Singapore

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Singapore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the city-state. For other uses, see Singapore
(disambiguation).
Coordinates: 1.3°N 103.8°E
Republic of Singapore
Republik Singapura (Malay)
新加坡共和国 (Chinese)
சிஙகபபர கடயரச (Tamil)


Flag Coat of arms

Motto:
"Majulah Singapura" (Malay)
"Onward, Singapore"
Anthem: Majulah Singapura
"Onward, Singapore"

Location of Singapore (red)
Capital Singapore
(Downtown Core, Central)
[a]

1°17′N 103°50′E
Official languages
 English
 Malay
 Mandarin
 Tamil
2

Official scripts  Roman (Latin) script
 Simplified Chinese
 Tamil
Demonym Singaporean
Government Unitary parliamentaryconstitutional
republic
-

President Tony Tan Keng Yam
-

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
-

Speaker of
Parliament
Halimah Yacob
-

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon
Legislature Parliament
Formation
-

Founding 6 February 1819
[1]

-

Self-government 3 June 1959
[2]

-

Independence from
the United
Kingdom
31 August 1963
[3]

-

Merger with
Malaysia
16 September 1963
[3]

-

Expulsion from
Malaysia
9 August 1965
[3]

Area
-

Total 716.1 km
2[4]
(190th)
276 sq mi
Population
-

2013
[4]
estimate 5,399,200 (116th)
-

Density 7,540/km
2
(3rd)
19,562/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2013
[5]
estimate
-Total Int$348.7 billion
3


-

Per capita Int$64,584 (3rd)
GDP (nominal) 2013
[5]
estimate
-

Total US$295.744 billion (36th)
-

Per capita US$54,776
Gini (2012) 47.8
[6]

high · 26th
HDI (2013) 0.901
[7]

very high · 9th
Currency Singapore dollar (SGD)
Time zone SST (UTC+8)
Date format dd/mm/yyyy
Drives on the left
Calling code +65
ISO 3166 code SG
Internet TLD
.sg, .新加坡, .சிஙகபபர
1. Jump up^ Singapore is a city-state.

You may
need rendering
support to display
the Chinese text in
this article correctly.

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this article correctly.

Singapore (
i
/ˈsɪŋəpɔər/ or /ˈsɪŋɡəpɔər/), officially the Republic of
Singapore, is a sovereign city-state and island country in Southeast Asia. It
4

lies off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsulaand is 137 kilometres (85 mi)
north of the equator. The country's territory consists of thelozenge-shaped
main island, commonly referred to as Singapore Island in English and Pulau
Ujong in Malay, and more than 60 significantly smaller islets.
[8]
Singapore is
separated fromPeninsular Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to the north, and
from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to the south. The country
is highly urbanised, and little of the original vegetation remains. The country's
territory has consistently expanded through land reclamation.
The islands were settled in the second century AD and subsequently belonged
to a series of local empires. Modern Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir
Stamford Raffles as a trading post of the East India Company with permission
from the Johor Sultanate. The British obtained sovereignty over the island in
1824, and Singapore became one of the British Straits Settlements in
1826. Occupied by the Japanese during World War II, Singapore declared
independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 and united with other former
British territories to form Malaysia, from which it was expelled two years later
through a unanimous act of parliament. Since then, Singapore has developed
rapidly, earning recognition as one of theFour Asian Tigers.
Singapore is one of the world's major commercial hubs, with the fourth-
biggest financial centreand one of the five busiest ports. Its globalised and
diversified economy depends heavily on trade, especially manufacturing, which
represented 26 percent of Singapore's GDP in 2005. In terms of purchasing
power parity, Singapore has the third-highest per capita income in the world
but one of the world's highest income inequalities. It places highly in
international rankingswith regard to education, healthcare, and economic
competitiveness. Just over five million people live in Singapore, of which
approximately two million are foreign-born. While Singapore is diverse, ethnic
Asians predominate: 75 percent of the population is Chinese, with significant
minorities of Malays, Indians, and Eurasians. There are four official languages,
English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil, and the country
promotes multiculturalism through a range of official policies.
Singapore is a unitary multiparty parliamentary republic, with a Westminster
system ofunicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party has
won every election since self-government began in 1959. The dominance of the
PAP, coupled with a low level of press freedom and suppressed civil liberties
and political rights, has led to Singapore being classified as a semi-
authoritarian regime. One of the five founding members of the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Singapore is also the host of the Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, and a member of the East
Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth. Singapore's
rapid development has given it significant influence in global affairs, leading
some analysts to identify it as a middle power.
[9][10]

Contents
5

[hide]
 1 Etymology
 2 History
 3 Government and politics
 4 Geography
 5 Climate
 6 Economy
o 6.1 Pre-independence economy
o 6.2 Modern-day economy
o 6.3 Sectors
o 6.4 Employment and poverty
 7 Foreign relations
 8 Military
 9 Demographics
o 9.1 Religion
o 9.2 Languages
 10 Infrastructure
o 10.1 Science and technology
o 10.2 Education
o 10.3 Health
 11 Culture
o 11.1 Languages, religions, and cultures
o 11.2 Attitudes and beliefs
o 11.3 Cuisine
o 11.4 Arts
o 11.5 Sport and recreation
o 11.6 Media
 12 Transport
 13 See also
 14 References
 15 External links
Etymology
Main article: Names of Singapore
The English name of Singapore is derived from
the Malay word Singapura (Sanskrit: सि हपुर, literally Lion City), hence the
customary reference to the nation as the Lion City. However, it is most likely
that lions never lived on the island, and the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama,
who founded and named Singapore, was a tiger.
[11]

History
6

Main article: History of Singapore


Victorious Japanese troops marching through Singapore City after
Britishcapitulation at the Battle of Singapore
Temasek ('sea town'), a second century outpost of
the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, is the earliest known settlement on Singapore.
The island was part of the Sri Vijaya Empire until it was invaded by the south
Indian Emperor Rajendra Chola I, of the Chola Empire, in the 11th
century.
[12][13]
In 1613, Portugueseraiders burned down the settlement and the
island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries.
[14]
Nominally, it belonged
to the Johor Sultanate during this period.
In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan
Hussein Shah of Johor, on behalf of the British East India Company, to develop
the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824, the entire
island became a British possession under a further treaty with the Sultan, as
well as the Temenggong.
[15]
In 1826, Singapore became part of the Straits
Settlements, under the jurisdiction of British India, becoming the regional
capital in 1836.
[16]
Prior to Raffles' arrival, there were approximately 1,000
people living on the island, mostly indigenous Malays along with a handful
ofChinese.
[17]
By 1860, the population exceeded 80,000 and more than half
were Chinese. Many immigrants came to work at rubber plantations and, after
the 1870s, the island became a global centre for rubber exports.
[15]

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded British Malaya,
culminating in the Battle of Singapore. The British were defeated, surrendering
on 15 February 1942. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called this "...
the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history".
[18]
The Sook
Ching massacre of ethnic Chinese after the fall of Singapore claimed between
5,000 and 25,000 lives.
[19]
The Japanese occupied Singapore until the British
repossessed it in September 1945, after the Surrender of Japan.
[20]

Singapore's first general election in 1955 was won by David Marshall, the pro-
independence leader of the Labour Front. He led a delegation toLondon to
demand complete self-rule but was turned down by the British. He
subsequently resigned and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock, whose policies
convinced Britain to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all
matters except defence and foreign affairs.
[21]

7


A cheering crowd welcome the return of British forces, 1945
During the May 1959 elections, the People's Action Party won a landslide
victory. Singapore became an internally self-governing state within the
Commonwealth and Lee Kuan Yew became the country's first Prime
Minister.
[22]
Governor Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode served as the
first Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Head of State), and was succeeded by Yusof bin
Ishak, who became the first President of Singapore in 1965.
[23]
During the
1950s, Chinese Communists with strong ties to the trade unions and Chinese
schools carried out an armed uprising against the government, leading to
the Malayan Emergency and later, the Communist Insurgency War. The 1954
National Service Riots, Chinese middle schools riots, and Hock Lee bus riots in
Singapore were all linked to these events.
[24]

On 31 August 1963, Singapore declared independence from the United
Kingdom, and joined with theFederation of Malaya, the Crown Colony of
Sarawak and Crown Colony of North Borneo to form the new Federation of
Malaysia as the result of the 1962 Merger Referendum. Singaporean leaders
chose to join Malaysia primarily due to concerns regarding their limited land
size and scarcity of land, water, markets and natural resources. They also were
hoping to enlist the help of the Malaysian government to combat the internal
Communist threat.
However, the two years that Singapore spent as part of Malaysia were filled
with strife and bitter disagreements. The Malaysians insisted on a pro-
Bumiputera (Malay for indigenous) society, where indigenous Malays and tribes
were given special rights. The Malaysians were also suspicious of Singapore's
ethnic Chinese population, and worried that Singapore's economic clout would
shift the centre of power from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. There were also
linguistic and religious issues. The Singaporeans, on the other hand, wanted
an equal and meritocratic society, a Malaysian Malaysia where all citizens were
given equal rights without regard to indigenous or tribal affiliation or ancestry.
The Malaysian parliament blocked many progressive bills, bringing Singapore's
economic and social development to a halt. Race riots broke out in Singapore
in 1964. After much heated ideological conflicts between the two governments,
in 1965, the Malaysian parliament voted 126 to 0 to expel Singapore from
Malaysia (the Singaporean delegates were not present and did not
vote).
[3][25][26]
Singapore gained independence as the Republic of Singapore
(remaining within the Commonwealth) on 9 August 1965,
[3]
with Yusof bin
Ishak as President and Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister. Everyone who was
living in Singapore on the date of independence was offered Singapore
citizenship. Race riots broke out once more in 1969. In 1967, the country co-
founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
[27]
and in 1970 it joined
the Non-Aligned Movement.
8

In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister. During his tenure,
the country faced the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARSoutbreak
and terrorist threats posed by Jemaah Islamiyah. In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong,
the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the country's third Prime Minister.
[28]

Government and politics
Main articles: Government of Singapore, Politics of Singapore and Human rights
in Singapore


Singapore's Parliament House
Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of
unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The
country's constitution establishes a representative democracy as the political
system.
[29]
Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free" in its Freedom in
the World report,
[30]
and The Economist ranks Singapore as a "hybrid regime",
the third best rank of four, in its "Democracy Index".
[31]

Executive power rests with the Cabinet of Singapore, led by the Prime Minister
and, to a much lesser extent, the President.
[23]
The President is elected through
a popular vote, and has veto powers over a specific set of executive decisions,
such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges, but
otherwise occupies a largely ceremonial post.
[32]

The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the government.
[23]
Members
of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated
members. Elected MPs are voted into the Parliament on a "first-past-the-post"
(plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group-representation
constituencies.
[33]
The People's Action Party has won control of Parliament with
large majorities in every election since self-governance was secured in
1959.
[30]
Although the elections are clean, there is no independent electoral
authority and the political process is dominated by the PAP, which has strong
influence on the media and the courts hampering opposition campaigning. This
has led Freedom House to regard Singapore as not a proper electoral
democracy.
[34]
Despite this, in the most recent Parliamentary elections in 2011,
the opposition, led by the Workers' Party, increased its representation to six
elected MPs.
[35]

9



Singapore's Old Supreme Court Building
The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law, but with
substantial local differences.Trial by jury was abolished in 1970 so that judicial
decisions would rest entirely in the hands of appointed judges.
[36]
Singapore
has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form ofcaning,
which may be imposed for such offenses as rape, rioting, vandalism, and
certain immigration offenses.
[37][38]
There is a mandatory death penalty for
murder, as well as certain aggravated drug-trafficking and firearms
offenses.
[39]
Amnesty International has said that some legal provisions of the
Singapore system conflict with the right to be presumed innocent until proven
guilty, and that Singapore has "... possibly the highest execution rate in the
world relative to its population".
[40]
The government has disputed Amnesty's
claims.
[41]
In a 2008 survey of international business executives, Singapore
andHong Kong received the top ranking with regard to judicial system quality
in Asia.
[42]
Singapore has been consistently rated among the least corrupt
countries in the world by Transparency International.
[43]

In 2011, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore among
the top countries surveyed with regard to "Order and Security", "Absence of
Corruption", and "Effective Criminal Justice". However, the country received a
much lower ranking for "Freedom of Speech" and "Freedom of Assembly".
[44]
All
public gatherings of five or more people require police permits, and protests
may legally be held only at theSpeakers' Corner.
[45]

Geography
Main article: Geography of Singapore
10



Outline of Singapore and the surrounding islands and waterways
Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island, widely known as
Singapore Island, or Pulau Ujong in Malay.
[46]
There are two man-made
connections to Johor, Malaysia: the Johor–Singapore Causeway in the north,
and the Tuas Second Link in the west. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau
Ubinand Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's smaller islands. The highest
natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 166 m (545 ft).
[47]

On-going land reclamation projects have increased Singapore's land area from
581.5 km
2
(224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 716.1 km
2
(276.5 sq mi)
presently.
[4]
The country is projected to grow by another 100 km
2
(40 sq mi) by
2030.
[48]
Some projects involve merging smaller islands through land
reclamation to form larger, more functional islands, as has been done with
Jurong Island.
[49]
Close to 10 percent of Singapore's land has been set aside for
parks and nature reserves, and the network of nature reserves, parks, park
connectors, nature ways, tree-lined roads and other natural areas have also
enhanced the sense of green space in the city.
[50]
This is a result of five decades
of greening efforts, which began in 1963, when Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew
launched Singapore’s first tree-planting campaign by planting a mempat tree
(Cratoxylum formosum). The aim was to soften the harshness of urbanisation
and improve the quality of life in the city.
[51]
This initiative was carried through
into the 1970s and 1980s under the Parks and Recreation Department (PRD),
which was renamed the National Parks Board (Abbreviation: NParks) in July
1996.
Climate
Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen: Af ) with no distinctive
seasons, uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity, and abundant
rainfall. Temperatures usually range from 22 to 35 °C (72 to 95 °F). Relative
humidity averages around 79% in the morning and 73% in the
afternoon.
[52]
April and May are the hottest months, with the
11

wetter monsoon season from November to January.
[53]
From July to October,
there is often haze caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia.
[54]
Although
Singapore does not observe daylight saving time (DST), it follows the GMT+8
time zone, one hour ahead of the typical zone for its geographical location.
[55]

[hide]Climate data for Singapore
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C
(°F)
34.3
(93.7)
35.2
(95.4)
36.0
(96.8)
35.8
(96.4)
35.4
(95.7)
35.0
(95)
34.0
(93.2)
34.2
(93.6)
34.3
(93.7)
34.6
(94.3)
34.2
(93.6)
33.8
(92.8)
36.0
(96.8)
Average high °C
(°F)
30.1
(86.2)
31.2
(88.2)
31.6
(88.9)
31.7
(89.1)
31.6
(88.9)
31.3
(88.3)
30.9
(87.6)
30.9
(87.6)
30.9
(87.6)
31.1
(88)
30.6
(87.1)
30.0
(86)
31.0
(87.8)
Average low °C
(°F)
23.3
(73.9)
23.6
(74.5)
23.9
(75)
24.4
(75.9)
24.8
(76.6)
24.8
(76.6)
24.6
(76.3)
24.5
(76.1)
24.2
(75.6)
24.1
(75.4)
23.7
(74.7)
23.5
(74.3)
24.1
(75.4)
Record low °C (°F)
19.4
(66.9)
19.7
(67.5)
20.2
(68.4)
20.7
(69.3)
21.2
(70.2)
20.8
(69.4)
19.7
(67.5)
20.2
(68.4)
20.7
(69.3)
20.6
(69.1)
21.1
(70)
20.6
(69.1)
19.4
(66.9)
Rainfall mm
(inches)
243.2
(9.575)
159.9
(6.295)
185.7
(7.311)
178.9
(7.043)
171.3
(6.744)
162.1
(6.382)
158.7
(6.248)
175.4
(6.906)
169.2
(6.661)
193.8
(7.63)
256.9
(10.114)
287.4
(11.315)
2,342.5
(92.224)
Avg. rainy days 15 11 14 15 15 13 13 14 14 16 19 19 178
% humidity 84.7 82.8 83.8 84.8 84.4 83.0 82.8 83.0 83.4 84.1 86.4 86.9 84.2
Mean
monthly sunshine
hours
173.6 183.6 192.2 174.0 179.8 177.0 189.1 179.8 156.0 155.0 129.0 133.3 2,022.4
Percent possible
sunshine
47 54 52 48 48 49 51 48 43 42 36 36 46.2
Source #1: National Environment Agency (Temp 1929–1941 and 1948–2011, Rainfall 1869–2011, Humidity 1929–1941 and
1948–2011, Rain days 1891–2011)
[56]

Source #2: Hong Kong Observatory (sun only, 1982—2008)
[57]

Economy
Main article: Economy of Singapore
Pre-independence economy
Before independence in 1965, Singapore was the capital of the British Straits
Settlements, a Crown Colony. It was also the main British naval base in East
Asia.
[58]
Because it was the main British naval base in the region and held
the Singapore Naval Base, the largest dry dock of its time, Singapore was
commonly described in the press as the 'Gibraltar of the East'.
[59]
The opening
of the Suez Canal in 1869 caused a major increase in trade between Europe
and Asia, helping Singapore become a major world trade center, and turning
the Port of Singapore into one of the largest and busiest ports in the
world.
[60]
Prior to 1965, Singapore had a GDP per capita of $511, then the
12

third-highest in East Asia.
[61]
After independence, the combination of foreign
direct investment and a state-led drive for industrialisation, based on plans
by Goh Keng Sweeand Albert Winsemius, started the expansion of the
country's economy.
[62]

Modern-day economy


The Port of Singapore, one of theworld's five busiest,
[63]
with the skyline of
Singapore in the background
Today, Singapore has a highly developed market economy, based historically
on extended entrepôttrade. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan,
Singapore is one of the original Four Asian Tigers. The Singaporean economy is
known as one of the freest,
[64]
most innovative,
[65]
most competitive,
[66]
and
most business-friendly.
[67]
The 2013 Index of Economic Freedom ranks
Singapore as the second freest economy in the world, behind Hong Kong.
According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, Singapore is consistently
ranked as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, along withNew
Zealand and the Scandinavian countries.
Singapore is the 14th largest exporter and the 15th largest importer in the
world. The country has the highest trade-to-GDP ratio in the world at 407.9
percent, signifying the importance of trade to its economy. The country is
currently the only Asian country to receive AAA credit ratings from all three
major credit rating agencies: Standard & Poor's, Moody's,
and Fitch.
[68][69]
Singapore attracts a large amount of foreign investment as a
result of its location, corruption-free environment, skilled workforce, low tax
rates and advancedinfrastructure. There are more than 7,000 multinational
corporations from the United States, Japan, and Europe in Singapore. There
are also approximately 1,500 companies from China and a similar number
from India. Foreign firms are found in almost all sectors of the country's
economy.
[6]
Singapore is also the second-largest foreign investor in
India.
[70]
Roughly 44 percent of the Singaporean workforce is made up of non-
Singaporeans.
[71]
Over ten free-trade agreements have been signed with other
countries and regions.
[72]
Despite market freedom, Singapore's government
operations have a significant stake in the economy, contributing 22% of the
GDP.
[73]

13

Singapore also possesses the world's eleventh largest foreign reserves,
[74]
and
has one of the highest net international investment position per
capita.
[75][76]
The currency of Singapore is the Singapore dollar, issued by
the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
[77]
It is interchangeable with theBrunei
dollar.
[78]

In recent years, the country has been identified as an increasingly popular tax
haven for the wealthy due to the low tax rate on personal income and tax
exemptions on foreign-based income and capital gains. Australian millionaire
retailer Brett Blundy, with an estimated personal wealth worth AU$835 million,
and multi-billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin are two examples
of wealthy individuals who have settled in Singapore (Blundy in 2013 and
Saverin in 2012).
[79]
Singapore ranked fifth on the Tax Justice Network's
2013 Financial Secrecy Index of the world's top tax havens, scoring narrowly
ahead of the United States.
[80]

Sectors


Singapore skyline
Singapore's economy depends heavily on exports and refining imported goods,
especially in manufacturing,
[81]
which constituted 27% of the country's GDP in
2010,
[6]
and includes significant electronics, petroleum refining,
chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences sectors. In 2006,
Singapore produced about 10% of the world's
foundrywafer output.
[82]
Singapore has a diversified economy, a strategy that
the government considers vital for its growth and stability despite its size.
[83]

Tourism also forms a large part of the economy, and 10.2 million tourists
visited the country in 2007.
[84]
To attract more tourists, the government
legalised gambling in 2005 and allowed two casino resorts (called Integrated
Resorts) to be developed.
[85]
Singapore also promotes itself as amedical
tourism hub: about 200,000 foreigners seek medical care there each year.
Singapore medical services aim to serve at least one million foreign patients
annually and generate USD 3 billion in revenue.
[86]

Singapore is an education hub, and many foreign students study in Singapore.
More than 80,000 international students studied in Singapore in
2006.
[87]
Every morning, more than 5,000 Malaysian students cross the Johor–
Singapore Causeway thinking that they will receive better education in
14

Singapore.
[88]
In 2009, 20% of all students in Singaporean universities were
international students. The students were mainly from ASEAN, China and
India.
[89]



Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, the most expensive building in the world
Singapore is a world leader in several economic areas: The country is the
world's fourth leading financial centre,
[90]
the world's second largest casino
gambling market,
[91]
one of the world's top three oil-refining centres, the world's
largest oil-rig producer, and a major hub for ship repair services.
[92][93][94]
The
port is one of the five busiest ports in the world.
[91]
The World Bank has named
Singapore as the easiest place in the world to do business,
[91]
and ranks
Singapore the world's top logistics hub.
[95]
It is also the world's fourth largest
foreign-exchange trading centre after London, New York City and Tokyo.
[96]

As a result of the recession in the early 2000s and a slump in the technology
sector, Singapore's GDP contracted by 2.2% in 2001. The Economic Review
Committee was set up in December 2001 and recommended several policy
changes to revitalise the economy. Singapore has since recovered, due largely
to improvements in the world economy; the economy grew by 8.3% in 2004,
6.4% in 2005,
[97]
and 7.9% in 2006.
[98]
After a contraction of 0.8% in 2009, the
economy recovered in 2010, with GDP growth of 14.5%.
[6]
Most work in
Singapore is in the service sector, which employed 2,151,400 people out of
3,102,500 jobs in December 2010. The percentage of unemployed economically
active people above age 15 is about 2%.
[99]

Employment and poverty


A City View of Singapore
15

Singapore has the world's highest percentage of millionaires, with one out of
every six households having at least one million US dollars in disposable
wealth (excluding property, businesses, and luxury goods, which if included
would increase the number of millionaires, as property in Singapore is among
the world's most expensive).
[100]
Singapore does not have a minimum wage,
believing that it would lower its competitiveness. It also has one of the highest
income inequality levels among developed countries, coming in just behind
Hong Kong and in front of the United States.
[101][102]

Acute poverty is rare in Singapore; the government has rejected the idea of a
generous welfare system, stating that each generation must earn and save
enough for its entire life cycle. There are, however, numerous means-tested
assistance programs provided by the Ministry of Community Development,
Youth and Sports in Singapore, including some that pay out from SGD 400 to
SGD 1000 per month to each needy household, free medical care at
government hospitals, money for children's school fees, rental of studio
apartments, training grants for courses, etc.
[103][104][105]

Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of Singapore


Then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Ambassador to the U.S. Chan Heng
Chee meet with Secretary of DefenseWilliam Cohen during Lee's visit in 2000
Singapore's foreign policy is directed at maintaining a secure environment in
Southeast Asia as well as the surrounding territories. An underlying principle
is political and economic stability in the region.
[72]
It has diplomatic relations
with more than 180 other sovereign states.
[106]
As one of the five founding
members of ASEAN,
[107]
the country is a strong supporter of the ASEAN Free
Trade Area and the ASEAN Investment Area, because Singapore's economic
growth is closely linked with the economic progress of the region as a whole.
Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong proposed the formation of anASEAN
Economic Community, a step beyond the current AFTA, bringing it closer to
a common market. This idea was agreed to in 2007 for implementation by
2015. Other regional organisations are also important to Singapore, and it is
the host of the APEC Secretariat. Singapore also maintains membership in
other regional organisations, such as Asia–Europe Meeting, the Forum for East
16

Asia-Latin American Cooperation, the Asian Network of Major Cities 21, and
the East Asia Summit.
[72]
It is also a member of the Non-Aligned
Movement
[108]
and the Commonwealth.
[109]

In general, bilateral relations with other ASEAN members are strong; however,
disagreements have arisen,
[72]
and relations with neighbouring Malaysia and
Indonesia have historically sometimes been very strained and
difficult.
[110]
Malaysia and Singapore have clashed over the delivery of fresh
water to Singapore,
[111]
and access of the Singapore Armed Forces to Malaysian
airspace.
[110]
Border issues exist with both Malaysia and Indonesia, and both
have banned the sale of marine sand to Singapore over disputes about
Singapore's land reclamation.
[112]
Some previous disputes have been resolved by
the International Court of Justice. Piracy in the Strait of Malacca has been a
cause of concern for all three countries.
[111]
Close economic ties exist
with Brunei, and the two share a pegged currency value.
[113]

The first diplomatic contact with China was made in the 1970s, with full
diplomatic relations being established in the 1990s. Since then the two
countries have enjoyed a strong relationship, being major players in
strengthening the ASEAN–China relationship.
[114]
Singapore and theUnited
States share a long-standing and strong relationship, in particular in defence,
the economy, health, and education. The United States was Singapore's third
largest trading partner in 2010, behind China (2nd) and Malaysia (1st).
[115]
The
two countries have a free-trade agreement, and Singapore views its relationship
with the United States as an important counterbalance to China's
influence.
[116]
A Strategic Framework Agreement between the two signed in
2005 formalises security and defence cooperation.
[117]
Singapore has pushed
regional counter-terrorism initiatives, with a strong resolve to deal with
terrorists inside its borders. To this end it has given support to the US-led
coalition to fight terrorism, with bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism and
counter-proliferation initiatives, and joint military exercises.
[72]

Military
Main article: Singapore Armed Forces

CARAT SINGAPORE 2010, Republic of Singapore
Navy's RSS Steadfast andRSS Vigilance sailing line-abreast.
The Singaporean military is arguably the most technologically advanced in
Southeast Asia.
[118]
It comprises the Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore
Navy, and Republic of Singapore Air Force.
[6]
It is seen as the guarantor of the
country's independence.
[119]
The nation's philosophy of defence is one of
diplomacy and deterrence.
[120]
This principle translates into the culture,
involving all citizens in the country's defence.
[121]
The government spends 4.9%
of the country's GDP on the military,
[6]
and one out of every four dollars of
government spending is spent on defence.
[122]

17

After its independence, Singapore had two infantry regiments commanded by
British officers. This force was considered too small to provide effective security
for the new country, so the development of the military became a
priority.
[123]
Britain pulled its military out of Singapore in October 1971, leaving
behind only a small British, Australian and New Zealand force as a token
military presence. The last British soldier left Singapore in March 1976. New
Zealand troops were the last to leave, in 1989.
[124]

A great deal of initial support came from Israel,
[123]
a country that is not
recognised by neighbouring Muslim-majority nations of Malaysia, Indonesia or
Brunei.
[125][126][127]
The main fear after independence was an invasion by
Malaysia. Israeli Defense Force (IDF) commanders were tasked with creating
the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from scratch, and Israeli instructors were
brought in to train Singaporean soldiers. Military courses were conducted
according to the IDF's format, and Singapore adopted a system of conscription
and reserve service based onthe Israeli model.
[123]
Singapore still maintains
strong security ties with Israel and is one of the biggest buyers of Israeli arms
and weapons systems.
[128]
The MATADOR is one example of recent Singapore-
Israeli collaboration.
[129]

The SAF is being developed to respond to a wide range of issues, in both
conventional and unconventional warfare. The Defence Science and Technology
Agency is responsible for procuring resources for the military.
[120]
The
geographic restrictions of Singapore mean that the SAF must plan to fully
repulse an attack, as they can not fall back and re-group. The small size of the
population has also affected the way the SAF has been designed, with a small
active force but a large number of reserves.
[121]



Republic of Singapore Air Force's F-15SG Strike Eagle (Peace Carvin V)
training detachment at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Singapore has conscription for all able-bodied males at age 18, except those
with a criminal record or who can prove that their loss would bring hardship to
their families. Males who have yet to complete pre-university education or are
awarded the Public Service Commission scholarship can opt to defer their
draft. Though not required to perform military service, the number of women in
the SAF has been increasing: since 1989 they have been allowed to fill military
vocations formerly reserved for men. Before induction into a specific branch of
18

the armed forces, recruits undergo at least 9 weeks of basic military
training.
[130]

Because of the scarcity of open land on the main island, training involving
activities such as live firing and amphibious landings is often carried out on
smaller islands, typically barred to civilian access. This also avoids risk to the
main island and the city. However, large-scale drills are considered too
dangerous to be performed in the area, and since 1975 have been performed in
Taiwan.
[130]
Training is also held in about a dozen other countries. In general,
military exercises are held with foreign forces once or twice per week.
[121]

Due to airspace and land constraints, the Republic of Singapore Air Force
(RSAF) maintains a number of overseas bases in Australia, the United States,
and France. The RSAF's 130 Squadron is based in RAAF Base Pearce, Western
Australia,
[131]
and its 126 Squadron is based in the Oakey Army Aviation
Centre, Queensland.
[132]
The RSAF has one squadron – the 150 Squadron –
based in Cazaux Air Base in southernFrance.
[133][134]
The RSAF also has a few
overseas detachments in the United States, in San Diego, California, Marana,
Arizona, Grand Prairie, Texas and Luke Air Force Base, among others.
[135][136]

The SAF has sent forces to assist in operations outside the country, in areas
such as Iraq
[137]
and Afghanistan,
[138]
in both military and civilian roles. In the
region, it has helped stabilise East Timor and has provided aid to Aceh in
Indonesia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The SAF
also helped in relief efforts during Hurricane Katrina.
[139]
Singapore is part of
the Five Power Defence Arrangements, a military alliance with Australia,
Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
[121]

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Singapore


High-rise HDB flats andcondominiums overlooking Bishan Park
As of 2012, the population of Singapore was 5.3 million people, of whom
3.3 million (62%) are citizens, while the rest (38%) are permanent residents or
foreign workers/students. Twenty-three percent of Singaporean citizens
are foreign born. There are about half a million permanent residents in
Singapore in 2012. The resident population does not take into account the
11 million annual visitors to Singapore.
[4][140][141]

The median age of Singaporeans is 37, and the average household size is 3.5
persons. Due to scarcity of land, four out of five Singaporeans live
in subsidised, high-rise, public housing apartments known asHousing and
19

Development Board (HDB) flats, after the board responsible for public housing
in the country.
[142]
Live-in domestic helpers are quite common in Singapore,
and there are nearly 200,000 domestic helpers there.
[143]

In 2010, three quarters of Singaporean residents live in properties that are
equal to or larger than a four-room HDB flat or in private housing. The rate of
home ownership is 87%.
[144][145]
Mobile phone penetration rate is extremely high
at 1,400 mobile phone subscribers per 1000 people. Around 1 in 10 residents
own a car.
[141]

The total fertility rate is estimated to be .79 children per woman in 2013, the
lowest in the world and well below the 2.1 needed to replace the
population.
[146]
To overcome this problem, the Singapore government has been
encouraging foreigners to immigrate to Singapore for the past few decades. The
large number of immigrants has kept Singapore's population from
declining.
[147]
Singapore traditionally has one of the lowest unemployment rates
among developed countries. The Singaporean unemployment rate has not
exceeded 4% in the past decade, hitting a high of 3% during the 2009 global
financial crisis and falling to 1.9% in 2011.
[148][149]

As of 2009, about 40% of Singapore's residents were foreigners, one of the
highest percentage in the world.
[150]
The government is considering capping
these workers, although it has been recognised that they are crucial to the
country's economy,
[151]
as foreign workers make up 80% of the construction
industry and up to 50% of the service industry.
[152][153]

In 2009, the government census reports that 74% of residents were of Chinese,
13.4% of Malay, and 9% of Indian descent,
[154]
while Eurasiansand other
groups made up 3.2%. Prior to 2010, each person could register as a member
of only one race, by default that of his or her father, therefore, mixed-race
persons were solely grouped under their father's race in government censuses.
From 2010 onward, people may register using a multi-racial classification, in
which they may choose one primary race and one secondary race, but no more
than two.
[155]

Religion
Main article: Religion in Singapore
Religion in Singapore (Pew
Research)
[156][157]

Religion

Percent

Buddhist   34%
Christianity   18%
None   16%
Muslim   14%
Other
(mostly
Taoist)
  10%
Hindu   5%
20

Folk   3%
Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Singapore, with 33% of the
resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census.
The next-most practised religion isChristianity, followed by Islam, Taoism,
and Hinduism. 17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The
proportion of Christians, Taoists, and non-religious people increased between
2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, whilst the proportion of Buddhists
decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the
population.
[156]
An analysis by the Pew Research Center found Singapore to be
the world's most religiously diverse nation.
[158]

There are monasteries and Dharma centres from all three major traditions of
Buddhism in Singapore: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Most
Buddhists in Singapore are Chinese and are of the Mahayana
tradition,
[159]
with missionaries having come into the country from Taiwan and
China for several decades. However, Thailand's Theravada Buddhism has seen
growing popularity among the populace (not only the Chinese) during the past
decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organisation, is
practised by many people in Singapore, but mostly by those of Chinese
descent. Tibetan Buddhism has also made slow inroads into the country in
recent years.
[160]

Languages
Main article: Languages of Singapore
Native languages (mother tongues) of
Singaporeans
[161]

Language

Percent

Mandarin   50%
English   32%
Malay   12%
Tamil   3%
Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and
Tamil.
[162]
English is the common language, and is the language of business,
government, and the medium of instruction in schools.
[163][164]
Public bodies in
Singapore, i.e. the Singapore Public Service (which includes the Singapore Civil
Service and other agencies), conduct their businesses in English, and official
documents written in a non-English official language such as Malay, Chinese
or Tamil typically have to be translated into English to be accepted for
submission. The Constitution of Singapore and all laws are written in
English,
[165]
and translators are required if one wishes to address
the Singaporean Courts in a language other than English.
[166][167]
However,
English is the native tongue for only one-third of all Singaporeans, with roughly
a third of all Singaporean Chinese, a quarter of all Singaporean Malays and
half of all Singaporean Indians speaking it as their native tongue. Twenty
percent of Singaporeans cannot read or write in English.
[156][168]

21

Many, but not all, Singaporeans are bilingual in English and another official
language, with vastly varying degrees of fluency. The official languages ranked
in terms of literacy amongst Singaporeans are English (80% literacy), Mandarin
(65% literacy), Malay (17% literacy), and Tamil (4% literacy).
[156][169]
Singapore
English is based on British English,
[170]
and forms of English spoken in
Singapore range from Standard Singapore English to a pidgin known as
"Singlish". Singlish is heavily discouraged by the government.
[171]

Mandarin is the language that is spoken as the native tongue by the greatest
number of Singaporeans, half of them.
[161]
Singaporean Mandarinis the most
common version of Chinese in the country,
[172]
with 1.2 million using it as their
home language. Nearly half a million speak other Chinese dialects,
mainly Hokkien, Teochew, and Cantonese, as their home language, although
the use of these is declining in favour of Mandarin and English.
[173]

Malay was chosen as a national language by the Singaporean government after
independence from Britain in the 1960s to avoid friction with Singapore's
neighbours — Malaysia and Indonesia — which are Malay-speaking.
[174]
It has
a symbolic, rather than functional purpose.
[162][175][176]
It is used in the national
anthem "Majulah Singapura",
[177]
in citations of Singaporean orders and
decorations, and in military commands. Today, in general, Malay is spoken
within the Singaporean Malay community, with only 17% of all Singaporeans
literate in Malay
[178]
and only 12% using it as their native language.
[161]

Around 100,000, or 3%, of Singaporeans speak Tamil as their native
language.
[161]
Tamil has official status in Singapore and there have been no
attempts to discourage the use of other Indian languages.
[179]

Infrastructure
Science and technology
Internet in Singapore is provided by internet service providers (ISPs) that offer
residential service plans of speeds up to 1 Gbit/s. In Singapore, the rise of
Gigabit Networks increased exports and created 80,000 jobs in 2006.
[180]

Education
Main article: Education in Singapore


22

The Lee Kong Chian School of Business of the Singapore Management
University, one of five public universities in Singapore
Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by
the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with
the Ministry of Education.
[181]
English is the language of instruction in all
public schools,
[182]
and all subjects are taught and examined in English except
for the "mother tongue" language paper.
[183]
While the term "mother tongue" in
general refers to the first language internationally, in Singapore's education
system, it is used to refer to the second language, as English is the first
language.
[184][185]
Students who have been abroad for a while, or who struggle
with their "Mother Tongue" language, are allowed to take a simpler syllabus or
drop the subject.
[186][187]

Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university
education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years
of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a
two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of
English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and science.
[188][189]
Secondary
school lasts from four to five years, and is divided between Special, Express,
Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams in each school, depending
on a student's ability level.
[190]
The basic coursework breakdown is the same as
in the primary level, although classes are much more specialised.
[191]
Pre-
university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools,
mostly called Junior Colleges.
[192]

Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum and are known as
autonomous schools. These exist from the secondary education level and
up.
[190]

Educational attainment of non-student
Singaporeans above 15 years old in
2005
[193]

Highest
qualification
Percentage

No
education
  18%
Primary
school
  45%
Secondary
school
  15%
Post-
secondary
diploma
  8%
Degree   14%
23

National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken
after each stage. After the first six years of education, students take
the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE),
[188]
which determines their
placement at secondary school. At the end of the secondary stage, GCE "O"-
Level exams are taken; at the end of the following pre-university stage, the GCE
"A"-Level exams are taken. Of all non-student Singaporeans aged 15 and
above, 18% have no education qualifications at all while 45% have the PSLE as
their highest qualification; 15% have the GCE 'O' Level as their highest
qualification and 14% have a degree.
[193]

Singaporean students consistently rank in the top five in the world in the two
major international assessments of mathematics and science knowledge:
 Singaporean students were ranked first in the 2011 Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study conducted by the International Association
for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, and have been ranked in
the top three every year since 1995.
[194][195]

 Singaporean students were also ranked in the top five in the world in terms
of mathematics, science, and reading in the 2009 Programme for
International Student Assessment, conducted by the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
[196]

The country's two main public universities — the National University of
Singapore and Nanyang Technological University — are among the top 50 in
the world.
[197]

Health
Main article: Healthcare in Singapore
Singapore has a generally efficient healthcare system, even though their health
expenditures are relatively low for developed countries.
[198]
TheWorld Health
Organisation ranks Singapore's healthcare system as 6th overall in the world
in its World Health Report.
[199]
In general, Singapore has had the lowest infant
mortality rate in the world for the past two decades.
[141]
Life expectancy in
Singapore is 80 for males and 85 for females, placing the country 4th in the
world for life expectancy. Almost the whole population has access to improved
water and sanitation facilities. There are fewer than 10 annual deaths from HIV
per 100,000 people. There is a high level of immunisation. Adult obesity is
below 10%.
[200]

The government's healthcare system is based upon the "3M" framework. This
has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those not able
to otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings scheme
covering about 85% of the population, and Medishield, a government-funded
health insurance program.
[198]
Public hospitals in Singapore have autonomy in
their management decisions, and compete for patients. A subsidy scheme
exists for those on low income.
[201]
In 2008, 32% of healthcare was funded by
the government. It accounts for approximately 3.5% of Singapore's GDP.
[202]

24

Culture
Main article: Culture of Singapore
The country has strict laws against drug use, and has one of the lowest rates of
drug use in the world.
[203]

Foreigners make up 42% of the population,
[150][173]
and have a strong influence
on Singaporean culture. The Economist Intelligence Unit in its "Quality-of-Life
Index" ranks Singapore as having the best quality of life in Asia and eleventh
overall in the world.
[204]

Languages, religions, and cultures


A scene in a street market inChinatown, Singapore, during theChinese New
Year holidays.


The Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator − the oldest
Christian church in Singapore


Sultan Mosque in Singapore
25



Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated by Singapore's Tamilcommunity
Singapore is a very diverse and young country. It has many languages,
religions, and cultures for a country its size.
[205]

When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most
of the newly minted Singaporean citizens were uneducated labourers from
Malaysia, China and India. Many of them were transient labourers who were
seeking to make some money in Singapore and they had no intention of staying
for good. A sizeable minority of middle-class, local-born people, known as
the Peranakans, also existed. With the exception of the Peranakans
(descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants) who pledged
their loyalties to Singapore, most of the labourers' loyalties lay with their
respective homelands of Malaysia, China and India.
[206][207]
After independence,
the process of crafting a Singaporean identity and culture began.
Former Prime Ministers of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, have
stated that Singapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling
it a society-in-transition, pointing out the fact that Singaporeans do not all
speak the same language, share the same religion, or have the same
customs.
[205][208]
Even though English is the first language of the nation,
according to the government's 2010 census 20% of Singaporeans, or one in
five, are illiterate in English. This is a marked improvement from 1990 where
40% of Singaporeans were illiterate in English.
[209][210]

Unlike many other countries, languages, religions and cultures among
Singaporeans are not delineated according to skin colour or ancestry. Among
Chinese Singaporeans, one in five is Christian, another one in five is atheist,
and the rest are mostly Buddhists or Taoists. One-third speak English as their
home language, while half speak Mandarin Chinese. The rest speak
other mutually unintelligible Chinese languages at home.
[209]
Singaporean
Indians are much more religious. Only 1% of them are atheists. Six in ten are
Hindu, two in ten Muslim, and the rest mostly Christian. Four in ten speak
English as their home language, three in ten Tamil, one in ten Malay, and the
rest other Indian languages as their home language.
[209]

Each Singaporean's behaviours and attitudes would therefore be influenced by,
among many other things, his or her home language and his religion.
Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean
26

toward Western culture, while those who speak Chinese languages as their
native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism. Malay-
speaking Singaporeans tend to lean toward the Malay culture, which itself is
closely linked to the Islamic culture.
Attitudes and beliefs
Singapore, as a country, in general is conservative socially, but some
liberalisation has occurred.
[211]
At the national level, meritocracy, where one is
judged based on one's ability, is heavily emphasised.
[212]

Racial and religious harmony is regarded by the government as a crucial part
of Singapore's success, and played a part in building a Singaporean
identity.
[213]
Singapore has a reputation as a nanny state.
[214][215]
The national
flower of Singapore is the Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' named in memory of a
Singapore-born Armenian woman, who discovered the flower in her garden
at Tanjong Pagar in 1893.
[216]
Many national symbols such as the Coat of arms
of Singapore and the Lion head symbol of Singapore make use of the lion, as
Singapore is known as the 'Lion City'. Public holidays in Singaporecover major
Chinese, Western, Malay and Indian festivals.
[217]

Singaporean employees work an average of around 45 hours weekly, relatively
long compared to many other nations. Three in four Singaporean employees
surveyed stated that they take pride in doing their work well, and that doing so
helps their self-confidence.
[218]

Cuisine
Main article: Singaporean cuisine
Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country's national
pastime.
[219]
The focus on food has led countries like Australia to attract
Singaporean tourists with food-based itineraries.
[220]
The diversity of food is
touted as a reason to visit the country,
[221]
and the variety of food representing
different ethnicities is seen by the government as a symbol of its
multiculturalism.
[222]
The "national fruit" of Singapore is thedurian.
[223]

In popular culture, food items belong to a particular ethnicity, with Chinese,
Malay, and Indian food clearly defined. However, the diversity of cuisine has
been increased further by the "hybridisation" of different styles (e.g., the
Peranakan style, a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisine).
[221]

Arts

The durian-shaped Esplanade, performing arts centre, stands out in front of
the Marina Square area.
Since the 1990s, the government has been promoting Singapore as a centre for
arts and culture, in particular the performing arts, and to transform the
country into a cosmopolitan "gateway between the East and West".
[224]
One
highlight was the construction of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, a
27

performing arts centre opened in October 2002.
[225]
The national
orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, plays at the Esplanade. The
annual Singapore Arts Festival is organised by the National Arts Council. The
stand-up comedy scene has been growing, with a weekly open
mic.
[226]
Singapore hosted the 2009 Genee International Ballet Competition,
a classical ballet competition promoted by London'sRoyal Academy of
Dance.
[227]

Sport and recreation
Main article: Sport in Singapore


National Stadium of Singapore
Popular sports include football, basketball, cricket, swimming, sailing, table
tennis and badminton. Most Singaporeans live in public residential areas
(known as "HDB flats", as mentioned above) near amenities such as public
swimming pools, outdoor basketball courts and indoor sport complexes. Water
sports are popular, including sailing, kayaking and water skiing. Scuba
diving is another popular recreational sport. The Southern island of Pulau
Hantu, particularly, is known for its rich coral reefs.
[228]

Singapore's football (soccer) league, the S-League, formed in 1994,
[229]
currently
comprises 12 clubs including foreign teams.
[230]
TheSingapore Slingers,
formerly in the Australian National Basketball League, is one of the inaugural
teams in the ASEAN Basketball League, founded in October 2009.
[231]

Singapore began hosting a round of the Formula One World Championship,
the Singapore Grand Prix, in 2008. The race takes place on theMarina Bay
Street Circuit and was the inaugural F1 night race,
[232]
and the first F1 street
race in Asia.
[233]
The Singapore Grand Prix will remain on the F1 calendar
through at least 2017, after race organisers signed a contract extension
with Formula One Group on the eve of the 2012 event.
[234]

Kranji Racecourse is run by the Singapore Turf Club and hosts multiple weekly
meetings and many important local and international races, notably the
prestigious Singapore Airlines International Cup.
Singapore also hosted the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.
[235]

Media
Main article: Media of Singapore
Companies linked to the government control much of the domestic media in
Singapore.
[236]
MediaCorp operates most free-to-air television
channels and free-to-air radio stations in Singapore. There are a total of seven
free-to-air TV channels offered by Mediacorp.
[237]
The channels are Channel 5
(English channel), Channel News Asia (English channel), Okto (English
28

channel), Channel 8 (Chinese channel), Channel U (Chinese channel), Suria
(Malay channel) and Vasantham (Indian channel).
[238]
Starhub Cable Vision
(SCV) also offers cable television with channels from all around the
world
[239]
and Singtel's MioTV provides an IPTV service.
[240]
Singapore Press
Holdings, a body with close links to the government, controls most of the
newspaper industry in Singapore.
[241]

Singapore's media industry has sometimes been criticised for being too
regulated and lacking in freedom by human rights groups such asFreedom
House.
[236]
In 2010, Reporters Without Borders, a France-based international
non-governmental organisation, ranked Singapore 136 out of 178 in its Press
Freedom Index, just below Mexico.
[242]

The Media Development Authority regulates Singaporean media, claiming to
balance the demand for choice and protection against offensive and harmful
material.
[243]
Private ownership of TV satellite dishes is banned.
[241]
Television is
censored, and shows like Sex and the City andQueer as Folk (UK TV series) are
banned. There are 3.4 million users of the internet in Singapore,
[241]
one of the
highest internet penetration rates in the world. The Singapore government does
not engage in widespread censoring of the internet,
[244]
but it maintains a list of
one hundred websites (mostly pornographic) that it blocks as a 'symbolic
statement of the Singaporean community's stand on harmful and undesirable
content on the Internet'.
[245]
As the block covers only home internet access,
users may still visit the blocked websites from their office computers.
[246]

Transport
Main article: Transport in Singapore


The Port of Singapore with Sentosa island in the background
Since Singapore is a small island with a high population density, the number of
private cars on the road is restricted so as to curb pollution and congestion.
Car buyers must pay for duties one-and-a-half times the vehicle's market
value, and bid for a Singaporean Certificate of Entitlement(COE), which allows
the car to run on the road for a decade. The cost of the Singaporean certificate
of entitlement alone would buy a Porsche Boxster in the United States. Car
prices are generally significantly higher in Singapore than in other English-
speaking countries.
[141][247]
As with most Commonwealth countries, vehicles on
the road and people walking on the streets keep to the left.
[248]

29



Electronic Road Pricing gantry (road sign) at North Bridge Road
Singaporean residents also travel by foot,
bicycles, bus, taxis and train (MRT or LRT). Two companies run the public bus
and train transport system – SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation. There are
almost a dozen taxi companies, who together put out 25,000 taxis on the road.
Taxis are a popular form of public transport as the fares are relatively cheap
compared to many other developed countries.
[249][250]

Singapore has a road system covering 3,356 kilometres (2,085 mi), which
includes 161 kilometres (100 mi) of expressways.
[6][251][252]
The Singapore Area
Licensing Scheme, implemented in 1975, became the world's first congestion
pricing scheme, and included other complementary measures such as
stringent car ownership quotas and improvements in mass
transit.
[253][254]
Upgraded in 1998 and renamed Electronic Road Pricing, the
system introduced electronic toll collection, electronic detection, and video
surveillance technology.
[255]

Singapore is a major international transport hub in Asia, positioned on many
sea and air trade routes. The Port of Singapore, managed by port operators PSA
International and Jurong Port, was the world's second-busiest port in 2005 in
terms of shipping tonnage handled, at 1.15 billion gross tons, and in terms
of containerised traffic, at 23.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units(TEUs). It is
also the world's second-busiest, behind Shanghai, in terms of cargo tonnage
with 423 million tons handled. In addition, the port is the world's busiest
for transshipment traffic and the world's biggest ship refuelling centre.
[256]

Singapore is an aviation hub for Southeast Asia and a stopover on
the Kangaroo Route between Sydney and London.
[257]
There are eight airports
in the country,
[6]
and Singapore Changi Airport hosts a network of 80 airlines
connecting Singapore to 200 cities in 68 countries. It has been rated one of the
best international airports by international travel magazines, including being
rated as the world's best airport for the first time in 2006
30

by Skytrax.
[258]
The national airlines are Singapore
Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot.
[259]



Ships in the ocean with Singapore visible in the background
See also

Singapore portal

Asia portal

Geography portal
 Index of Singapore-related articles
 International rankings of Singapore
 Outline of Singapore

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