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Information on Singapore

Also below: 25 Did you know..., How well do you know your 'Singlish'?

Geography Location of Singapore

Located at one of the crossroads of the world, Singapore's strategic position has helped it grow into a major centre for trade, communications and tourism. Its geographical location is 136.8 km north of the equator, between latitudes 103 degrees 38' E and 104 degrees 06' E.

It is linked to Malaysia by two causeway bridges and the key islands of the Riau archipelago of Indonesia are just a quick ferry trip away. Thailand and the Philippines are a short plane journey away and Singapore, with an airport served by more than 69 airlines, is very much the gateway to South-East Asia.

People

Although geography has played a part in the success of Singapore, its mainstay is its people. Lacking natural resources, Singapore's strength is its hardworking, adaptable and resilient population.

The first population census taken in 1824 revealed that the total population was 10,683. The 2000 census showed that the population of Singapore is 4.2 million. It comprises 77% Chinese, 14% Malays, 8% Indians and 1% Eurasians and people of other descent.

Language

There are four official languages in Singapore: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English. English is the language of business and administration, and is widely spoken and understood. Most Singaporeans are bilingual, and speak their mother tongue as well as English. Malay is the national language.

Religion

With this mixture of people, Singapore is also a mixture of religions. Singapore's skyline boasts the distinctive minarets of mosques, spires of gothic cathedrals, intricate figurines of Hindu temple gods and distinctive roof architecture of Chinese temples. The main religions are Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Zoroastrainism.

25 Did you know...

Also : Singapore Info, How well do you know your 'Singlish'?

Singapore consists only of one main island and 63 other tiny islands. Most of these islands are uninhabited.
Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world, with a total land area of only 682.7 square kilometres. The USA is about 15,000 times bigger. The main island measures about 42 kilometres in length and 23 kilometres in breadth.
Apart from Monaco, Singapore is the most densely populated country in the world, with 6,430 people per square kilometre.
Symbolism of the National Flag: Red symbolises universal brotherhood and equality of man while white signifies purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the rise and the five stars signify the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
The national flower of Singapore, Vanda Miss Joaquim, was first discovered in 1893 by Agnes Joaquim, an Armenian. The orchid is a natural hybrid between V. teres and V. hookeriana.
The Merlion, a half-fish, half-lion beast, is a fitting symbol of Singapore. The "Singa" or lion represents the animal that a Sumatran prince saw which resembled a lion, and the fish is a tribute to Singapore's history as "Temasek", the ancient sea town.
Singlish, a Singaporean patois mixing English with the odd phrase of Chinese, Malay and even Tamil, has two entries - lah and sinseh - in the online version of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Although English is the official working language and the most widely used language in Singapore, the national anthem 'Majulah Singapura' is actually sung in Malay.
Singapore is a stopover point for thousands of migratory birds travelling the East Asian Flyway.
The world's first night zoo, the Night Safari, is located in Singapore.
Despite being largely urbanised, Singapore is the largest exporter of ornamental fish (25% of the world market).
The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in Singapore contains more species of trees than the entire North American continent.
The highest natural point in Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, which is only 164 metres tall (Singapore has a very flat terrain).
The world's highest man-made waterfall, standing at 30 metres, is located at the Jurong BirdPark.
In 2003, Singapore's Changi Airport won the award for "Best Airport Worldwide" for the 16th consecutive year from the UK/Europe edition of the Business Traveller magazine.
The Guinness book record for the longest human domino chain was set in Singapore on 30th September 2000. Formed by 9,234 students, it measured 4.2km.
The Great Singapore Duck Race, an annual event that raises funds for charity, set a new world record in 2002 when more than 123,000 toy ducks took to the Singapore River.
The fastest selling book of all time in Singapore is Hello Chok Tong, Goodbye Kuan Yew: The Untold Story. Written and drawn by political cartoonist George Nonis, it sold 40,000 copies in two months.
The highest grossing movie of all time in Singapore is Titanic, raking in S$6.65 million in 1997.
The highest grossing locally made movie of all time is Money No Enough, raking in S$6.02 million in 1998.
More Singaporeans are born in the month of October than any other month of the year.
Nearly 9 out of 10 Singaporeans live in public housing flats.
The most common Chinese surnames in Singapore are Tan, Lim and Lee.
Singapore has more than 3,000 kilometres of roads. Stretched end to end, they can cover the distance from Singapore to Hong Kong.
The Singapore Sling was first served in 1915 at the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel. The ingredients are gin, Cointreau, cherry brandy, Dom Benedictine, pineapple juice, Grenadine, Angoustura bitters and limes.

How well do you know your 'Singlish'?

Also : Singapore Info, 25 Did you know...

English is widely spoken in Singapore ... or it is? Many first-time visitors have been confounded by the colloquialisms that pepper Singaporeans' speech. This is because we speak very quickly (or so it's been said) and with a distinct Singaporean accent. Through the years, Singaporeans have developed their own brand of English fondly referred to as 'Singlish'.

With our multi-racial background, it's not surprising that 'Singlish' borrows from the many different languages spoken in Singapore. Here's a collection of 'Singlish' terms which you might find handy on your visit to Singapore.

Action (verb): Derived from the English language meaning to show off.
Example: That fellow always like to action, walking around with his Rolex over his shirt sleeves.
Arrow (verb): Derived from the English language meaning to be given a task that you don't want to do.
Example: I was arrowed to paint this wall.
Blur (adj): Derived from the English language meaning does not know what is going on.
Example: He hasn't read up on the background to this project and was very blur at the meeting.
Boh-Chup (adj): Derived from the Hokkien dialect meaning couldn't care less.
Example: Ah, boh-chup, I'm not going to hand in my assignment
Chim (adj): Pronounced 'cheem'.
Derived from the Hokkien dialect meaning profound.
Example: The professor's lecture was very chim.
Chope (verb): Derived from the English language meaning to reserve.
Example: It's free seating at the concert, we need to get there early to chope seats for our group.
Gostun (verb): Derived from the English language (go stern) meaning to reverse.
Example: He overshot the turning so had to gostun back up the road.
Havoc (adj): Derived from the English language meaning wild and uncontrollable.
Example: That person is very havoc, always out late every night.
Kayu (adj): Pronounced 'kah-yoo'.
Derived from the Malay language meaning dumb or stupid.
Example: How come he is so kayu? Teach him so many times and he still cannot do it.
Kiasu (adj): Pronounced 'kee-a-soo'.
Derived from the Hokkien dialect meaning afraid to lose out to others or not to lose face.
Example: He sent his family to line up in different queues for the same item, so kiasu.
Lah (expr): The most famous of Singaporean expressions used at the end of sentences for emphasis.
Example: Very funny, lah!
Langgar (verb): Derived from the Malay language meaning to collide.
Example: This van suddenly pulled out and langgar my car.
Obiang (adj): Derived from the Hokkien dialect meaning ugly or outdated.
Example: This dress is so obiang! Who is going to buy it?
Pai seh (adj): Pronounced 'pie-say'.
Derived from the Hokkien dialect meaning embarrassed or shy.
Example: That's the third time I've forgotten her name. So pai seh.
Shiok (adj): Pronounced 'shee-oak'.
Derived from the Malay language (Straits Chinese) meaning fantastic or marvellous.
Example: That prawn mee soup was shiok!"
Sekali: A word meaning suddenly.
Example: "I was about to make a right turn. Sekali this car appears from nowhere and nearly langgar me!"
Solid (adj): Derived from the English language meaning great or superb.
Example: Did you see how he scored the goal? Solid, man!
Sotong (adj): Derived from the Malay language meaning does not know what is going on. Similar meaning to 'blur'. (Sotong is the Malay word for octopus which squirts ink and clouds everything.)
Example: This has been going on for months, didn't you know? Sotong!
Suaku (noun): Pronounced 'soo-ah-koo'.
Derived from the Hokkien dialect meaning country bumpkin.
Example: Don't be so suaku lah, don't you know what a VCD player is?
Terok (adj): Derived from the Malay language meaning troublesome or difficult.
Example: That customer was very terok.
Tompang (verb): Pronounced 'tome-pang'.
Derived from the Malay language meaning to ride on or request a favour.
Example: You're going to the post office? Can I tompang some letters to be mailed?
Ulu (adj): Pronounced 'oo-loo'.
Derived from Malay language meaning rural or a deserted place.
Example: This place is so ulu, you hardly see a single soul around even on weekends.
Ya Ya (adj): An expression meaning boastful or arrogant.
Example: Wah, he's so ya ya.

The above information can be obtained from the Singapore Tourism Board.

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