Category:Singapore
From Travel.asianfanatics.net
Singapore
Contents |
Introduction
Singapore was founded in 1819 when English nobleman Sir Stanford Raffles landed on what was then known as Temasek in his search for a British trading colony to rival the Dutch colonies in the Southeast Asia regions.
It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
Some Numbers
- Area: total: 692.7 sq km
land: 682.7 sq km water: 10 sq km
- Population: 4.3 million (est. as of july 2004)
- Country: Republic Of Singapore
- Currency: Singapore Dollar (S$)
- Time Zone: GMT 8.00 hours
- Telephone Area (Country) Code: 65
Orientation
The main island of Singapore and it’s surrounding islands make up Singapore.
The main surrounding islands include Pulau (Malay for Island) Tekong, which houses a military institute on the eastern side of Singapore; Sentosa (Island), which is a famous tourist site and beach resort situated south of Singapore mainland; and in the east-western part of Singapore, Jurong Island, a land-reclaimed island which boasts an advanced chemical-industrial hub.
The Central Business District (CBD) is home to the biggest and most reputable offices in Singapore. Orchard Road is the country’s busiest and trendiest shopping area with plush hotels, pubs, shopping malls, recreational centers, etc. a stone’s throw away from each other. Like many other advanced nations, Singapore has it’s own type of underground train network commonly known as SMRT (Singapore Mass Rapid Transit), which serves millions of passengers daily.
Other places to visit:
- Pulau Ubin, situated in the north of Singapore. No car on that island and a beautiful countryside.
- Raffles Hotel, a very beautiful hotel with a colonial feel.
- China town : you must try the "Dai Pai Dong"
- Arab Street : eat curry over there
- Little India : shopping over there, India District, mosque, ...
Languages and Cultures
Singapore is a modern multi-racial country with Chinese, Malay, and Indian making up the core of the society. Here's the percentage of the various races in Singapore:
- Chinese 76.7%
- Malay 14%
- Indian 7.9%
- other 1.4%
There are various religions in Singapore but below listed are the more common ones:
- Buddhist (mostly Chinese and Indians to a lesser extent)
- Muslim (Malays)
- Christian
- Hindu
- Sikh
- Taoist (Chinese)
- Confucianist
The main Official Languages spoken are:
- Chinese Mandarin (official)
- Malay (official and national)
- Tamil (official)
- English (official)
Malay language doubles up as the National Language. The National Anthem is sung in Malay, the standard military commands used are in Malay, however the National Pledge is in English. English is a compulsory subject taught in school and lessons taught are all in English, except for, of course, the various languages subjects. Generally, students need to learn only one type of language (based on their ethnic groups) in addition to English (which is mandatory). So it means a Chinese Singaporean student will learn English and Mandarin in school, a Malay student will learn English and Malay, and so on. If you're a tourist who knows and can speak English, you'll be able to find your way around Singapore.
Few Useful local phrases
Chinese : "Ni hao ma?" How are you? "Xie xie" Thank you
Malay : "Apa khabar" How are you? "Terima kasih" Thank you
Tamil : "Yeppadi iruk-keeng-geh" How are you? "Nandri" Thank you
Useful Numbers
Emergency Numbers :
Police - 999 Ambulance and fire brigade - 995 Flight information - 1800 542 4422 Touristline - 1800 736 2000
Hospital 24 hour emergency assistance :
Mount Elizabeth - (65)67312218 Gleneagles - (65)64705700 Mount Alvernia - (65)63476210 Raffles Hospital - (65)63111555
Credit Cards :
American Express - 1800 6737 8188 Diners Club - 1800 292 7055 JCB - 1800 734 0096 Visa - 800 448 1250 Mastercard - 800 110 0113
Tips
Tipping is not mandatory although it is often appreciated. Most hotel and restaurant bills come with a 10% service charge.
Legal Systems and Military Structure
It is generally based on based on English common law, and it has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. The President (Head Of State) is elected by the people (voters) in a Presidential Election. The President does not hold direct executive rights in the Government. The Government is chosen by the people (voters) in a General Elections. Head of the winning Party (that garners the most seats in the Parliment) is usually installed as the Prime Minister (The Head Of Government).
Fact Files:
On 12 August 2004, Mr Lee Hsien Loong took over as the third Prime Minister of Singapore. Mr Lee's ascension to the helm caps nearly 30 years in public service. Mr Lee started out as a career officer in the military and was Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff when he left for politics in 1984.
Mr Lee took over from Mr Goh Chok Tong who was Singapore’s second Prime Minister for fourteen years. Mr Goh remains in Cabinet as Senior Minister.
Mr S R Nathan was elected President of the Republic of Singapore on 18 August 1999 and was sworn in as the Republic's second Elected President on 1 September 1999 for a six-year term. President Nathan succeeded the late Mr Ong Teng Cheong.
Military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation to be reduced to 24 months from 30 months beginning December 2004 (June 2004)
Certain Official Statistics (where applicable) obtained from http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/xx.html
http://www.sg/explore/history.htm
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=62933
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