Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Singapore shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Singapore offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Singapore at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Singapore? Wrong! If the Singapore is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Singapore then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Singapore? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Singapore and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Singapore wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Singapore then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Singapore site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Singapore, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Singapore, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Country or territory])"Onward, Singapore"|national_anthem = Majulah Singapura] Standard Mandarin Malay language Tamil language |demonym = Singaporean|capital = Singapore City|latd=1|latm=17|latNS=N|longd=103|longm=51|longEW=E|government_type = Parliamentary republic|leader_name1 = [Sellapan Ramanathan|leader_name2 = [Lee Hsien Loong|established_event1 = City status|established_date1 = [July 24 1951 [1959 ]|established_date3 = 31 August 1963|established_date5 = [16 September 1963 [1965-->|percent_water = 1.444|population_estimate = 4,680,600 |population_estimate_year = 2007|population_estimate_rank = 117th|population_census_year = 2000|population_census = 4,117,700|population_density_km2 = 6,369.2|population_density_sq_mi = 16,392 |currency_code = SGD|time_zone = Singapore Standard Time|utc_offset = +8|time_zone_DST = not observed|utc_offset_DST = +8|cctld = .sg.|footnote2 = 02 from Malaysia.-->Singapore (; ; , ), officially the Republic of Singapore (; ; , ), is an [island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the Equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 704.0 km² (272 sq mi), it is one of the few remaining city-states in the world and the smallest country in Southeast Asia.

When the main island was colonized by the British East India Company in 1819, it contained a fishing village sparsely populated by indigenous Malays in Singapores and Orang Lauts at the mouth of the Singapore River. The British used the position as a strategic trading outpost along the spice route. It became one of the most important commercial and military centres of the British Empire and the site, in 1942, of what Winston Churchill called "Britain's biggest defeat" at the hands of the Japanese. Japanese Occupation of Singapore Empire during World War II, it reverted to United Kingdom rule in 1945 and was later part of the merger which established Malaysia in 1963. Less than two years later it left the federation and became an independent republic on 9 August 1965. The new republic was admitted to the United Nations on September 21 that same year.

Since independence, Singapore has continued and accelerated the increase in the standard of living started under British rule in the 1950s. Foreign investment and government-led island-wide industrialization have created a modern economy based on electronics and manufacturing and featuring entrepôt and financial trade centred on the nation's strategic location. Singapore is the 17th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita.{{cite web] of Singapore dollar222 billion (United States dollar147 billion).

The Constitution of Singapore established the city-state's political system as a representative democracy, while the country is recognized as a parliamentary republic. The People's Action Party (PAP) dominates the political process and has won control of Parliament of Singapore in every election since self-government in 1959.

History Origin of name The name Singapura is derived from the Malay language words (lion) and (city), which in turn is from the Sanskrit singa and புர . According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a 14th century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, landing on the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an auspicious beast on the shore that his chief minister identified as a lion (Asiatic Lion). Recent studies of Singapore indicate that lions have never lived there, and the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama was likely a tiger.

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 settlement, but declined in the late 14th century. There are few remnants of old Temasek in Singapore, but archaeology in Singapore have uncovered artefacts of that and other settlements. Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, Singapore island was part of the Sultanate of Johor. During the Malay-Portugal wars in 1613, the settlement was set ablaze by Portuguese troops. The Portuguese subsequently held control in that century and the Dutch in the 17th, but throughout most of this time the island's population consisted mainly of fishermen.

by Thomas Woolner, erected at the location where he first landed at Singapore. He is recognized as the founder of modern Singapore.

On 29 January 1819, Sir 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 from 1858, but Singapore was made a British overseas territories in 1867, answerable directly to the Crown. 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 in what is now known as the British Empire's greatest military defeat. The Japanese renamed Singapore , from Japanese , or "southern island obtained in the age of Shōwa", and Japanese Occupation of Singapore until the British repossessed the island on 12 September 1945, a month after Surrender of Japan.

The name Shōnantō was, at the time, romanized as "Syonan-to" or "Syonan".

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 of Singapore. 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 separated from it two years later after PAP-UMNO relations 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.

of Singapore at duskThe 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 attacked 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, centring 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 East Asian financial crisis, the 2003 Severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, and War on Terrorism posed by the Jemaah Islamiyah group post-September 11 attacks.

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the third prime minister. Amongst his more notable decisions is the plan to open two Integrated Resorts (which include legalised casinos) to attract more foreign tourists.

Government and politics

, the official residence and office of the President of SingaporeSingapore is a republic with a Westminster system of Unicameralism parliamentary government representing different constituencies of Singapore. The bulk of the executive powers rests with the Cabinet of Singapore, headed by the Prime Minister of Singapore. 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 Legislature branch of government is the Parliament.

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

Singaporean politics have been controlled by the People's Action Party (PAP) since self-government was attained. Worthington (2002), Mauzy and Milne (2002). 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 Single-party state. Many analysts consider Singapore to be more of an illiberal democracy or procedural democracy than a true democracy. The Economist Intelligence Unit, while admitting that "There is no consensus on how to measure democracy" and that "definitions of democracy are contested", does not list Singapore as either a "democracy" or a "flawed democracy" but as a "hybrid regime" of democratic and authoritarian elements.{{cite web] |language=English--> 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#Gerrymandering in Singapore, and civil Slander and 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.{{cite web ]. Government-linked company are dominant in various sectors of the local economy, such as media of Singapore, Public Utilities Board, and public transport in Singapore. Singapore has consistently been rated as the least-corrupt country in Asia and among the world's ten freest from corruption 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 democracy, which it typifies as Western world and states 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 argues that there is no international consensus on the appropriateness of the death penalty and that Singapore has the Sovereignty 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.

Foreign relations Singapore maintains diplomatic relations with 175 countries although it does not maintain a high commission or embassy in many of those countries. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, ASEAN and the Non-Aligned Movement. Due to obvious geographical reasons, relations with #Malaysia and #Indonesia are most important. Historical baggage, including the traumatic separation from Malaysia, and Konfrontasi with Indonesia, have caused a siege mentality of sorts. Singapore enjoys good relations with the United Kingdom which shares ties in the Five Power Defence Arrangements (Five Power Defence Arrangements) along with Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Good relations are also maintained with the #United States; the US is perceived as a stabilizing force in the region to counterbalance the regional powers.

Disputes Singapore has several long-standing disputes with Malaysia over a number of issues:

Geography and climate Singapore consists of List of islands of Singapore, including mainland Singapore. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia — Johor-Singapore Causeway in the north, and Malaysia-Singapore 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 at 166 metres (538 ft).

The south of Singapore, around the mouth of the Singapore River and what is now the Downtown Core, used to be the only concentrated urban area. While the rest of the land was either 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 was established on 1 April 1974, responsible for urban planning in Singapore.

Singapore has an on-going land reclamation projects with earth obtained from its own hills, the sea-bed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5 km² (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 704 km² (269.1 sq mi) today, and may grow by another 100 km² (38.6 sq mi) by 2030. The projects sometimes involve some of the smaller islands being merged together through land reclamation in order to form larger, more functional islands, such as in the case of Jurong Island.

, a 67.3-hectare (166 acre) Botanic Gardens in Singapore that includes the National Orchid Garden, which has a collection of more than 3,000 species of orchids.Under the Köppen climate classification system, Singapore has a tropical climate with no distinctive seasons. Its climate is characterized 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 percent in the morning and 60 percent in the afternoon. During prolonged heavy rain, relative humidity often reaches 100 percent. 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 93 mph (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 saving 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 percent 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 percent of Singapore's water; the remainder is imported from neighbouring countries or obtained from Reclaimed water facilities and desalination plants. More NEWater and desalination plants are being built or proposed to reduce reliance on import.

Economy Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, which historically revolves around extended entrepot trade. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Republic of China, Singapore is one of the Four Asian Tigers. The economy depends heavily on exports refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing. Manufacturing constituted 26 percent of Singapore's GDP in 2005. The manufacturing industry is well-diversified into electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing. In 2006, Singapore produced about 10 percent of the world's foundry wafer (electronics) output. Singapore is the busiest port in the world in terms of tonnage shipped. Singapore is the world's fourth largest Foreign exchange market trading centre after London, New York City and Tokyo.

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 tens of thousands of foreign blue-collared workers from around the world.

In 2001, a Early 2000s recession and slump in the technology sector caused the GDP to contract by 2.2 percent. 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 percent in 2004, 6.4 percent in 2005 and 7.9 percent in 2006. In the first half of Year 2007, the economy grew by 7.6 percent. The growth forecast for the whole year is expected to be between 7 percent to 8 percent, up from the original estimation of 5 percent to 7 percent. On August 19 2007, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in his National Day Rally Speech that Singapore's economy is expected to grow by at least 4-6 percent annually over the next 5-10 years.

The per capita GDP in 2005 was US$26,833 and the unemployment rate was 2.4 percent as of 31 July 2007, a record six year low. In 2006, there were 173,000 new jobs being created, a record high. In the first half of Year 2007, 111,000 new jobs were created, reaching another breaking record.

Singapore introduced a Goods and Services Tax (Singapore) (GST) with an initial rate of 3 percent on 1 April 1994 substantially increasing government revenue by S$1.6 billion and stabilizing government finances. The taxable GST was increased to 4 percent in 2003, to 5 percent in 2004, and to 7 percent on 1st July 2007.

Singapore is a popular travel destination, making Tourism in Singapore one of its largest industries. About 9.7 million tourists visited Singapore in 2006. 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. To compete with its many rivals such as Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, the government has announced that the city area would be transformed into a more vibrant and exciting place with more buzz by lighting up the city completely. 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. Cuisine has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists, with the Singapore Food Festival in July organized annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine.

Singapore is also growing its medical tourism sector. In 2003, 230,000 foreigners sought medical care in the country, and Singapore Medical services are aiming to serve one million foreign patients annually by 2012, and in doing so generate $3 billion in revenue and create at least 13,000 new jobs within the health industries . Singapore hospitals are actively engaged in international healthcare accreditation, at least partly as a by-product of this desire to grow the income from medical tourism.

Under the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), Wireless@SG is a government-initiated initiative to build Singapore's Infocomm infrastructure. Working through IDA's Call-for-Collaboration, SingTel, iCell and QMax deploy a wireless network throughout Singapore. Since late 2006, users have enjoyed free wireless access through Wi-Fi under the "basic-tier" package offered by all three operators. This will last for 3 years.

Free Trade Agreements Free trade agreements connect Singapore to major economics and markets. It allows Singapore-based exporters and investors stand to enjoy a myriad of benefits like tariffs concession, access to certain sectors and intellectual property protection. Singapore has 14 bilateral agreements with the following countries:



Currency The currency of Singapore is the Singapore dollar, represented by the symbol S$. The central bank of Singapore is the Monetary Authority of Singapore, responsible for issuing currency. Singapore established the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore, on April 7, 1967 and issued its first coins and notes. The Singapore dollar was exchangeable at par with the Malaysian ringgit until 1973. Interchangeability with the Brunei dollar is still maintained. On 27 June 2007, to commemorate 40 years of currency agreement with Brunei, a commemorative S$20 note was launched; the back is identical to the Bruneian $20 note launched concurrently. A circulation version of the $20 note will be able to be exchanged at banks in Singapore.

Military during the Navy Open House 2007

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 (Singapore) (MINDEF) oversees its functionality, along with volunteer private companies involved in supporting roles. The Chief of Defence Force is Lieutenant-General Desmond Kuek Bak Chye. The armed forces are controlled by the Minister of Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean.

Singapore legislation requires every able-bodied male Singaporean citizen and second-generation permanent residents to serve National Service in Singapore for a minimum of 2 years upon reaching 18 years of age or completion of his secondary studies (whichever comes first), with exemption given to those with medical reasons or other official reasons. After serving the two years, every male is considered operationally ready, and is liable for reservist (operationally ready) national service to the age of 40 (50 for commissioned officers). More than 350,000 men serve as operationally-ready servicemen assigned to reservist combat units, and another 72,500 men form the full-time national service and regular corps.

The military of Singapore serves primarily as a deterrent against potential aggressors of the island, and also as a force in providing humanitarian assistance to other countries. Singapore has mutual defence pacts with several countries, most notably the Five Power Defence Arrangements. There is an extensive overseas network of Singapore’s training grounds in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, Taiwan, Thailand and Brunei. Since 1980, the concept and strategy of Total Defence has been adopted in all aspects of security, an approach aimed at strengthening Singapore against all kinds of threats.

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-terrorism force. In 1991, the hijacking of Singapore Airlines Flight 117 ended in the storming of the aircraft by Singapore Special Operations Force and the subsequent deaths of all four hijackers without injury to both passengers and SOF personnel. A current concern is Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant Islamic group whose plan to Singapore embassies attack plot was ultimately foiled in 2001.

Singapore's defence resources have been used in international humanitarian aid missions, including peacekeeping assignments involved in 11 different countries. In September 2005, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) sent three CH-47 Chinook helicopters to Louisiana to assist in relief operations for Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the 2004 Asian Tsunami or Boxing Day Tsunami, the RSAF deployed 3 landing ship tanks, 12 Super Puma and 8 Chinook helicopters to aid in relief operations to the countries that were affected by the tsunami.

Demographics Population is the largest Hindu temple in Singapore. It is also one of the many religious buildings marked as National Monuments of Singapore for their historical value.

According to government statistic, the total population of Singapore as of September 2007 is 4.68 million, of which 3.7 million are Singaporean nationality law and permanent residents (termed 'Singapore Residents'). Of this group of about 3.7 million people, Chinese in Singapore form 75.2%, Malays in Singapore form 13.6%, Indians in Singapore form 8.8%, while Eurasians in Singapore and other groups form 2.4%.

In 2006. the birth rate stood at 10.1 per 1000, a low level of attribute to birth control policies, and the death rate at 4.3 per 1000. The total population growth is 4.4% and Singapore residents growth at 1.8%. The high percentage rate is largely from net immigration, but also increasing in life expectancy. Singapore is the second-List of countries by population density in the world after Monaco, excluding Macao and Hong Kong, which are special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China. In 1957, Singapore's population was approximately 1.45 million, and there was a relatively high birth rate. Aware of the country's extremely limited natural resources and small territory, the government introduced birth control policies in the late 1960s. In the late 1990s, the population was ageing, with fewer people entering the labour market and a shortage of skilled workers. In a dramatic reversal of policy, the Singapore government now plans to introduce a "baby bonus" scheme in 2001 that will encourage couples to have more children.

In 2006, the total fertility rate is only 1.26 children, the 3rd lowest in the world, well below the 2.10 needed to replace the population. CIA - Singapore In 2006, 38,317 babies were born, compared to around 37,600 in 2005. The number, however, is not sufficient to maintain the population growth. To overcome this problem, the government is encouraging foreigners to immigrate to Singapore. These large number of immigrants has kept Singapore's population from declining.

Religion Singapore is a Religion in Singapore. According to Statistics Singapore, around 51 percent of resident Singaporeans (excluding significant numbers of visitors and migrant workers) practice Buddhism and Taoism. About 15 percent, mostly Chinese and Indians, practice Christianity - a broad classification including Catholicism, Protestantism and other denominations. Islam constitute 14 percent, of whom Malays account for the majority with a substantial number of Indians in Singapore Muslims. Smaller minorities practice Sikhism, Hinduism and others, according to the 2000 census. About 15 percent of the population declared no specific religious affiliation.

Education .

The literacy rate is one of the highest in Asia, at 95 percent (2006).

In Singapore, the English language is the first language learned by half the children by the time they reach preschool age and becomes the primary medium of instruction by the time they reach primary school. English is the language of instruction for most subjects, especially mathematics and the natural sciences, except where other languages are concerned. Certain schools, such as secondary schools under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) which encourages a richer use of the mother tongue may teach occasionally in English and another language. There are also other schools which have been experimenting with curricula that integrate language subjects with mathematics and the sciences, using both English and a second language.

The standard for the school curriculum is set by the Ministry of Education (Singapore) 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 are currently List of universities in Singapore in Singapore; National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and Singapore Management University. There are also five polytechnics (Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic) in the country.

The educational system features a non-compulsory three-year kindergarten, followed by six-year primary education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), 4 years of secondary education, a further set of examinations are taken which determine their individual subject mastery and which kind of Post-secondary education they can pursue, such as junior colleges or Millennia Institute, which provide a 2-year or 3-year pre-university education route to the universities. There is an alternative to the junior college route through polytechnics, where students will graduate with a diploma certificate. There are also tertiary institutions offering various Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees, other higher diplomas, and associate degree courses.

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

Other institutes include the National Institute of Education (NIE), 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.

In 1999, the Ministry of Education started the Programme for Rebuilding and Improving Existing schools (PRIME) to upgrade school buildings, many of which were built over 20 to 30 years ago, in phases at a cost of S$4.5 billion. This programme achieves to provide a better school environment for the students by upgrading school buildings to latest standards. In 2005, the Flexible School Infrastructure (FlexSI) framework was implemented through 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. At the same time, an indoor sports hall will be provided to every school so that schools can carry out physical education lessons in inclement weather.

Languages The national language of Singapore is Malay language for historical reasons, and it is used in the national anthem, "Majulah Singapura". The official languages are English language, Standard Mandarin, Malay and Tamil language. English has been promoted as the country's language of administration since independence. The English used is primarily British English, with some American English influences. The use of English became widespread in Singapore after it was implemented as a first language medium in the Education in Singapore, and English is the most common language in Literature of Singapore. Public signs and official publications are in English, although there are translated versions in other official languages. However, the majority of the population speak a localised hybrid form of English known as Singlish ("Singapore English"), which has many creole language-like characteristics, incorporating vocabulary and grammar from Standard English, various Spoken Chinese, Malay and Indian languages. The government has consistently tried to discourage the use of Singlish in its "Speak Good English" campaigns.

Culture . Hawker centres and kopi tiams are well-distributed throughout the country.Singapore is a mixture of Malays in Singapore population with a Chinese in Singapore majority, as well as Indian Singaporean and Arab Singaporean immigrants with some intermarriages.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 small number of Orang Laut and Malay fisherfolk living on the island then, the peoples of Singapore {including the Malays} are basically descendants of immigrants who came to Singapore to take advantage of the economic opportunities made available by the founding of modern Singapore by Raffles. There also exist significant Eurasian Singaporean and Peranakan (known also as 'Straits Chinese') communities. Singapore has also achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion.

Cuisine Singaporean cuisine is an example of diversity and cultural diffusion in Singapore, with a fusion of Chinese food, Indian cuisine, Cuisine of Malaysia and Tamil cuisine influences. In Singapore's hawker centres traditionally Malay people hawker stalls selling halal food may serve halal versions of traditionally Tamil people food. Chinese food stalls may introduce indigenous Malay ingredients or cooking techniques. This continues to make the cuisine of Singapore a significant cultural attraction.

Local foods are diverse, ranging from Hainanese chicken rice to satay. Singaporeans also enjoy a wide variety of seafood including crabs, clams, squid, and oysters. One such dish is stingray barbecued and served on banana leaf and with sambal or chili.



Performing arts 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 Multiculturalism '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.

An annual Singapore Arts Festival is also organised by the National Arts Council that incorporates theatre arts, dance, music and visual arts, among other possibilities.

A first Singapore Biennale took place in 2006 to showcase contemporary art from around the world. The next one will be in 2008 which will feature Southeast Asian works.

Media The media of Singapore play an important role in Singapore, one of the key strategic media centres in the Asia-Pacific region . This is in line with the Government of Singapore's aggressive push to establish Singapore as a media hub in the world under the Media 21 plan launched in 2002 . Comprising of the publishing, print, broadcasting, film, music, digital and IT media sectors, the media industry collectively employed about 38,000 people and contributed 1.56% to Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2001 with an annual turnover of S$10 billion. The industry grew at an average rate of 7.7% annually from 1990 to 2000, and the government seeks to increase its GDP contribution to 3% by 2012.

Broadcasting State-owned MediaCorp operates all seven free-to-air terrestrial local television channels licensed to broadcast in Singapore, as well as 14 radio channels. Radio and television stations are all government-owned entities. All seven television channels are owned by MediaCorp. The radio stations are mainly operated by MediaCorp with the exception of four stations, which are operated by SAFRA Radio and SPH UnionWorks respectively. Private ownership of satellite dish receivers capable of viewing uncensored televised content from abroad is illegal.

Print There are a total of 16 newspapers in active circulation. Daily newspapers are published in English language, Chinese language, Malay language and Tamil language.

The print media is dominated by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), publisher of the flagship English-language daily, The Straits Times. SPH publishes all other daily newspapers with the exception of Today (Singapore newspaper), which is owned by MediaCorp.

Sport and recreation Singaporeans participate in a wide variety of sports and recreational activities. Favorite sports include football, swimming, badminton, basketball, rugby union, volleyball and table tennis. Most people live in HDB that often provide amenities such as swimming pools, outdoor basketball courts and indoor sport complexes. As one might expect on an island, water sports are very popular, including sailing, kayaking and water skiing. Scuba diving is another popular recreation, particularly around the southern island of Pulau Hantu, which is known for its rich coral reefs.



The 55,000 National Stadium, Singapore, located in Kallang was opened in July 1973 and was used for many sporting, cultural, entertainment and national events until its official closure on 30 June 2007 to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub on the same site. This sports complex is expected to be ready by 2011 and will comprise a new 55,000-capacity National Stadium with a retractable roof, a 6,000-capacity indoor aquatic centre, a 400-meter warm-up athletic track and a 3,000-seater multi-purpose arena. 36,000 square metres of space have also been reserved for commercial development.

Golf is one of the sports that is gaining popularity among Singaporeans. There are currently 15 golf clubs in Singapore. Some golfers preferred travelling to regional golf courses especially in Johor, Malaysia due to relatively cheaper club membership.

Singaporean sports persons, have performed relatively well in regional as well as international competitions in sports such as table tennis, badminton, bowling, sailing, silat, swimming and water polo. Sports persons and athletes such as Fandi Ahmad, Ang Peng Siong, Li Jiawei and Ronald Susilo have become household names in the country.

The Singapore Slingers joined the Australian National Basketball League in 2006 and currently have three Singaporeans in their squad. Despite being the team with the largest support pool in the NBL, they generally get the smallest crowds in the NBL.

Beginning in 2008, Singapore will be hosting a round of the Singapore Grand Prix. The race will be staged at the Singapore Street Circuit in the Marina Bay, Singapore area and may become the first race to be held at night.

In 2007, Singapore announced its bid to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. This event is expected to inspire youth in Singapore to take up sports.

Singapore Sports School The Singapore Sports School is a specialized independent school established in January 2004. It was initiated by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), and caters to sporting teenagers who have talent and capability in sports.

The Singapore Sports School is a specialized school providing a good academic and training environment for talented young athletes. The idea for establishing a specialized school for young athletes was mooted by the Committee on Sporting Singapore (CoSS) in 2000. CoSS had noted that Singapore's demanding academic environment places a lot pressure on young athletes, leading most of them to abandon their sporting aspirations in favour of their studies.

Architecture are located at Raffles Place, namely, from left to right, Republic Plaza, Singapore, UOB Plaza One and OUB Centre. All three buildings are 280 metres in height.The architecture of Singapore is varied, reflecting the ethnic build-up of the country. Singapore has {{Infobox Country or territory])"Onward, Singapore"|national_anthem = Majulah Singapura] Standard Mandarin Malay language Tamil language |demonym = Singaporean|capital = Singapore City|latd=1|latm=17|latNS=N|longd=103|longm=51|longEW=E|government_type = Parliamentary republic|leader_name1 = [Sellapan Ramanathan|leader_name2 = [Lee Hsien Loong|established_event1 = City status|established_date1 = [July 24 1951 [1959 ]|established_date3 = 31 August 1963|established_date5 = [16 September 1963 [1965-->|percent_water = 1.444|population_estimate = 4,680,600 |population_estimate_year = 2007|population_estimate_rank = 117th|population_census_year = 2000|population_census = 4,117,700|population_density_km2 = 6,369.2|population_density_sq_mi = 16,392 |currency_code = SGD|time_zone = Singapore Standard Time|utc_offset = +8|time_zone_DST = not observed|utc_offset_DST = +8|cctld = .sg.|footnote2 = 02 from Malaysia.-->Singapore (; ; , ), officially the Republic of Singapore (; ; , ), is an [island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the Equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 704.0 km² (272 sq mi), it is one of the few remaining city-states in the world and the smallest country in Southeast Asia.

When the main island was colonized by the British East India Company in 1819, it contained a fishing village sparsely populated by indigenous Malays in Singapores and Orang Lauts at the mouth of the Singapore River. The British used the position as a strategic trading outpost along the spice route. It became one of the most important commercial and military centres of the British Empire and the site, in 1942, of what Winston Churchill called "Britain's biggest defeat" at the hands of the Japanese. Japanese Occupation of Singapore Empire during World War II, it reverted to United Kingdom rule in 1945 and was later part of the merger which established Malaysia in 1963. Less than two years later it left the federation and became an independent republic on 9 August 1965. The new republic was admitted to the United Nations on September 21 that same year.

Since independence, Singapore has continued and accelerated the increase in the standard of living started under British rule in the 1950s. Foreign investment and government-led island-wide industrialization have created a modern economy based on electronics and manufacturing and featuring entrepôt and financial trade centred on the nation's strategic location. Singapore is the 17th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita.{{cite web] of Singapore dollar222 billion (United States dollar147 billion).

The Constitution of Singapore established the city-state's political system as a representative democracy, while the country is recognized as a parliamentary republic. The People's Action Party (PAP) dominates the political process and has won control of Parliament of Singapore in every election since self-government in 1959.

History Origin of name The name Singapura is derived from the Malay language words (lion) and (city), which in turn is from the Sanskrit singa and புர . According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a 14th century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, landing on the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an auspicious beast on the shore that his chief minister identified as a lion (Asiatic Lion). Recent studies of Singapore indicate that lions have never lived there, and the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama was likely a tiger.

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 settlement, but declined in the late 14th century. There are few remnants of old Temasek in Singapore, but archaeology in Singapore have uncovered artefacts of that and other settlements. Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, Singapore island was part of the Sultanate of Johor. During the Malay-Portugal wars in 1613, the settlement was set ablaze by Portuguese troops. The Portuguese subsequently held control in that century and the Dutch in the 17th, but throughout most of this time the island's population consisted mainly of fishermen.

by Thomas Woolner, erected at the location where he first landed at Singapore. He is recognized as the founder of modern Singapore.

On 29 January 1819, Sir 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 from 1858, but Singapore was made a British overseas territories in 1867, answerable directly to the Crown. 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 in what is now known as the British Empire's greatest military defeat. The Japanese renamed Singapore , from Japanese , or "southern island obtained in the age of Shōwa", and Japanese Occupation of Singapore until the British repossessed the island on 12 September 1945, a month after Surrender of Japan.

The name Shōnantō was, at the time, romanized as "Syonan-to" or "Syonan".

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 of Singapore. 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 separated from it two years later after PAP-UMNO relations 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.

of Singapore at duskThe 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 attacked 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, centring 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 East Asian financial crisis, the 2003 Severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, and War on Terrorism posed by the Jemaah Islamiyah group post-September 11 attacks.

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the third prime minister. Amongst his more notable decisions is the plan to open two Integrated Resorts (which include legalised casinos) to attract more foreign tourists.

Government and politics

, the official residence and office of the President of SingaporeSingapore is a republic with a Westminster system of Unicameralism parliamentary government representing different constituencies of Singapore. The bulk of the executive powers rests with the Cabinet of Singapore, headed by the Prime Minister of Singapore. 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 Legislature branch of government is the Parliament.

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

Singaporean politics have been controlled by the People's Action Party (PAP) since self-government was attained. Worthington (2002), Mauzy and Milne (2002). 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 Single-party state. Many analysts consider Singapore to be more of an illiberal democracy or procedural democracy than a true democracy. The Economist Intelligence Unit, while admitting that "There is no consensus on how to measure democracy" and that "definitions of democracy are contested", does not list Singapore as either a "democracy" or a "flawed democracy" but as a "hybrid regime" of democratic and authoritarian elements.{{cite web] |language=English--> 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#Gerrymandering in Singapore, and civil Slander and 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.{{cite web ]. Government-linked company are dominant in various sectors of the local economy, such as media of Singapore, Public Utilities Board, and public transport in Singapore. Singapore has consistently been rated as the least-corrupt country in Asia and among the world's ten freest from corruption 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 democracy, which it typifies as Western world and states 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 argues that there is no international consensus on the appropriateness of the death penalty and that Singapore has the Sovereignty 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.

Foreign relations Singapore maintains diplomatic relations with 175 countries although it does not maintain a high commission or embassy in many of those countries. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, ASEAN and the Non-Aligned Movement. Due to obvious geographical reasons, relations with #Malaysia and #Indonesia are most important. Historical baggage, including the traumatic separation from Malaysia, and Konfrontasi with Indonesia, have caused a siege mentality of sorts. Singapore enjoys good relations with the United Kingdom which shares ties in the Five Power Defence Arrangements (Five Power Defence Arrangements) along with Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Good relations are also maintained with the #United States; the US is perceived as a stabilizing force in the region to counterbalance the regional powers.

Disputes Singapore has several long-standing disputes with Malaysia over a number of issues:

Geography and climate Singapore consists of List of islands of Singapore, including mainland Singapore. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia — Johor-Singapore Causeway in the north, and Malaysia-Singapore 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 at 166 metres (538 ft).

The south of Singapore, around the mouth of the Singapore River and what is now the Downtown Core, used to be the only concentrated urban area. While the rest of the land was either 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 was established on 1 April 1974, responsible for urban planning in Singapore.

Singapore has an on-going land reclamation projects with earth obtained from its own hills, the sea-bed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5 km² (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 704 km² (269.1 sq mi) today, and may grow by another 100 km² (38.6 sq mi) by 2030. The projects sometimes involve some of the smaller islands being merged together through land reclamation in order to form larger, more functional islands, such as in the case of Jurong Island.

, a 67.3-hectare (166 acre) Botanic Gardens in Singapore that includes the National Orchid Garden, which has a collection of more than 3,000 species of orchids.Under the Köppen climate classification system, Singapore has a tropical climate with no distinctive seasons. Its climate is characterized 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 percent in the morning and 60 percent in the afternoon. During prolonged heavy rain, relative humidity often reaches 100 percent. 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 93 mph (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 saving 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 percent 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 percent of Singapore's water; the remainder is imported from neighbouring countries or obtained from Reclaimed water facilities and desalination plants. More NEWater and desalination plants are being built or proposed to reduce reliance on import.

Economy Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, which historically revolves around extended entrepot trade. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Republic of China, Singapore is one of the Four Asian Tigers. The economy depends heavily on exports refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing. Manufacturing constituted 26 percent of Singapore's GDP in 2005. The manufacturing industry is well-diversified into electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing. In 2006, Singapore produced about 10 percent of the world's foundry wafer (electronics) output. Singapore is the busiest port in the world in terms of tonnage shipped. Singapore is the world's fourth largest Foreign exchange market trading centre after London, New York City and Tokyo.

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 tens of thousands of foreign blue-collared workers from around the world.

In 2001, a Early 2000s recession and slump in the technology sector caused the GDP to contract by 2.2 percent. 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 percent in 2004, 6.4 percent in 2005 and 7.9 percent in 2006. In the first half of Year 2007, the economy grew by 7.6 percent. The growth forecast for the whole year is expected to be between 7 percent to 8 percent, up from the original estimation of 5 percent to 7 percent. On August 19 2007, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in his National Day Rally Speech that Singapore's economy is expected to grow by at least 4-6 percent annually over the next 5-10 years.

The per capita GDP in 2005 was US$26,833 and the unemployment rate was 2.4 percent as of 31 July 2007, a record six year low. In 2006, there were 173,000 new jobs being created, a record high. In the first half of Year 2007, 111,000 new jobs were created, reaching another breaking record.

Singapore introduced a Goods and Services Tax (Singapore) (GST) with an initial rate of 3 percent on 1 April 1994 substantially increasing government revenue by S$1.6 billion and stabilizing government finances. The taxable GST was increased to 4 percent in 2003, to 5 percent in 2004, and to 7 percent on 1st July 2007.

Singapore is a popular travel destination, making Tourism in Singapore one of its largest industries. About 9.7 million tourists visited Singapore in 2006. 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. To compete with its many rivals such as Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, the government has announced that the city area would be transformed into a more vibrant and exciting place with more buzz by lighting up the city completely. 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. Cuisine has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists, with the Singapore Food Festival in July organized annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine.

Singapore is also growing its medical tourism sector. In 2003, 230,000 foreigners sought medical care in the country, and Singapore Medical services are aiming to serve one million foreign patients annually by 2012, and in doing so generate $3 billion in revenue and create at least 13,000 new jobs within the health industries . Singapore hospitals are actively engaged in international healthcare accreditation, at least partly as a by-product of this desire to grow the income from medical tourism.

Under the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), Wireless@SG is a government-initiated initiative to build Singapore's Infocomm infrastructure. Working through IDA's Call-for-Collaboration, SingTel, iCell and QMax deploy a wireless network throughout Singapore. Since late 2006, users have enjoyed free wireless access through Wi-Fi under the "basic-tier" package offered by all three operators. This will last for 3 years.

Free Trade Agreements Free trade agreements connect Singapore to major economics and markets. It allows Singapore-based exporters and investors stand to enjoy a myriad of benefits like tariffs concession, access to certain sectors and intellectual property protection. Singapore has 14 bilateral agreements with the following countries:



Currency The currency of Singapore is the Singapore dollar, represented by the symbol S$. The central bank of Singapore is the Monetary Authority of Singapore, responsible for issuing currency. Singapore established the Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore, on April 7, 1967 and issued its first coins and notes. The Singapore dollar was exchangeable at par with the Malaysian ringgit until 1973. Interchangeability with the Brunei dollar is still maintained. On 27 June 2007, to commemorate 40 years of currency agreement with Brunei, a commemorative S$20 note was launched; the back is identical to the Bruneian $20 note launched concurrently. A circulation version of the $20 note will be able to be exchanged at banks in Singapore.

Military during the Navy Open House 2007

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 (Singapore) (MINDEF) oversees its functionality, along with volunteer private companies involved in supporting roles. The Chief of Defence Force is Lieutenant-General Desmond Kuek Bak Chye. The armed forces are controlled by the Minister of Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean.

Singapore legislation requires every able-bodied male Singaporean citizen and second-generation permanent residents to serve National Service in Singapore for a minimum of 2 years upon reaching 18 years of age or completion of his secondary studies (whichever comes first), with exemption given to those with medical reasons or other official reasons. After serving the two years, every male is considered operationally ready, and is liable for reservist (operationally ready) national service to the age of 40 (50 for commissioned officers). More than 350,000 men serve as operationally-ready servicemen assigned to reservist combat units, and another 72,500 men form the full-time national service and regular corps.

The military of Singapore serves primarily as a deterrent against potential aggressors of the island, and also as a force in providing humanitarian assistance to other countries. Singapore has mutual defence pacts with several countries, most notably the Five Power Defence Arrangements. There is an extensive overseas network of Singapore’s training grounds in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, Taiwan, Thailand and Brunei. Since 1980, the concept and strategy of Total Defence has been adopted in all aspects of security, an approach aimed at strengthening Singapore against all kinds of threats.

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-terrorism force. In 1991, the hijacking of Singapore Airlines Flight 117 ended in the storming of the aircraft by Singapore Special Operations Force and the subsequent deaths of all four hijackers without injury to both passengers and SOF personnel. A current concern is Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant Islamic group whose plan to Singapore embassies attack plot was ultimately foiled in 2001.

Singapore's defence resources have been used in international humanitarian aid missions, including peacekeeping assignments involved in 11 different countries. In September 2005, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) sent three CH-47 Chinook helicopters to Louisiana to assist in relief operations for Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the 2004 Asian Tsunami or Boxing Day Tsunami, the RSAF deployed 3 landing ship tanks, 12 Super Puma and 8 Chinook helicopters to aid in relief operations to the countries that were affected by the tsunami.

Demographics Population is the largest Hindu temple in Singapore. It is also one of the many religious buildings marked as National Monuments of Singapore for their historical value.

According to government statistic, the total population of Singapore as of September 2007 is 4.68 million, of which 3.7 million are Singaporean nationality law and permanent residents (termed 'Singapore Residents'). Of this group of about 3.7 million people, Chinese in Singapore form 75.2%, Malays in Singapore form 13.6%, Indians in Singapore form 8.8%, while Eurasians in Singapore and other groups form 2.4%.

In 2006. the birth rate stood at 10.1 per 1000, a low level of attribute to birth control policies, and the death rate at 4.3 per 1000. The total population growth is 4.4% and Singapore residents growth at 1.8%. The high percentage rate is largely from net immigration, but also increasing in life expectancy. Singapore is the second-List of countries by population density in the world after Monaco, excluding Macao and Hong Kong, which are special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China. In 1957, Singapore's population was approximately 1.45 million, and there was a relatively high birth rate. Aware of the country's extremely limited natural resources and small territory, the government introduced birth control policies in the late 1960s. In the late 1990s, the population was ageing, with fewer people entering the labour market and a shortage of skilled workers. In a dramatic reversal of policy, the Singapore government now plans to introduce a "baby bonus" scheme in 2001 that will encourage couples to have more children.

In 2006, the total fertility rate is only 1.26 children, the 3rd lowest in the world, well below the 2.10 needed to replace the population. CIA - Singapore In 2006, 38,317 babies were born, compared to around 37,600 in 2005. The number, however, is not sufficient to maintain the population growth. To overcome this problem, the government is encouraging foreigners to immigrate to Singapore. These large number of immigrants has kept Singapore's population from declining.

Religion Singapore is a Religion in Singapore. According to Statistics Singapore, around 51 percent of resident Singaporeans (excluding significant numbers of visitors and migrant workers) practice Buddhism and Taoism. About 15 percent, mostly Chinese and Indians, practice Christianity - a broad classification including Catholicism, Protestantism and other denominations. Islam constitute 14 percent, of whom Malays account for the majority with a substantial number of Indians in Singapore Muslims. Smaller minorities practice Sikhism, Hinduism and others, according to the 2000 census. About 15 percent of the population declared no specific religious affiliation.

Education .

The literacy rate is one of the highest in Asia, at 95 percent (2006).

In Singapore, the English language is the first language learned by half the children by the time they reach preschool age and becomes the primary medium of instruction by the time they reach primary school. English is the language of instruction for most subjects, especially mathematics and the natural sciences, except where other languages are concerned. Certain schools, such as secondary schools under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) which encourages a richer use of the mother tongue may teach occasionally in English and another language. There are also other schools which have been experimenting with curricula that integrate language subjects with mathematics and the sciences, using both English and a second language.

The standard for the school curriculum is set by the Ministry of Education (Singapore) 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 are currently List of universities in Singapore in Singapore; National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and Singapore Management University. There are also five polytechnics (Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic) in the country.

The educational system features a non-compulsory three-year kindergarten, followed by six-year primary education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), 4 years of secondary education, a further set of examinations are taken which determine their individual subject mastery and which kind of Post-secondary education they can pursue, such as junior colleges or Millennia Institute, which provide a 2-year or 3-year pre-university education route to the universities. There is an alternative to the junior college route through polytechnics, where students will graduate with a diploma certificate. There are also tertiary institutions offering various Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees, other higher diplomas, and associate degree courses.

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

Other institutes include the National Institute of Education (NIE), 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.

In 1999, the Ministry of Education started the Programme for Rebuilding and Improving Existing schools (PRIME) to upgrade school buildings, many of which were built over 20 to 30 years ago, in phases at a cost of S$4.5 billion. This programme achieves to provide a better school environment for the students by upgrading school buildings to latest standards. In 2005, the Flexible School Infrastructure (FlexSI) framework was implemented through 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. At the same time, an indoor sports hall will be provided to every school so that schools can carry out physical education lessons in inclement weather.

Languages The national language of Singapore is Malay language for historical reasons, and it is used in the national anthem, "Majulah Singapura". The official languages are English language, Standard Mandarin, Malay and Tamil language. English has been promoted as the country's language of administration since independence. The English used is primarily British English, with some American English influences. The use of English became widespread in Singapore after it was implemented as a first language medium in the Education in Singapore, and English is the most common language in Literature of Singapore. Public signs and official publications are in English, although there are translated versions in other official languages. However, the majority of the population speak a localised hybrid form of English known as Singlish ("Singapore English"), which has many creole language-like characteristics, incorporating vocabulary and grammar from Standard English, various Spoken Chinese, Malay and Indian languages. The government has consistently tried to discourage the use of Singlish in its "Speak Good English" campaigns.

Culture . Hawker centres and kopi tiams are well-distributed throughout the country.Singapore is a mixture of Malays in Singapore population with a Chinese in Singapore majority, as well as Indian Singaporean and Arab Singaporean immigrants with some intermarriages.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 small number of Orang Laut and Malay fisherfolk living on the island then, the peoples of Singapore {including the Malays} are basically descendants of immigrants who came to Singapore to take advantage of the economic opportunities made available by the founding of modern Singapore by Raffles. There also exist significant Eurasian Singaporean and Peranakan (known also as 'Straits Chinese') communities. Singapore has also achieved a significant degree of cultural diffusion.

Cuisine Singaporean cuisine is an example of diversity and cultural diffusion in Singapore, with a fusion of Chinese food, Indian cuisine, Cuisine of Malaysia and Tamil cuisine influences. In Singapore's hawker centres traditionally Malay people hawker stalls selling halal food may serve halal versions of traditionally Tamil people food. Chinese food stalls may introduce indigenous Malay ingredients or cooking techniques. This continues to make the cuisine of Singapore a significant cultural attraction.

Local foods are diverse, ranging from Hainanese chicken rice to satay. Singaporeans also enjoy a wide variety of seafood including crabs, clams, squid, and oysters. One such dish is stingray barbecued and served on banana leaf and with sambal or chili.



Performing arts 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 Multiculturalism '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.

An annual Singapore Arts Festival is also organised by the National Arts Council that incorporates theatre arts, dance, music and visual arts, among other possibilities.

A first Singapore Biennale took place in 2006 to showcase contemporary art from around the world. The next one will be in 2008 which will feature Southeast Asian works.

Media The media of Singapore play an important role in Singapore, one of the key strategic media centres in the Asia-Pacific region . This is in line with the Government of Singapore's aggressive push to establish Singapore as a media hub in the world under the Media 21 plan launched in 2002 . Comprising of the publishing, print, broadcasting, film, music, digital and IT media sectors, the media industry collectively employed about 38,000 people and contributed 1.56% to Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2001 with an annual turnover of S$10 billion. The industry grew at an average rate of 7.7% annually from 1990 to 2000, and the government seeks to increase its GDP contribution to 3% by 2012.

Broadcasting State-owned MediaCorp operates all seven free-to-air terrestrial local television channels licensed to broadcast in Singapore, as well as 14 radio channels. Radio and television stations are all government-owned entities. All seven television channels are owned by MediaCorp. The radio stations are mainly operated by MediaCorp with the exception of four stations, which are operated by SAFRA Radio and SPH UnionWorks respectively. Private ownership of satellite dish receivers capable of viewing uncensored televised content from abroad is illegal.

Print There are a total of 16 newspapers in active circulation. Daily newspapers are published in English language, Chinese language, Malay language and Tamil language.

The print media is dominated by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), publisher of the flagship English-language daily, The Straits Times. SPH publishes all other daily newspapers with the exception of Today (Singapore newspaper), which is owned by MediaCorp.

Sport and recreation Singaporeans participate in a wide variety of sports and recreational activities. Favorite sports include football, swimming, badminton, basketball, rugby union, volleyball and table tennis. Most people live in HDB that often provide amenities such as swimming pools, outdoor basketball courts and indoor sport complexes. As one might expect on an island, water sports are very popular, including sailing, kayaking and water skiing. Scuba diving is another popular recreation, particularly around the southern island of Pulau Hantu, which is known for its rich coral reefs.



The 55,000 National Stadium, Singapore, located in Kallang was opened in July 1973 and was used for many sporting, cultural, entertainment and national events until its official closure on 30 June 2007 to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub on the same site. This sports complex is expected to be ready by 2011 and will comprise a new 55,000-capacity National Stadium with a retractable roof, a 6,000-capacity indoor aquatic centre, a 400-meter warm-up athletic track and a 3,000-seater multi-purpose arena. 36,000 square metres of space have also been reserved for commercial development.

Golf is one of the sports that is gaining popularity among Singaporeans. There are currently 15 golf clubs in Singapore. Some golfers preferred travelling to regional golf courses especially in Johor, Malaysia due to relatively cheaper club membership.

Singaporean sports persons, have performed relatively well in regional as well as international competitions in sports such as table tennis, badminton, bowling, sailing, silat, swimming and water polo. Sports persons and athletes such as Fandi Ahmad, Ang Peng Siong, Li Jiawei and Ronald Susilo have become household names in the country.

The Singapore Slingers joined the Australian National Basketball League in 2006 and currently have three Singaporeans in their squad. Despite being the team with the largest support pool in the NBL, they generally get the smallest crowds in the NBL.

Beginning in 2008, Singapore will be hosting a round of the Singapore Grand Prix. The race will be staged at the Singapore Street Circuit in the Marina Bay, Singapore area and may become the first race to be held at night.

In 2007, Singapore announced its bid to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. This event is expected to inspire youth in Singapore to take up sports.

Singapore Sports School The Singapore Sports School is a specialized independent school established in January 2004. It was initiated by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), and caters to sporting teenagers who have talent and capability in sports.

The Singapore Sports School is a specialized school providing a good academic and training environment for talented young athletes. The idea for establishing a specialized school for young athletes was mooted by the Committee on Sporting Singapore (CoSS) in 2000. CoSS had noted that Singapore's demanding academic environment places a lot pressure on young athletes, leading most of them to abandon their sporting aspirations in favour of their studies.

Architecture are located at Raffles Place, namely, from left to right, Republic Plaza, Singapore, UOB Plaza One and OUB Centre. All three buildings are 280 metres in height.The architecture of Singapore is varied, reflecting the ethnic build-up of the country. Singapore has

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