the PAP government, and there is no separation of powers.

Singapore has a highly successful and transparent market economy. Government-linked companies are dominant in various sectors of the local economy, such as media, utilities, and public transport. Singapore has consistently been rated as the least-corrupt country in Asia and amongst the top ten cleanest from corruption in the world by Transparency International.

Although Singapore's laws are inherited from British and British Indian laws, including many elements of English common law, the PAP has also consistently rejected liberal democratic values as "Western." Laws restricting freedom of speech are justified by claims that unrestricted speech may breed disharmony within Singapore's multi-racial, multi-religious society. Some offences can lead to heavy fines or caning, and there are laws which allow capital punishment for first-degree murder and drug trafficking. More recently the PAP government has claimed to relax some of its socially conservative policies and created a "Feedback Unit to receive comments on some policies and public services.

Geography and climate

Singapore is divided into 55 urban planning areas, grouped into 5 regions.

Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island itself. There are two connections to Johor — the man-made 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 many smaller islands. The highest natural point of Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill (166 metres, 538 ft).

The urban area used only to be concentrated on the south of Singapore, around the mouth of the Singapore River and what is now the Downtown Core, while the rest of the land was undeveloped tropical rainforest or used for agriculture. Since the 1960s, the government has constructed new residential towns in outlying areas, resulting in an entirely built-up urban landscape. The Urban Redevelopment Authority is the government agency responsible for urban planning.

Singapore has an on-going land reclamation project with earth obtained from its own hills, the sea-bed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5 square kilometres (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 699.3 square kilometres (269.1 sq mi) today, and may grow by another 100 square kilometres (38.6 sq mi) by 2030. Many of the smaller islands have been expanded and joined together through land reclamation in order to form larger, more functional islands, such as in the case of Jurong Island.

Under the Köppen climate classification system, Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinct seasons. Its climate is characterised by uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Temperatures range from 22°C to 34 °C (72°–93°F). On average, the relative humidity is around 90% in the morning and 60% in the afternoon. During prolonged heavy rain, relative humidity often reaches 100%. The lowest and highest temperatures recorded in its maritime history are 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) and 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) respectively. The highest wind speed recorded is 150 km/h on 26 May, 2007. June and July are the hottest months, while November and December make up the wetter monsoon season. From August to October, there is often haze, sometimes severe enough to prompt public health warnings, due to bushfires in neighbouring Indonesia. Singapore does not observe daylight savings time or a summer time zone change. The length of the day is nearly constant year round due to the country's location near the equator.

About 23% of Singapore's land area consists of forest and nature reserves. Urbanization has eliminated many areas of former primary rainforest, with the only remaining area of primary rainforest being Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. A variety of parks are maintained with human intervention, such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Without natural freshwater rivers and lakes, the primary domestic source of water supply in Singapore is rainfall, collected in reservoirs or catchment areas. Rainfall supplies approximately 50% of Singapore's water; the remainder is imported from Malaysia or obtained from recycled water facilities and desalination plants. More NEWater and desalination plants are being built or proposed to reduce reliance on foreign supply.
Economy

Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, which historically revolves around extended entrepot trade. The economy depends heavily on exports refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing. Manufacturing constitutes 28% of Singapore's GDP in 2005. The manufacturing industry is well-diversified into electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing. Singapore is the busiest port in the world in terms of tonnage shipped.

Singapore is the world's fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre after London, New York City and Tokyo. If the economy does well, it may overtake Tokyo as the third largest foreign exchange centre by 2008.

Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, Singapore is one of the Four Asian Tigers. Singapore has been rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world, with thousands of foreign expatriates working in multi-national corporations. The city-state also employs thousands of foreign workers from around the world.

In 2001, a global recession and slump in the technology sector caused the GDP to contract by 2.2%. The Economic Review Committee (ERC), set up in December 2001, recommended several policy changes with a view to revitalising the economy. Singapore has since recovered from the recession, largely due to improvements in the world economy; the Singaporean economy itself grew by 8.3% in 2004 and 6.4% in 2005.

The per capita GDP in 2005 was US$26,833 and the unemployment rate was 2.7% in 2006, with 173,000 new jobs being created in 2006, a record high. The economy grew by 7.9% in 2006. In the first quarter of Year 2007, the economy grew by 6.1%. As the economy grew at a much faster pace than expected, the government raised the economic growth forecast to 5%-7% instead of the initial 4.5%-6.5% for the full year. Finance Minister Lee Hsien Loong also had said in an interview in April 2007 that Singapore's economy is expected to grow by at least 5% for the next 5 years.

Singapore introduced a Goods and Services Tax (GST) with an initial rate of 3% on 1 April 1994 substantially increasing government revenue by $1.6 billion and stabilising government finances. The taxable GST was increased to 4% in 2003 and to 5% in 2004. The GST will be further increased to 7% on 1st July 2007. To help Singaporeans cope with the GST tax increase, the government has introduced the GST Offset Package (similar to the Progress Package given out last year) on 14 May 2007. Each citizen would be able to receive an amount of between S$150- S$1,000, depending on the individual salary.

Singapore is a popular travel destination, making tourism one of its largest industries. About 9.7 million tourists visited Singapore in 2006. The Singaporean government hopes to have at least 17 million visitor arrivals by 2015. The Orchard Road district is the centre of shopping hub in Singapore. To attract more tourists, the government decided in 2005 to legalise gambling and to allow two Integrated Resorts to be developed at Marina South and Sentosa. Other than the Integrated Resort, about 15 new developments are coming up, which include the Singapore Flyer, which would be the largest ferris wheel in the world, the Gardens by the Bay and a 280-metre Double Helix Bridge connecting tourist attractions in and around Marina Bay. Cuisine has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists, with the Singapore Food Festival in July organized annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine. In 2008, Formula One racing will return when the Singapore Grand Prix will resume, having not been held since 1972. The circuit will be the first night-time race in Formula One's history.

To compete with its many rivals such as Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore has announced that the city would be transformed into a more vibrant and exciting place with more buzz by lighting up the city completely. The purpose of this is to attract more tourists.
Military
The military of Singapore serves primarily as a deterrent to potential invaders of the island. Singapore has mutual defence pacts with several countries, most notably the Five Power Defence Arrangements. The country subscribes to a philosophy of Total Defence, which identifies five aspects of a holistic national defence.

The military of Singapore includes the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force, collectively known as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) oversees its functioning, with some private companies also playing a supporting role. Singapore requires that all males from 18 to 40 years of age, except those with certain medical or other exemptions, to become reservists after completing mandatory National Service duty.

The recent rise in unconventional warfare and terrorism has cast increasing emphasis on the non-military aspects of defence. The Gurkha Contingent, part of the Singapore Police Force, is also a counter-terrorist force. In 1991, the hijacking of Singapore Airlines Flight 117 ended in the storming of the aircraft and the subsequent deaths of all four hijackers. A current concern is Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant Islamic group whose plan to attack the Australian High Commission was ultimately foiled in 2001.

Singapore's defence resources have been used in international humanitarian aid missions, including United Nations peacekeeping assignments in Kosovo, Kuwait and East Timor, and participating in the multinational force in Iraq.
Demographics
Population

Singapore is the second-most densely populated country in the world, not including Macau and Hong Kong, which are parts of the People's Republic of China. While the total population living in Singapore as of June 2006 is about 4.5 million, official demographic breakdowns and statistical analysis are only released for the 3.6 million who are Singaporean citizens and permanent residents (termed 'Singapore Residents').

After two decades of a successful family planning policy, Singapore is now facing the threat of an ageing population with declining birth rates. The government is encouraging Singaporeans to have more children through the provision of financial incentives for the first to fourth child of each family.

In 2006, 38,232 babies were born, compared to around 37,600 in 2005. The number, however, is still not sufficient for the population to replace itself. Singapore's large number of migrants has kept Singapore's population from declining.
Ethnicity
Chinese Singaporeans form the largest ethnic group with 75.2% of the population. Malay Singaporeans constitute the second largest group with 13.6% and they include closely related ethnic groups from other parts of the Malay archipelago including the Javanese, Bugis, Baweans and Minangkabau. Indian Singaporeans are the third largest ethnic group at 8.8%, consisting of several groups — Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Tamils, who form the largest Indian ethnic / linguistic group, and others such as Malayalees and Punjabis. Eurasian Singaporeans and other smaller ethnic communities including Arab Singaporeans, Jews, Thais, Japanese and Europeans form 2.4% of Singapore Residents.

The government of Singapore has been careful to maintain ethnic harmony after racial riots erupted in the 1960s. Racial harmony has been emphasized in all aspects of society, including the Singaporean education system, military and housing. So far the policy has been largely successful, and there have been few signs of ethnic tension since the early 1970s.
Religion

Singapore is also a multi-religious country. Around 51% of Singaporeans practice Buddhism and Taoism. About 15%, mostly Chinese and Indians, practice Christianity. Muslims constitute 16%, of whom Malays account for 13.9%. Smaller minorities practise Sikhism, Hinduism, the Baha'i faith, and others. About 15% of the population have no religious affiliation.
Languages

The national language of Singapore is Malay for historical reasons, and it is used in the national anthem, "Majulah Singapura". The official languages are English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. English has been promoted as the country's language of administration since independence, and it is spoken by the majority of the population, especially the young. Public signs and official publications are in English, although there are usually translated versions in the other official languages.

The English used is primarily British English, with some American English influences. The local colloquial dialect of English is Singlish, which has many creole-like characteristics, having incorporated vocabulary and grammar from various Chinese dialects, Malay, and Indian languages. Singlish is spoken commonly on the streets, but the government frowns upon its use in official contexts. The use of English became widespread in Singapore after it was implemented as a first language medium in the education system, and English is the most common language in Singaporean literature.
Architecture

The architecture of Singapore is varied, reflecting the ethnic build-up of the country.

Singapore has several ethnic neighbourhoods, including Chinatown and Little India. These were formed under the Raffles Plan to segregate the immigrants, but now have a more diverse patronage. Many places of worship were also constructed during the colonial era. Sri Mariamman Temple, the Masjid Jamae Mosque and the Church of Gregory the Illuminator are among those that were built during the colonial period. Work is now underway to preserve these religious sites as National Monuments of Singapore.

Due to the lack of available space, few historical buildings remain in the centre of the Central Business District (CBD) of Singapore - the Fullerton Hotel and the previously-moved Lau Pa Sat being some exceptions. However, just outside of Raffles Place, and throughout the rest of the downtown core, there is a large scattering of pre-WWII buildings - some going back nearly as far as Raffles, as with the Empress Place Building, built in 1827. Many beautiful classical buildings were destroyed during the post-war decades, up until the 1990s, when things completely changed and the government started very strict programs to conserve the many remaining buildings and whole areas that are of historic and aesthetic value Past the shopping malls are streets lined with old but newly-painted shophouses. Many other such areas have been gazetted as historic districts. Information can be found at the URA Centre in Maxwell Road, where there are exhibits and several models of the island and its architecture. Singapore has also become a centre for modern, or more correctly, postmodern architecture. Historically, the demand for high-end buildings has been in and around the Central Business District (CBD). After decades of development, the CBD has become an area with many tall office buildings. These buildings comprise the skyline along the coast of Marina Bay and Raffles Place, a famous tourist attraction in Singapore. Plans for tall buildings must be reviewed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore No building in Singapore may be taller than 280 metres. The three tallest buildings in Singapore, namely Republic Plaza, UOB Plaza One and OUB Centre, are all 280 metres in height.

In addition, some interesting signs of Singapore's colonial past remain in the form of "Black and White Houses". These large houses are situated further away from the CBD and were built in the early to mid 19th century. These homes were built to house the British generals and governors when Britain occupied the country. Later, they became home to many Japanese generals after the fall of Singapore during World War II.
Culture

Singapore is a mixture of an indigenous Malay population with a third generation Chinese majority, as well as Indian and Arab immigrants with some intermarriages. (Note: In reality, there are very few people in Singapore who can claim to be truly indigenous to the island of Singapore. Other than people who can trace their ancestry to the Orang Laut, the peoples of Singapore are basically immigrants who arrived to take advantage of the economic opportunities made available by the founding of modern Singapore by Raffles.) There also exist significant Eurasian and Peranakan (known also as 'Straits Chinese') communities. Singapore has also achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion. One example is in Singaporean cuisine.

Since the 1990s, the government has been striving to promote Singapore as a centre for arts and culture, and to transform the country into a cosmopolitan 'gateway between the East and West'.

The highlight of these efforts was the construction of Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, a centre for performing arts that opened on October 12, 2002.Singapore is a multi-religious country, the roots of which can be traced to its strategic location; after its declaration as a port, a wide variety of nationalities and ethnicities from places as far as Arabia immigrated to Singapore. More than 40% of the Singaporeans adhere to Mahayana Buddhism, the main faith of the Chinese population of Singapore. Other Chinese are followers of Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity, including Catholics. Christians constitute about 14% of the population of Singapore. Most Malays are Muslims, who constitute about 15% of the population, while most Indians are Hindus, constituting 7%. There is also a sizable number of Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian population.
Education

Primary education is compulsory in Singapore since 2000. The literacy rate is one of the highest in Asia, at 95%.

The standard for the school curriculum is set by the Ministry of Education with a mix of private schools and public schools. There is no strict public-private dichotomy: the degree of autonomy, regarding curriculum and student admission, government funding received, and tuition burden on the students is further classified into "government-run", "government-aided", "autonomous", "independent", and "privately-funded". In addition, international schools catered to expatriate students, which sometimes admit local students.

There have also been complaints about excessive educational streaming at a young age; a popular local film, I Not Stupid, highlights the competitiveness of the system and social stigma that students struggling with studies have to face.

After primary education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). After secondary education, a further set of examinations are taken which determine their individual subject mastery and which kind of tertiary education they can pursue, such as junior colleges, which provide a 2-year education route to the universities, or polytechnics, where students will graduate with a diploma. There are currently five universities (National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University,SIM University)and University of New South Wales Asia the fifth, which is also Singapore's first comprehensive international university, established by invitation of the Government of Singapore. But in 23 May 2007, the university annouced its closure in June 2007. There are also five polytechnics (Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic) in the country.

In 2004, a programme called Integrated Programme was created to remove the necessity of taking O-level examinations at Secondary 4, for more academically inclined students at certain secondary schools.

Other institutes include a teaching college to train teachers, various management institutes, and vocational education institutes such as the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). INSEAD, one of the leading business school in the world, has opened a second campus in Singapore in 2001. In parallel to the original France based campus, it offers MBA and Executive-MBA courses.

Last year, Singapore welcomed about 80,000 foreign students. The government hopes to get about 150,000 foreign students by Year 2015.

PRIME (Programme for Rebuilding and IMproving Existing Schools) is carried out by the Ministry of Education in phases to upgrade current school buildings. Many of the schools were built over 20 to 30 years ago. This programme is meant to upgrade school buildings to the current standards, to provide a better school environment for the students. It was first started in year 1999, as a $4.5 billion programme. Upgrading works can be carried out on-site while the build is still being utilised by the school, or the school can be relocated to a holding campus while upgrading is under way. The school can be relocated to a different and new site once the new site has been completed. Schools can also be merged to optimise the use of resources.

Phase 9 of the programme which was implemented in 2005, saw the FlexSI(Flexible School Infrastructure) framework. This extended to the building of modular classrooms which can be opened up for larger lectures, and allowing a school's staff members to mould their school's designs to suit the school's unique identity and culture. The phase also meant the provision of an indoor sports hall, to provide opportunity for schools to carry out Physical Education(PE) lessons in inclement weather. To date, 203 out of 235 schools under the first 8 phases have been upgraded.
Transport
International

Singapore is a major Asian transportation hub, strategically lying on the midpoints of certain sea and air trade routes. The transportation industry comprises over 10% of Singapore's GDP despite an increasingly diversified economy.

The Port of Singapore, managed by port operators PSA International and Jurong Port, was the world's 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 was also the world's second busiest in terms of cargo tonnage, coming behind Shanghai with 423 million tons handled. In addition, the Port is the world's busiest for transhipment traffic and the world's biggest ship refuelling center.

Singapore is an aviation center, acting as a stopover point for the 'Kangaroo route' between Australasia and Europe. Singapore Changi Airport has a network of 81 airlines connecting Singapore to 179 cities in 57 countries (2005). It has been consistently rated as one of the best international airports by numerous international travel magazines. It was rated as the world's best airport in 2006 by Skytrax, defeating its long time rival, Hong Kong International Airport. The airport currently has two passenger terminals, with a third under construction, and there are plans for a fourth terminal. The national carrier is Singapore Airlines (SIA).

Singapore is linked to Johor, Malaysia via the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Tuas Second Link, as well as a railway operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu of Malaysia, with its southern terminus at Tanjong Pagar railway station. Frequent ferry service to several nearby Indonesian ports also exists.

Domestic

The domestic transport infrastructure has a well-connected island-wide road transport system which includes a network of expressways. The public road system is served by the nation's bus service and a number of licensed taxi-operating companies.

Since 1987, the heavy rail passenger Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) metro system has been in operation. MRT is later augmented by the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) light rail system, which provides service to housing estates. The EZ-Link system allows contactless smartcards to serve as stored value tickets for use in the public transport systems.

More than 2.8 million people use the bus network daily, while more than 1.3 million people use either the LRT or MRT as part of their daily routine. Approximately 900,000 people use the taxi services daily.. Private vehicle use in the Central Area is discouraged by tolls implemented during hours of heavy road traffic, through an Electronic Road Pricing system. Private vehicle ownership is discouraged using high vehicle taxes and imposing quotas on vehicle purchase.
International rankings
Economic

* Doing Business project 2006 @ International Finance Corporation, World Bank, ranked 1 out of 175 economies
* IMD International: [World Competitiveness Yearbook] , ranked 3 out of 60 economies in 2006 (countries and regions)
* World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, ranked 5 out of 124 economies
* A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine: Globalization Index 2005, ranked 1 out of 62 countries
* Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal: 2007 Index of Economic Freedom, ranked 2 out of 155 countries
* The Economist: The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005, ranked 11 out of 111 countries
* Economist Intelligence Unit: 2006 e-readiness rankings, ranked 13 out of 68 economies
* Transparency International: Bribe Payers Index 2006, ranked 12 out of 30 leading exporting economiesEducational
* International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, ranked 1 out of 46 economies in all four criteria
* Educational Testing Service: 2003-2004 TOEFL Test Year Data Summary, ranked 4 out of 227 economiesPolitical
* Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2006, ranked 5 out of 163 countries and economies
* Freedom in the World 2006 ranked Singapore 5 out of 7 for political freedom, and 4 out of 7 for civil liberties (where 1 is the most free), for an overall ranking of "partly free".
* The Economist: The World in 2007 - Index of Democracy, ranked 84 out of 167 countries/territories Social
* United Nations Development Programme: Human Development Index 2004, ranked 25 out of 177 countries
* Reporters Without Borders: Press Freedom Index 2006, ranked 146 out of 168 countries
* Save the Children: State of the World's Mothers 2004, ranked 16 out of 119 countries (tied with Argentina, Republic of Korea, and Uruguay)Transportation
* Skytrax: Worlds Best Airports 2006, Singapore Changi Airport ranked 1 out of 155 airports
* AAPA: World's busiest container ports, ranked 1