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Singapore

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Asian Countries;
Countries

   Republik Singapura
   新加坡共和国
   சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு
   Republic of Singapore

   Flag of Singapore Coat of arms of Singapore
   Flag              Coat of arms
   Motto: Majulah Singapura
   ( Malay: "Onward, Singapore")
   Anthem: Majulah Singapura
   Location of Singapore
   Capital
   (and largest city) Singapore^1
   1°17′N 103°51′E
   Official languages English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil
   Government Parliamentary republic
    - President Sellapan Ramanathan
    - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
   Independence
    - Unilateral declaration (from the UK) August 31, 1963
    - Officially from UK (as a state of Malaysia) September 16, 1963
    - from Malaysia August 9, 1965
   Area
    - Total 699 km² ( 190th)
   270 sq mi
    - Water (%) 1.444
   Population
    - July 2005 estimate 4,326,000 ( 120th)
    - 2000 census 4,117,700
    - Density 6,389/km² ( 4th)
   16,392/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2006 estimate
    - Total $123.4 billion ( 57th)
    - Per capita $28,368 ( 22nd)
   HDI  (2003) 0.907 (high) ( 25th)
   Currency Singapore dollar ( SGD)
   Time zone SST ( UTC+8)
    - Summer ( DST) not observed ( UTC+8)
   Internet TLD .sg
   Calling code +65^2
   ^1 Singapore is a city-state.
   ^2 02 from Malaysia.

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                              positioning and a lack of conjuncts. More...

   Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore ( Malay: 'Republik
   Singapura'; Chinese: 新加坡共和国, Pinyin: Xīnjiāpō Gònghéguó; Tamil:
   சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு, Ciŋkappūr Kudiyarasu), is an island country and
   the smallest country in South-East Asia. It is located on the southern
   tip of the Malay Peninsula, south of the Malaysian state of Johor, and
   north of the Indonesian Riau Islands. It lies 137 kilometres (85
   miles) north of the Equator.

   The site of several ancient port cities and a possession of several
   empires in its history, Singapore was a Malay fishing village when it
   was colonised by the United Kingdom in the 19th century. It was further
   occupied by the Japanese Empire in World War II, and was later part of
   the merger which established Malaysia. When Singapore acquired
   independence, having few natural resources, it was sociopolitically
   volatile and economically undeveloped. Foreign investment and rapid
   government-led industrialisation has since created an economy which
   relies on exports of electronics and manufacturing primarily from its
   port.

   According to the quality-of-life index assembled by the Economist
   Intelligence Unit, Singapore has the highest standard of living in
   Asia, and is ranked 11th in the World. In the more well-known Human
   Development Index by the United Nations, Singapore holds the 25th
   place, behind only Japan and Hong Kong in Asia. Measured by GDP per
   capita, Singapore is the 22nd wealthiest country. The geographically
   small nation has a foreign reserve of S$197b (US$119b).

   More than 90% of Singapore's population lives in housing estates
   constructed by the Housing Development Board and nearly half use the
   public transport system daily. As a result of efforts to control
   motorised traffic, the maintenance of natural greenery, strict
   regulations on industrial locations and emissions, and other
   pro-environmental initiatives by the government and the private sector,
   Singapore has been able to control its pollution levels to well within
   World Health Organization standards. The Constitution of the Republic
   of Singapore established the city-state as a representative democracy.
   Singapore initially undertook a democratic socialist policy shortly
   after its independence, adopting a welfare system. However, the
   government has since become more conservative than it was at the
   founding of the republic

History

   The name Singapore is derived from the Malay words singa (lion) and
   pura (city), which were themselves derived from the Sanskrit words सिंह
   siṃha and पुर pura. In Tamil, one of the official languages of
   Singapore, Singam means Lion and Puram means City. Hence, Singapore is
   also known as the Lion City. The naming is attributed to a prince named
   Sang Nila Utama, who according to folklore, was caught in a terrible
   storm that did not cease until he had thrown his crown into the water.
   The waters calmed immediately after that, and he sailed to the closest
   island he could see. The first animal he saw after he had set foot on
   the island was supposedly a lion. Therefore, he decided to name the
   island Singapura.

   The first records of Singapore's existence are in Chinese texts from
   the 3rd century AD. The island was an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya
   empire and originally bore the Javanese name Temasek (which means sea
   town). Temasek (Tumasek) rose to become a significant trading city, but
   subsequently declined. There are few remnants of old Temasek in
   Singapore, but archaeologists in Singapore have uncovered evidence of
   the civilization, as well as other settlements. Between the 16th and
   early 19th centuries, Singapore was a part of the Sultanate of Johore.
   During the Malay-Portugal wars in 1613, Singapore was set ablaze by
   Portuguese troops.
   Statue of Thomas Stamford Raffles by Thomas Woolner, erected at the
   spot where he first landed at Singapore. He is recognised as the
   founder of modern Singapore.
   Enlarge
   Statue of Thomas Stamford Raffles by Thomas Woolner, erected at the
   spot where he first landed at Singapore. He is recognised as the
   founder of modern Singapore.

   In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, an official with the British East
   India Company, signed a treaty with the Sultan of Johore. He also
   established Singapore as a trading post and settlement, which saw
   instant growth and immigration from various ethnic groups. Singapore
   was later made a crown colony by Britain in 1867. After a series of
   colonial territorial expansions, the British Empire soon raised
   Singapore's status to that of an entrepot town, due to its strategic
   location along the busy shipping routes connecting Europe to China.

   During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Malaya and the
   surrounding region in the Battle of Malaya, which culminated in the
   Battle of Singapore. The British were ill-prepared and swiftly
   defeated, despite having more troops. They surrendered to the Japanese
   on 15 February 1942. The Japanese renamed Singapore to Shōnan (昭南),
   merged from Japanese word Shō ( Shōwa) and nan (South), and occupied it
   until the British arrived to repossess the island a month after the
   Japanese surrender in September 1945.

   Singapore became a self-governing state in 1959 with Yusof bin Ishak as
   its first Yang di-Pertuan Negara (literally means "head of state" in
   Malay) and Lee Kuan Yew from the People's Action Party (PAP) as its
   first Prime Minister, after the 1959 elections. Following the 1962
   Merger Referendum of Singapore, Singapore joined Malaysia along with
   Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as a state with autonomous powers in
   September 1963. 16 September, coincidentally, is also Lee Kuan Yew's
   birthday. Singapore was expelled from the federation after heated
   ideological conflict developed between the state government formed by
   PAP and the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. It gained official
   sovereignty on 9 August 1965, which later became Singapore's National
   Day. Malaysia was the first country to recognise it as an independent
   nation. Yusof bin Ishak was sworn in as the first President of
   Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew remained as prime minister.
   The Downtown Core of Singapore at dusk
   Enlarge
   The Downtown Core of Singapore at dusk

   The fledgling nation had to become self-sufficient, and faced problems
   including mass unemployment, housing shortages and lack of land and
   natural resources such as petroleum. During Lee Kuan Yew's term as
   prime minister from 1959 to 1990, his administration curbed
   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
   eliminated and an independent national defence system was created.
   Singapore evolved from a developing nation to a global city with first
   world status towards the end of the 20th century.

   In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister. During his
   tenure, the country tackled the economic impacts of the 1997 Asian
   financial crisis and the 2003 SARS outbreak, as well as terrorist
   threats posed by the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) post-September 11 and the
   Bali bombings. In 2004 Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew,
   became the third prime minister.

Politics and government

   The Singapore Parliament House.
   Enlarge
   The Singapore Parliament House.

   Singapore is a republic with a Westminster system of a unicameral
   parliamentary government representing different constituencies of
   Singapore. The bulk of the executive powers rests in the hands of the
   Cabinet of Singapore, which consists of ministers led by the Prime
   Minister of Singapore. The office of the President of Singapore was,
   historically, a ceremonial one as head of state, but the Constitution
   of Singapore was amended in 1991 to create the position of a popularly
   elected President and also to grant the President veto powers in a few
   key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the
   appointment of key judiciary positions. 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 the country's independence in 1965. Foreign political
   analysts and several opposition parties including the Workers' Party of
   Singapore, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the Singapore
   Democratic Alliance (SDA)have argued that Singapore is a de facto
   one-party state. Many consider the form of government in Singapore to
   be closer to authoritarianism such as illiberal democracy or procedural
   democracy rather than true democracy. Reporters Without Borders ranked
   Singapore 140th out of 167 countries in its 2005 Worldwide Press
   Freedom Index. It has also been alleged that the PAP employs
   censorship, gerrymandering by the Elections Department and the filing
   of civil suits against the opposition for libel or slander to impede
   their success. Several former and present members of the opposition,
   including Francis Seow, J.B. Jeyaretnam and Chee Soon Juan perceive the
   Singaporean courts as favourable towards the government and the PAP due
   to a lack of separation of powers. Although no PAP member has ever lost
   a defamation case in court, there are three cases in which opposition
   leader Chiam See Tong sued PAP members for defamation and successfully
   obtained an out-of-court settlement.

   Singapore has what its government considers to be a highly successful
   and transparent market economy. The PAP's policies contain some aspects
   of socialism. The Housing Development Board oversees a large-scale
   public housing programme and education in Singapore is a rigorous
   compulsory public education system, and government-controlled companies
   are dominant in the local economy. Although dominant in its activities,
   the government has a clean, corruption-free image. 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, which it typifies as
   Western and states that there should not be a 'one-size-fits-all'
   solution to a democracy. Laws restricting the freedom of speech are
   justified by claims that they are intended to prohibit speech that may
   breed ill will or cause disharmony within Singapore's multiracial,
   multi-religious society. For example, in September 2005, three bloggers
   were convicted of sedition for posting racist remarks targeting
   minorities. Some offences can lead to heavy fines or caning and there
   are laws which allow capital punishment in Singapore for first-degree
   murder and drug trafficking. Amnesty International has criticised
   Singapore for having "possibly the highest execution rate in the world"
   per capita. The Singapore government argued that there is no
   international consensus on the appropriateness of the death penalty and
   that Singapore has the sovereign right to determine its own judicial
   system and impose capital punishment for the most serious crimes.
   However, despite restrictions on public gatherings in Singapore, a
   small group of activists has organised events in 2005 and 2006
   protesting against the country's use of the death penalty.

   More recently the PAP government has relaxed some of its socially
   conservative policies and created a "Feedback Unit" to encourage
   citizens to share their views on policies and public services.

Geography

   Bishan
   Bukit Merah
   Geylang
   Kallang
   Marine Parade
   Queenstown
   Toa Payoh
   Bedok
   Changi
   Paya Lebar
   Pasir Ris
   Tampines
   CCNR
   Woodlands
   Ang Mo
   Kio
   Bukit
   Batok
   Bukit
   Panjang
   Clementi
   Bukit
   Timah
   Tanglin
   Central Area
   Jurong
   East
   Boon
   Lay
   Pioneer
   Tuas
   Western
   Water
   Catchment
   Lim
   Chu
   Kang
   Sungei
   Kadut
   Choa
   Chu
   Kang
   Tengah
   Jurong
   West
   Novena
   Serangoon
   Hougang
   Sengkang
   Mandai
   Yishun
   Sembawang
   Simpang
   Seletar
   Punggol
   Changi Bay
   West
   Region
   North-East
   Region
   North
   Region
   East
   Region
   Central
   Region

   Singapore is divided into 55 urban planning areas, grouped into 5
   regions.
   Singapore Botanic Gardens, a 67.3-hectare (166 acre) botanical garden
   in Singapore that includes the National Orchid Garden which has a
   collection of more than 3,000 species of orchids.
   Enlarge
   Singapore Botanic Gardens, a 67.3-hectare (166  acre) botanical garden
   in Singapore that includes the National Orchid Garden which has a
   collection of more than 3,000 species of orchids.

   Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island itself.
   There are two connections from Singapore to the Malaysian state of
   Johor — a man-made causeway known as the Johor-Singapore Causeway to
   the north, crossing the Tebrau Straits, and Tuas Second Link, a bridge
   in the western part of Singapore that connects to Johor. Jurong Island,
   Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's
   many smaller islands. The highest point of Singapore is Bukit Timah
   Hill, with a height of 166 metres (538 ft).

   The urban area used to be only concentrated on the southern part of
   Singapore around the mouth of the Singapore River and what is now the
   Downtown Core, while the rest of the land was tropical rainforest or
   used for agriculture. Since the 1960s, the government has constructed
   new towns in outlying areas, resulting in an entirely built-up and
   urban landscape, although the Central Area, the central business
   district, remains the densest. The Urban Redevelopment Authority is a
   government agency responsible for the urban planning of Singapore that
   concentrates on efficient land use and distribution, as well as
   transport flow. It has released a Development Guide Plan which details
   specific land use for each the 55 urban planning areas of Singapore.

   Singapore has reclaimed land with earth obtained from its own hills,
   the seabed and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land
   area grew from 581.5 square kilometres (224.5  sq mi) in the 1960s to
   697.2 square kilometres (269.1 sq mi) today, and may grow by another
   100 square kilometres (38.6 sq mi) by 2030. About 23% of Singapore's
   land area consists of forest and nature reserves.

   Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinct seasons,
   under the Köppen climate classification. 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 temperature recorded in its
   maritime history is 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) and 37.8 °C (100.0 °F)
   respectively. The highest wind speed recorded is 120km/h on July 27,
   2001 .

   Urbanisation has eliminated many areas of primary rainforest that once
   existed, with the only remaining area of primary rainforest being Bukit
   Timah Nature Reserve. A variety of parks, however, 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, a product called NEWater and desalination
   plants. More NEWater and desalination plants are being built or
   proposed to reduce reliance on foreign supply.

Economy

   Singapore's Central Business District (CBD), where there is the fourth
   largest exchange centre in the world. The piece of green land facing
   the CBD would be half the site of the future Integrated Resort.
   Enlarge
   Singapore's Central Business District (CBD), where there is the fourth
   largest exchange centre in the world. The piece of green land facing
   the CBD would be half the site of the future Integrated Resort.
   Singapore's national icon, the Merlion can be seen in the CBD and
   Sentosa.
   Enlarge
   Singapore's national icon, the Merlion can be seen in the CBD and
   Sentosa.
   Orchard Road is a popular tourist attraction in Singapore. Every year,
   Orchard Road is brightly lit during Christmas, so that tourists can
   enjoy the night scene of the streets every night during this period of
   time.
   Enlarge
   Orchard Road is a popular tourist attraction in Singapore. Every year,
   Orchard Road is brightly lit during Christmas, so that tourists can
   enjoy the night scene of the streets every night during this period of
   time.

   Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, and is a
   developed nation. It ranks 25th on the Human Development Index which
   measures standards of living, and second in the Index of Economic
   Freedom. Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP), per capita, is equal
   to that of the major European countries. Singapore is also the fourth
   largest foreign exchange trading centre in the world after London, New
   York City and Tokyo.

   Singapore has been rated as the most business-friendly economy in the
   world. According to a World Bank-IFC report, Singapore beat previous
   winner New Zealand for the top spot in the 2005/2006 rankings, while
   the United States came in third. Within Asia, Hong Kong was Singapore's
   closest competitor, in fifth place. The economies were evaluated on 10
   key parameters that included the ease of starting a business, getting
   licences, sourcing staff, and enforcing contracts.

   The city-state also employs thousands of foreign workers from around
   the world. It requires talent from outside to fill the various jobs the
   economy is generating, most of which are in the IT and financial
   sectors. The variety of workers predominantly hired are local
   Singaporeans, Indians, Malaysians and Filipinos. The government is
   aggressively pushing for the permanent assimilation of these foreign
   workers by offering easier processing time for permanent residency or
   citizenship.

   The economy depends heavily on exports produced from refining imported
   goods in a form of extended entrepot trade, especially in
   manufacturing. Manufacturing contributes around 28% to GDP in 2005. The
   manufacturing industry is today well-diversified with electronics,
   chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences
   manufacturing. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan,
   Singapore's fast-paced industrialization earned it a place as one of
   the four original ' East Asian Tigers'.

   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. In
   the long term, the government hopes to establish a new growth path
   which will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle, as
   compared to the current export-led model. However, the government is
   unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's
   financial and high-tech hub. The per capita GDP in 2005 was US$26,833
   and the unemployment rate was 2.7% in October 2006, down from 2.8% in
   June the same year. 81,500 new jobs were created from January-July
   2006, the highest number in a decade within a 6 month period. The
   economy is expected to grow by 7.5% to 8% in the year 2006 as announced
   by the Singapore government on 20 November 2006, after a strong 9.4%
   growth in the first half of Year 2006 (Jan-Jul 2006), and a 7.2% growth
   in the third quarter of 2006. Initially, Lee Hsien Loong, who is the
   current Finance and Prime Minister, had only expected growth to be
   between 3-5% for the whole year.

   On 5 October 2006, the government announced that Singapore has recorded
   its highest employment rate in 15 years with improvements,
   particularly, in the hiring of older workers. The Manpower Ministry's
   Research and Statistics Department said that in June this year, 76
   percent of its resident population, aged 25 to 64, were employed. This
   was up from 73 percent last year and 72 percent in 2004.

   Singapore introduced a Goods and Services Tax (GST) with an initial
   rate of 3% on 1 April 1994. This has substantially increased government
   revenue by $1.6 billion, stabilising the government's finances. The
   government has used revenue from the GST to reorient the economy around
   services and value added-goods to reduce dependence on electronics
   manufacturing. The taxable GST was increased to 4% in 2003 and to 5% in
   2004. The GST could be increased to 7% in Year 2007.

   Singapore is a popular travel destination, making tourism one of its
   largest industries. In 2005, a total of 9.05 million tourists visited
   Singapore . By 2015, Singapore hopes to achieve about 17 million
   visitor arrivals . In July 2006, a record high of a total of 913,000
   visitors arrived in Singapore, mostly due to the Great Singapore Sale .

   The Orchard Road district, which is dominated by multi-storey shopping
   centres and hotels, is the centre of tourism in Singapore. Other
   popular tourist attractions include the Singapore Zoo and its Night
   Safari along with the tourist island of Sentosa. 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, many other new developments
   are coming up that includes the Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay.

   Cuisine has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists, and is
   usually promoted by various initiatives undertaken by the Singapore
   Tourism Board or the associations it deals with as one of Singapore's
   best attractions alongside shopping. The government organises the
   Singapore Food Festival in July annually to celebrate Singapore's
   cuisine. The multiculturalism of local food, the ready availability of
   international cuisine, and their wide range in prices to fit all
   budgets at all times of the day and year helps create a "food paradise"
   to rival other contenders claiming the same moniker.

Military

   The Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force, with its members
   recruited from Nepal, is a counter-terrorist force in the country.
   Here, the officers join local officers in the annual Police Day Parade.
   Enlarge
   The Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force, with its members
   recruited from Nepal, is a counter-terrorist force in the country.
   Here, the officers join local officers in the annual Police Day Parade.

   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. Singapore
   subscribes to a philosophy of Total Defence, in which five aspects of a
   holistic national defence are identified. Non-military aspects of total
   defence include civil defence, which is carried out by the Singapore
   Civil Defence Force; 'economic defence', which stresses the need for a
   robust economy in order to maintain a viable society; 'psychological
   defence', which calls for a patriotic citizenry willing to do all in
   the name of its country; and 'social defence', in which the need for a
   population at harmony with itself and strongly identified with each
   other is emphasised.

   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). Various agencies of the
   Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and some private companies also play a
   supporting role. The military of Singapore is one of the most modern in
   Asia, with its advanced equipment and high level of training reflecting
   the continued emphasis of the government on military defence — military
   expenditures dominate the annual government budget.

   The recent rise in unconventional warfare and terrorism has cast
   increasing emphasis upon the non-military aspects of Total Defence. The
   Gurkha Contingent, which is part of the Singapore Police Force, is also
   a counter-terrorist force. 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. One notable incident
   of terrorism in Singapore prior to its independence was the bombing of
   MacDonald House during the Confrontation that took place between
   Malaysia and Indonesia in the early 1960s. More recently, the Shell Oil
   refinery on Bukom was attacked by members of the Japanese Red Army and
   the PFLP in the Laju Incident of 1974; and 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 operating in South East Asia
   known to be responsible for several bombings around the region, as well
   as planning in 2001 an ultimately foiled attack on American interests
   in Singapore.

Architecture

   The architecture of Singapore is extremely varied. Due to the lack of
   available space, few historical buildings remain in the urban areas of
   Singapore. However, Singapore has become a centre for modern
   architecture as older buildings are cleared away to make space for
   newer, larger buildings. 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
   business buildings. These buildings comprise the skyline along the
   coast of Marina Bay and Raffles Place, which is a famous tourist
   attraction in Singapore. Due to the air restrictions in Singapore, no
   building in Singapore is to 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.

   A few 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 governers when Britain
   occupied the country. Later, they became home to many Japanese generals
   after the "fall of Singapore" during World War II.

Demographics

   Built in 1843, the Sri Mariamman Temple is the largest Hindu temple in
   Singapore. It is also one of the many religious buildings marked as
   national monuments for their historical value.
   Enlarge
   Built in 1843, the Sri Mariamman Temple is the largest Hindu temple in
   Singapore. It is also one of the many religious buildings marked as
   national monuments for their historical value.

   Singapore is the second most densely populated independent country in
   the world, excluding Macau and Hong Kong which are parts of the PRC.
   Eighty-four percent of Singaporeans live in public housing provided by
   the Housing and Development Board (HDB). The largest group in the
   population of 4.35 million (as of June 2005) are the Singaporean
   Chinese who account for 76.8% of Singaporeans, making it one of the
   largest Chinese cities outside of China. Nearby Malaysia is also home
   to many ethnic Chinese. Singapore is also diverse, with the Singaporean
   Malays, who are the indigenous native group of the country,
   constituting 13.9%, though this number includes many Malay 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 7.9%, consisting of several groups —
   Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Tamils, who form the largest Indian group,
   and others such as Malayalees, Punjabis and Bengalis. The rest are made
   up of smaller groups such as Arab Singaporeans, Jews, Thais, Japanese,
   European and the Eurasian Singaporean community.

   Singapore is also a multi-religious country, due mainly to its location
   on one of the world's major transportation routes. More than 40% of
   Singaporeans practice Buddhism. About 15% practice Christianity (mostly
   Chinese and Indians), and 15% profess no religion. Muslims (mostly
   Malays) account for 14%. A smaller minority practices Taoism, Sikhism,
   Hinduism, Baha'i Faith, and others.

   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. Current issues include the ban on wearing the
   Islamic headscarf in public schools. 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. Most public signs and official publication are in
   English although there are also translated versions in the other
   official languages. The government has introduced a Speak Mandarin
   Campaign- Hua Yu Cool - to promote Mandarin as a common language among
   the Chinese.

   After two decades of a successful family planning policy, Singapore is
   now facing the threat of an aging 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.

Culture

   Enjoying Singaporean cuisine is a national pastime. Hawker centres and
   kopi tiams are well-distributed throughout the country.
   Enlarge
   Enjoying Singaporean cuisine is a national pastime. Hawker centres and
   kopi tiams are well-distributed throughout the country.
   The majority of Singaporeans live in planned estates of high-rise,
   high-density HDB flats.
   Enlarge
   The majority of Singaporeans live in planned estates of high-rise,
   high-density HDB flats.

   Singapore is a small and relatively modern amalgam of an indigenous
   Malay population with a third generation Chinese majority, as well as
   Indian and Arab immigrants with some intermarriages. There also exist
   Eurasian and Peranakan (known also as 'Straits Chinese') communities.
   Singapore has also achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion
   with its unique combination of these ethnic groups, and this has given
   Singapore a rich mixture of diversity for its young age. One of the
   prime examples is in Singaporean cuisine, often a cultural attraction
   for tourists.

   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.
   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.

   Singapore has several ethnic neighbourhoods, including Little India and
   Chinatown. These were formed under the Raffles Plan to originally
   segregate the immigrants, but now have a diverse patronage whose main
   intentions are to either eat or buy something specific to that culture.
   Many places of worship were also constructed during the colonial era, a
   practice encouraged by the British to promote religious tolerance. 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. The policy for the primarily commercial ethnic
   neighbourhoods stands in contrast to the housing policies of the
   Housing and Development Board (HDB). HDB policies attempt to promote a
   mix of all races within each housing district in order to foster social
   cohesion and national loyalty.

   Since the 1990s, the government has been striving to promote Singapore
   as a centre for arts and culture, including theatre and music, and to
   transform the country into a cosmopolitan and diverse community at the
   '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.

Education

   Students having assembly in the hall of a Singapore secondary school.
   Enlarge
   Students having assembly in the hall of a Singapore secondary school.

   Primary education is compulsory in Singapore and as such the literacy
   rate is 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 in
   regard to the curriculum and student admission, government funding
   received, and tuition burden upon the students is determined by a more
   specific classification system that includes classifications such as
   "government-run", "government-aided", "autonomous", "independent", and
   "privately-funded". Some schools have more than one classification. In
   addition, there are international schools catered to expatriate
   students, though they have some local students.

   After primary education, students take the Primary School Leaving
   Examination (PSLE). Their performance in the examination is the main
   criteria in determining whether they enter their desired secondary
   schools.

   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 secondary education, a
   further set of examinations are taken which determine which kind of
   tertiary education they pursue, such as junior college, a precursor for
   entry into public universities such as National University of
   Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management
   University. Other post-secondary institutions include polytechnics,
   where students will graduate with a diploma and may choose to move into
   the workforce or pursue higher education in public universities such as
   those mentioned above. The polytechnics include Temasek Polytechnic,
   Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and
   Republic Polytechnic. Other institutes include a teaching college to
   train teachers, various management institutes, and vocational education
   institutes such as the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

   Singapore students took first place in the 1995, 1999 and 2003 TIMSS
   Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. They used
   Singapore Math Primary Mathematics series. The national textbooks have
   been adapted into a series which has been successfully marketed in
   North America as a rival to Saxon math and an alternative to
   controversial standards-based mathematics curricula which many parents
   complained moved too far away from the sort of traditional basic skills
   instruction exemplified by Singapore's national curriculum.

Transport

   A C751B train at Eunos MRT Station on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
   system, one of three heavy rail passenger transport lines in Singapore.
   Enlarge
   A C751B train at Eunos MRT Station on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
   system, one of three heavy rail passenger transport lines in Singapore.
   Singapore's Changi International Airport is one of the largest aviation
   facilities in Asia, serving 179 cities in 57 countries.
   Enlarge
   Singapore's Changi International Airport is one of the largest aviation
   facilities in Asia, serving 179 cities in 57 countries.

   Singapore is a major Asian transportation hub, strategically lying on
   sea and air trade routes. Its history has been closely tied to the
   growth of its transportation industry since the establishment of its
   port. The transportation industry comprises over 10% of Singaporean 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 with
   1.15 billion gross tons handled, and in terms of containerised traffic,
   with 23.2 million Twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled. It was
   also the world's second busiest in terms of cargo tonnage, coming
   behind Shanghai with 423 million tons handled. In addition, Singapore
   is the world's busiest hub for transhipment traffic and the world's
   biggest ship refuelling hub.

   Singapore is an aviation hub, 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 is one of the top five airports in Asia in
   terms of passengers handled, with 30 million passengers passing through
   in 2004. It has been consistently rated as one of the best
   international airports by numerous international travel magazines. It
   was also rated as the world's best airport in 2006 by Skytrax,
   defeating its long time rival, Hong Kong International Airport. A
   low-cost terminal, the Budget Terminal, which started operation in
   March 2006 and a third passenger terminal now under construction will
   increase the airport's total annual capacity to 66.7 million passengers
   by 2008. The national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) is
   internationally renowned for its service and will be the first airline
   in the world to fly the new Airbus A380 commercially.

   The backbone of domestic transport infrastructure is the road transport
   system which includes a network of expressways that form the arteries
   between distinct towns and regional centres as laid out in Singapore's
   urban planning. Following a government study assisted by the United
   Nations Development Programme which foresaw problems with private
   transport such as traffic congestion and air pollution as the city
   grew, the Land Transport Authority began a series of measures to
   develop the use of the public transport system such as improving the
   nation's bus service and liberalising the hired vehicle market to allow
   for more taxi operators. Since 1987, the heavy rail passenger Mass
   Rapid Transit (MRT) metro system has been in operation. MRT was later
   augmented by and linked to the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) light rail
   system, which provides service to several expanses of 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
   through an Electronic Road Pricing system which operates during hours
   of heavy road traffic.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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