Facts about Singapore

Facts

About Singapore

Singapore, like many other Asians nations is one of contrasts, in which multiple cultures including Chinese, Indian, and Malay are suffused into one undeniable culture. Each of these individual cultures has left its mark of the greater Singaporean culture, and one can see these references all across the cityscape, from small emblems of ancestor worship to practitioners of the old Oriental art of feng shui.

Singapore is also a country transformed and evolved. It has removed itself from its seedy and criminal past in which the opium trade was king and black market pearl sales were the big markets. Today, you will find a modern city filled with skyscrapers and striving for new levels of sophistication and dabbling in the technology industry. Though one can still see touches of Singapore's colonial era in grand old hotels like the Raffles Hotel, the sleeker modern image of Singapore is taking first place. .

Best Time To Visit

Singapore is perfect vacation spot all the time with no real weather considerations to make. If your interested in festivals come in February for Thaipusam one of Singapore's most exciting festivals. For avid shoppers and ethnic food connoisseurs there is the Singapore Food Festival in April and the Great Singapore Sale held in June.

Singapore Facts

Full Name: Republic of Singapore
Area: 683 sq km/264 sq miles
Population: 4,500,000
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +8 (Standard Time)
Languages: English (official) – Since it is the language of commerce it is generally taught in most schools along side traditional languages. Older Singaporeans not taught as their children and grandchildren were may speak a patois called Singlish that is a combination of English mixed with Malay and Hokkien.
Malay (official) – The language of the Malay community.
Chinese (official) – Dialects: Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainanese and Hakka. Use of Mandarin has been encouraged by the government and has been implemented with remarkable success.
Tamil (official) – Primary Indian language in Singapore.
Religion: 42% Buddhist, 15% Muslim, 14% Christian, 9% Taoist, 4% Hindu
Currency: Singapore Dollar (S$)
Electricity: 230V 50HzHz
Electric Plug Details: British-style plug with two flat blades and one flat grounding blade
Country Dialing Code: 65