Singapore Travel Guide

Introducing Singapore

Singapore Today

Singapura, the island founded in the 13th century by a prince from the ancient Malay Kingdom of Sumatra, is now one of the most prosperous nations in the world. Singapore, also known as the Garden City as well as Lion City, has the highest gross domestic product per capita in Asia, except for Japan. With strong international links and a highly developed free market economy, Singapore’s economy grows at an average rate of almost nine percent a year. Singapore is the busiest port in the world and one of the world’s key oil distribution and refining centers. The island, which is actually a group of 54 islands, is a major financial center and is known for shipbuilding and for supplying electronic products to the world market.

Singapore is a Parliamentary Democracy with a population of 4.8 million people who are a mixture of Chinese, Malay and Indian, but the majority of the people who live in this 273 square mile country are Chinese. English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay are the official languages of the country. The country actually sits south of the Malay Peninsula and is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Singapore is situated 1.5 degrees north of the equator.

In 1964 a curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium developed the Merlion statue, which is now the country’s trademark. It is a statue of a lion’s head with a fish body that is resting on a wave, which symbolizes the discovery of the island, as well as its ancient roots as a fishing village.

Singapore in a Few Words

Singapore is a clean ultra-modern city with an amazing infrastructure, beautiful villas and all the Western and Eastern amenities anyone could expect. The city is always compared to Hong Kong in terms of shopping and nightlife. Singapore is truly a Garden City that has the roar of a lion and the silence of beauty, which makes it a perfect place for anyone looking for a diverse holiday filled with the usual, as well as the unexpected.