SINGAP ORE

I.Basic Facts- Language, Currency, Capital, Flag,

Gov’t, Trivia:

Language:

The four offi cial languages of Singapore are Mandarin, Malay, Tam il and English. English is the m ost com m on language used and is the language which unites the different ethnic groups. Ch ildren are taught in English at school but also learn their m other tongue to m ake sure they don't lose contact with their traditions.

CURRENCY:

For almost 100 years (1845-1939) while Singapore was a British overseas possession, the

Straits dollar was the accepted Singapore currency.

In 1939 the Malayan dollar was introduced as a means to simplify trade by issuing a single currency for use among the British protected Straits Settlements, Brunei, and the various Malay states.

During World War II, the Japanese invaded and occupied these British territories. In the process they installed their own currency, the Japanese government-issue dollar, or “Banana Money” as it was called for the image of banana trees on the $10 notes.

Fun Fact:Both the Brunei dollar and the Singapore dollar are currently accepted in either country at a ratio of 1:1.When the British regained control after the war, the Malayan dollar became instantly usable again. It was soon replaced by the Malaya and British Borneo dollar in 1953.

This was the currency used in Singapore from that time through Singapore’s independence from Malaysia in 1965. Two years later in 1967, Singapore began issuing its own currency, nicknamed the “Orchid” series.

Similar to the “Banana Money” mentioned above, the new Singaporean currency was nicknamed for the images of orchid flowers on the notes. Not very creative, but at least they are consistent with their naming practices. Though the images on the bills have changed over the years, the dollar is still the official Singapore currency.

Capital:

Singapore; 4,296,000

The country of Singapore, consisting of Singapore island and some 50 smaller islands, is located in Southeast Asia at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. More than 3,000 multinational companies have offices on this tropical island at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca—the shortest sea route between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. As a trade center of the British Empire, Singapore attracted thousands of Chinese settlers—now 77 percent of the population. Independent since 1965, Singapore is Southeast Asia's financial hub and the world's busiest container port.

Flag:

The Singapore flag was officially adopted on December 3, 1959. The white crescent represents Singapore as a new nation; the five stars symbolize democracy, equality, justice, peace and progress; white is representative of the purity and virtue of the people, and red stands for universal brotherhood. 

Larger Singapore Flag

Singapore Coat of Arms:Adopted in 1959, the coat of arms of Singapore is composed of a lion and a tiger standing upon stalks of rice and supporting a shield. The blue ribbon at the base reads "Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore").

Gov’t:

Singapore is a republic with a Parliamentary system of government based on the Westminster model.

The structure of the state is made up of the following:

The ExecutiveHead of State and Cabinet Head of State: Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam became the third Elected President on 1 September 2011. The President is elected for a fixed term of 6 years.

CabinetLed by the Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong (since 12 Aug 2004), Parliament is elected by general election every five years. The first sitting of Parliament was held on 8 Dec 1965.

The Judiciary - The Supreme Court and the Subordinate Courts.The Judiciary is one of the three constitutional pillars of government, along with the Legislature and the Executive. As an Organ of State, the Judiciary's function is to administer justice independently.

Trivia:Did you know…

Large tracks of greenery in the city

1. Singapore is an extremely green city with gardens, trees and jungles everywhere. They are transforming into a “city in a garden”, a current government campaign. It’s also very clean due to its littering laws.

Still a mix of old and new, with renovated shop houses serving as residences, offices,

galleries, bars and restaurants

2.  Singapore has transformed itself from a third-world, swampy island to a first-class, modern city in just fifty years. It’s a regional hub for corporations, with its own high tech centers, biomedical facilities and so on.

The Symbol of Singapore is the Merlion, half lion and half fish

3. Singapore is a rapidly growing city-state of nearly 6 million people. It is one of the smallest countries in the world.

Modern apartment blocks are springing up everywhere

4.  In spite of its small size, the city has six digit zip codes.

Colorful Housing Blocks

5. Most of the population, about 85%, live in public housing developments and, of these, 95% own their flats. Living in public housing is not considered a sign of poverty and some sell for more than one million $US.

II. Access Routes- Air, Sea, Land

Air:

Singapore Airlines operates passenger services to more than 60 cities in over 30 countries around the world. Within Asia, passengers can connect to over 30 cities served by SilkAir, our regional wing. Use the interactive route map to view our flight itineraries.

Sea:

Port of Singapore

Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in harbours and which handle Singapore’s shipping. Currently the worls busiest port in terms of total shipping tonnage,  half of the world’s annual supply of crude oil and is the worlds busiest transhiptment port. It was also the busiest port in terms of total cargo until 2005, when it was surpassed by the Port of shanghai. Thousands of ships drop anchor in the arbor, connecting the port to over 600 other ports in 123 countries and spread over six continents.

Land:

1.   The 2015 FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX returns to Singapore from 18 to 20 September 2015. Race organisers have made arrangements to ensure

minimal traffic disruptions and improve accessibility to allow members of the public to carry on their normal daily activities in the Marina Centre area while enjoying the race excitement.

2.   Similar to the past two years, road closures will take place over only six days, a reduction from twelve days at the first 2008 race. Affected roads will be closed from 12.01am, 16

September (Wednesday) to facilitate the set up of race infrastructure.  Affected roads will reopen progressively when the race is completed with all roads fully accessible by 5.30am,

22 September (Tuesday).

3.   To facilitate better traffic access, race organisers have made arrangements to re-open roads early after the race. Taxis will also be allowed better access to the Marina Centre area. Race goers can also have the convenience of using the MRT with the extension of operating hours of public transport services.

III. Geographical Features- Most Visited Tourist Attraction

Go beyond the screen and Ride The Movies® at Universal Studios Singapore®. Experience cutting-edge rides, shows, and attractions based on your favourite blockbuster films and television series, including Puss In Boots’ Giant Journey, Battlestar Galactica: HUMAN vs. CYLON™, TRANSFORMERS The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle, Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure™, Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase and more.

Underwater World

also known as Underwater World Singapore Pte Ltd, is an oceanarium located on the offshore Singaporean island of Sentosa. Opened in 1991, it has more than 2,500 marine animals of 250 species from different regions of the world. The oceanarium is mostly underground and it is owned by the Haw Par Corporation. The Underwater World's ticket includes admission to the Dolphin Lagoon at Palawan Beach.

Sentosa

 a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some twenty million people a year. Attractions include a 2 km (1.2 mi) long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses, The Merlion,14 hotels, and the Resorts World Sentosa, featuring the theme park Universal Studios Singapore.

Night Safari

the world's first nocturnal zoo and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore.The concept of a nocturnal park in Singapore was suggested in the 1980s by the former executive chairman of the Singapore Zoo, Dr Ong Swee Law. Constructed at a cost of S$63 million, the Night Safari was officially opened on 26 May 1994 and occupies 35 hectares (86 acres) of secondary rainforest adjacent to the Singapore Zoo and Upper Seletar Reservoir.The Night Safari currently houses over 2,500 animals representing over 130 species, of which 38% are threatened species. The Night Safari is managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and about 1.1 million visitors visit the safari per year.

Sri Mariamman Temple

Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple. It is an agamic temple, built in the Dravidian style. Located at 244 South Bridge Road, in the downtown Chinatown district, the temple serves the majority Hindu Singaporeans, Tamilians, in the city-state. Due to its architectural and historical significance, the temple has been gazetted a National Monument and is a major tourist attraction. Sri Mariamman Temple is managed by the Hindu Endowments Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

IV.Distinct Cultural Attributes- Unique

Culture,Religion,Festival

 Unique Culture:

Singapore is a cosmopolitan society where people live harmoniously and interaction among different races are commonly seen. The pattern of Singapore stems from the inherent cultural diversity of the island. The immigrants of the past have given the place a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European influences, all of which have intermingled.Behind the facade of a modern city, these ethnic races are still evident. The areas for the different races, which were designated to them by Sir Stamford Raffles, still remain although the bulk of Singaporeans do think of themselves as Singaporeans, regardless of race or culture. Each still bears its own unique character.

Religion:Most Singaporeans celebrate the major festivals associated with their respective religions. The variety of religions is a direct reflection of the diversity of races living there. The Chinese are predominantly followers of Buddhism, Taoism, Shenism, Christians, Catholics and some considered as 'free-thinkers' (Those who do not belong to any religion). Malays have the Muslims and Indians are Hindus. There is a sizeable number of Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian population.Religious tolerance is essential in Singapore. In fact, religions often cross racial boundaries and some even merge in unusual ways in this modern country. Younger Singaporeans tend to combine a little of the mysteries of the older generation with the realistic world that they know of today.

Islam

IslamThe Malays in Singapore are Muslims. A few of the Indians are also Muslims, but even more uncommon are the Chinese Muslims.Islam has a fundamental influence in the lives of those who follow the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad. The religion involves praying five times a day, eating only "halal" food, fasting during Ramadan, and going to Mecca on the Haj (pilgrimage). Halal food means food that has been specially prepared as according to the religion's dietary requirements.

Hinduism

HinduismAs the Indian immigrants migrate to Singapore, they brought with them Hinduism. The early temples are still the central points of rituals and festivals, which are held throughout the year.

Christianity

ChristianityOne will be able to find Christian churches of all denominations in Singapore. They were actually established with the arrival of various missionaries after the coming of Sir Stamford Raffles. Together with Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism, Christianity is considered one of the four main religions today. There is quite a large number of Christians on the island.

Festival:

Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival, also often known as the Tuen Ng or Duanwu Festival, is a traditional and statutory holiday originating in China.The festival now occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional lunar calendar, the source of its alternative name, theDouble Fifth Festival.

Garden Festival

a biennial garden and flower show held in Singapore. It is the first and only international garden show in the tropics to showcase creations from the world’s top award-winning garden and floral designers under one roof. The festival is organised by theNational Parks Board of Singapore, in partnership with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), the Orchid Society of South East Asia (Singapore), the Singapore Gardening Society and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

The festival features international landscape and garden designers, florists and horticulturists convening in a single location. This contrasts with other international horticultural events which feature mainly domestic and regional designers and market vendors.

V. Gastronomy- Cuisines

In Singapore, food is also readily and widely available. There are lots of cuisines to offer. We have, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian and Western, Italian, Peranakan, Spanish, French, Thai and even Fusion. It is very common to savour other culture's food and some of the food can be very intriguing. Indian food are relatively spicier, whereas Chinese food is less spicier and the Chinese enjoy seafood. Malay cooking uses coconut milk as their main ingredient, that makes their food very tasty.