0.846Singapore (
Part of various local empires since being inhabited in the 2nd century AD, Singapore hosted a trading post of the East India Company in 1819 with permission from the Sultanate of Johor. The British obtained sovereignty over the island in 1824 and Singapore became one of the British Straits Settlements in 1826. Occupied by the Japanese in World War II, Singapore declared independence, uniting with other former British territories to form Malaysia in 1963, although it was separated from Malaysia two years later. Since then it has had a massive increase in wealth, and is one of the Four Asian Tigers. Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre and a leading global city, and its port is one of the five busiest ports in the world. The economy depends heavily on exports and refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing, which constituted 26% of Singapore's GDP in 2005.
Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959, and governs on the basis of a strong state and prioritising collective welfare over individual rights such as freedom of assembly, an approach that has attracted criticism from organisations such as Freedom House.
Some 5 million people live in Singapore, of whom 2.91 million were born locally. Most are of Chinese, Malay or Indian descent. There are four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. One of the five founding members of the Association of South East Asian Nations, Singapore also hosts the APEC Secretariat, and is a member of the East Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth.
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[edit] Etymology
The English name of Singapore is derived from its Malay name, Singapura (Sanskrit सिंहपुर "Lion City"), thus the customary reference to the nation as the Lion City. Lions probably never lived there; the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama, founder of ancient Singapore, who gave the city its name, was most likely a tiger.[9][10]
[edit] History
The earliest known settlement on Singapore was in the 2nd century AD. It was an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, named Temasek ('sea town'). Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, it was part of the Sultanate of Johor. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burnt the settlement down, and the island sank into obscurity for two centuries.[11]
In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah on behalf of the British East India Company to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824 the whole island became a British possession under a further treaty whereby the Sultan and the Temenggong handed it over to the British East India Company. In 1826 it became part of the Straits Settlements, a British colony. By 1869, 100,000 people lived on the island.[12]
In World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Malaya, culminating in the Battle of Singapore. The British were defeated, and surrendered on 15 February 1942. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called this "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history".[13] The Japanese occupied Singapore until the British repossessed it in September 1945 after the Japanese surrender.[14]
Singapore's first general election, in 1955, was won by the pro-independence David Marshall, leader of the Labour Front. Demanding complete self-rule, he led a delegation to London but was turned down by the British. He resigned on return 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.[15]
In elections in May 1959 the People's Action Party won a landslide victory and immediately made Singapore a self-governing state within the Commonwealth, with Lee Kuan Yew as the first prime minister.[16] Governor Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode served as the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara until December 1959, when he was succeeded by Yusof bin Ishak, later the first President of Singapore.
Singapore declared independence from Britain on 31 August 1963, before joining the new Federation of Malaysia in September along with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as the result of the 1962 Merger Referendum. Tunku Abdul Rahman separated Singapore from the Federation two years later, after heated ideological conflict between the ruling parties of Malaya and Singapore.[3]
Singapore gained sovereignty as the Republic of Singapore (remaining within the Commonwealth) on 9 August 1965,[3] with Yusof bin Ishak as president and Lee Kuan Yew still as prime minister. In 1970 it joined the Non-aligned movement, and in 1976 it helped found the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.[17] In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as prime minister. During his tenure, the country faced the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak, and terrorist threats posed by Jemaah Islamiyah. In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the third prime minister.[18]
[edit] Government and politics
Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The Constitution of Singapore establishes representative democracy as the political system.[19] The People's Action Party (PAP) has won control of Parliament in every election since 1959.[20] Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free" in its "Freedom in the World report",[21] and The Economist ranks Singapore as a "hybrid regime", the third rank out of four, in its "Democracy Index".[22] Singapore is consistently rated one of the least corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International.[23]
The bulk of executive power rests with the cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. The President of Singapore, historically a ceremonial post, was granted some veto powers in 1991 for a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges. Although the position is to be elected by popular vote, only the 1993 election has been contested to date. The legislative branch of government is Parliament.[24]
Parliamentary elections in Singapore have been plurality-based for group representation constituencies since the Parliamentary Elections Act was modified in 1991.[25] Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Most MPs are elected to Parliament on a "first-past-the-post" (plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group-representation constituencies (GRCs).[26]
Although Singapore's laws are inherited from English and British Indian legislation, with many elements of English common law, in some ways they have departed from that tradition since independence. Thus, trial by jury has been abolished. Singapore has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning for rape, violence, rioting, drug use, vandalism, and some immigration offences.[27][28] There is a mandatory death penalty for first-degree murder, drug-trafficking, and firearms offences.[29] Amnesty International has said that some legal provisions 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".[30] The government has disputed Amnesty's claims.[31] In a 2008 survey, international business executives believed Singapore, along with Hong Kong, had the best judicial system in Asia.[32]
[edit] Geography
Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island, widely known as Singapore Island but also as Pulau Ujong.[33] 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 Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 166 m (545 ft).[34]
There are ongoing land reclamation projects, which have increased its land area from 581.5 km2 (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 704 km2 (272 sq mi) today; it may grow by another 100 km2 (40 sq mi) by 2030.[35] Some projects involve merging smaller islands through land reclamation to form larger, more functional islands, as with Jurong Island.[36] About 23% of Singapore's land area consists of forest and nature reserves.[37] Urbanisation has eliminated most primary rainforest, with Bukit Timah Nature Reserve the only significant remaining forest.[36]
Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinctive seasons, uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Temperatures usually range from 23 to 32 °C (73 to 90 °F). Relative humidity averages around 79% in the morning and 73% in the afternoon.[38] April and May are the hottest months, with the wetter monsoon season from November to January.[39] From August to October, there is often haze caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia. Singapore does not observe summer time although its position much to the west of its time zone acts as a perpetual daylight saving time,[citation needed] with daily sunrise and sunset times of around 7AM and 7PM respectively. The length of the day is nearly constant all year round.
| [hide]Climate data for Singapore | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.1 (88) | 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) | 29.9 (85.8) | 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) | 24.7 (76.5) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.0 (75.2) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.4 (74.1) | 24.1 (75.4) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 242.5 (9.547) | 162.0 (6.378) | 184.8 (7.276) | 178.8 (7.039) | 171.8 (6.764) | 161.2 (6.346) | 158.3 (6.232) | 176.2 (6.937) | 169.7 (6.681) | 193.9 (7.634) | 255.7 (10.067) | 288.2 (11.346) | 2,343.1 (92.248) |
| Avg. rainy days | 15 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 177 |
| 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 |
| Source no. 1: National Environment Agency (Temp 1929-1941 and 1948-2009, Rainfall 1869-2009, Rain days 1891-2009) [40] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: Hong Kong Observatory (sun only, 1982—2008) [41] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Economy
Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, based historically on extended entrepôt trade. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, Singapore is one of the Four Asian Tigers. The economy depends heavily on exports and refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing, which constituted 26% of Singapore's GDP in 2005[43] and includes significant electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences sectors. In 2006 Singapore produced about 10% of the world's foundry wafer output.[44] The country is the world's fourth leading financial centre.[45] Singapore has one of the busiest ports in the world and is the world's fourth largest foreign-exchange trading centre after London, New York and Tokyo.[46] The World Bank ranks Singapore as the world's top logistics hub.[47]
Before independence in 1965, Singapore had a GDP per capita of $511, then the third highest in East Asia.[48] After independence, foreign direct investment and a state-led drive for industrialisation based on plans by Goh Keng Swee and Albert Winsemius created a modern economy.[49] As a result of global recession and a slump in the technology sector, the country'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, largely due to improvements in the world economy; the economy grew by 8.3% in 2004, 6.4% in 2005[50] and 7.9% in 2006.[51] After a contraction of -6.8% in the 4th quarter of 2009,[52] Singapore was the fastest-growing economy in the world, with GDP growth of 14.5% for the year 2010.[53]
Singapore possesses the world's tenth largest foreign reserves.[54][55] Singapore's external trade is of higher value than its GDP, making trade one of the most vital components of the economy. Over ten free trade agreements have been signed with other countries and regions.[56] Singapore's economy has been ranked amongst the world's ten most open,[57] competitive[58] and innovative.[59][60] Singapore is rated the most business-friendly economy in the world.[61][62] The currency of Singapore is the Singapore dollar, issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.[63] It is interchangeable with the Brunei dollar.[64]
Most work in Singapore is in the service sector, which employed around 2,151,400 people out of 3,102,500 jobs in December 2010. Around 64.2% of jobs were held by locals. The percentage of unemployed economically active people above age 15 is about 2%.[65] Poverty levels are low compared to other countries in the region. The government provides cheap housing and financial assistance to poorer people.[66]
Most companies in Singapore are registered as private limited companies, whose shareholders are not liable for the company's debts beyond the amount of share capital they have contributed.
Tourism forms a large part of the economy, and 10.2 million tourists visited the country in 2007.[67] To attract more tourists, in 2005 the government legalised gambling and allowed two casino resorts (called Integrated Resorts) to be developed.[68] Singapore is promoting itself as a medical tourism hub: about 200,000 foreigners seek medical care there each year, and Singapore medical services aim to serve one million foreign patients annually by 2012 and generate USD 3 billion in revenue.[69]
[edit] Foreign relations
Singapore's foreign policy is directed to maintaining a secure environment in Southeast Asia as well as the territories that surround it. An underlying principle is regional political and economic stability in the region.[56] It has diplomatic relations with 175 other Sovereign states.[70] As one of the five founding members of the Association of South East Asian Nations,[71] 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 an ASEAN Economic Community, a step beyond the current AFTA bringing it closer to a common market. This idea was agreed to in 2007 for implementation in 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 Asia-Latin American Cooperation, and the East Asia Summit.[56] It is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement[72] and the Commonwealth.[73]
Bilateral relations with other ASEAN members are generally strong, however disagreements have arisen[56] and relationships with neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia have historically been difficult.[74] Malaysia has often come into conflict with Singapore over the delivery of fresh water to Singapore,[75] and the access of Malaysian airspace to the Singapore Armed Forces, among others.[74] Border issues exist with both Malaysia and Indonesia, and both have banned the sale of marine sand to Singapore over disputes about Singapore'sland reclamation.[76] Some previous disputes have been solved by the International Court of Justice. Piracy in the Malacca Strait has been a cause of concern for all three countries.[75] Close economic ties exist with Brunei, and the two share a pegged currency value.[77]
Singapore and the United States share a long-standing and strong relationship, particularly in defence, the economy, health and education. The USA is Singapore's third largest trading partner in 2010 after the European Union and the People's Republic of China.[78] The government of Singapore believes that regional security, and by extension, Singapore's security will be affected if the United States loses its resolve in Iraq.[79] 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. Relations with the United States have expanded in other areas, and the two countries share a free trade agreement and take part in joint policy dialogues.[56]
Relations with the People's Republic of China were established in the 1970s, and since then the two countries have enjoyed a strong relationship, being major players in strengthening the ASEAN-China relationship.[80]
[edit] Military
The Singaporean military is the most advanced in Southeast Asia.[81] It is divided between the Army, Navy, and Air force.[19] It is seen as the guarantor of the country's independence.[82] Defence policy is based on diplomacy and deterrence, and as such the Singapore Armed Forces have been developed into a strong deterrent force.[83] A philosophy of "Total Defence" is followed by Singapore, where defence is more than just conventional military defence and involves all citizens of the country.[84] The government spends 4.9% of its GDP on the military.[19]
At the time of independence, Singapore had two infantry regiments, which had been commanded by British officers. It was considered too small to provide effective security to the new country and so the development of the military became a priority. Tactics such as jungle warfare were learned to allow the army to fight outside Singapore's borders, and the army obtained equipment such as tanks before its neighbours, often from Israel, and became a highly effective force.[85]
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.[83] 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 population has also affected the way the SAF has been designed, with a small active force but a large number of reserves.[84]
Singapore has a draft which extends to all able-bodied males at the age of 18, except to those who have a criminal record, or can prove that their loss would bring hardships to their families. In addition, 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 Singapore Armed Forces has been increasing, with women allowed since 1989 to fill military vocations formerly reserved for men. Before induction into a specific branch of the armed forces, recruits undergo at least 9 weeks of basic military training.[86]
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,[86] although training is held in about a dozen other countries. Military exercises are generally held with foreign forces once or twice per week.[84]
The SAF has sent forces to assist in operations outside the country in areas such as Iraq[87] and Afghanistan,[88] in both military and non-military roles. Regionally it has helped stabilise East Timor and provided aid to Aceh in Indonesia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Singapore is part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, a military alliance with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.[84]
[edit] Demographics
As of 2010, 5.1 million people live in Singapore, of whom 3.2 million (64%) are Singapore citizens while the rest (36%) are permanent residents or foreign workers. 2.9 million people (57%) were born in Singapore while the rest are foreign-born. The median age of Singaporeans is 37 years old and the average household size is 3.5 persons.[89][90] In 2010, the total fertility rate was 1.1 children per woman, the third lowest in the world and well below the 2.1 needed to replace the population.[91] To overcome this problem, the Singapore government is encouraging foreigners to immigrate to Singapore. The large number of immigrants have kept Singapore's population from declining.[92]
About 40 percent of the population are foreigners, the sixth-highest percentage in the world.[93] The government is considering capping these workers, although it is recognised that they play a large role in the country's economy.[94] Foreign workers make up 80% of the construction industry and up to 50% in the service industry.[95][96]
In 2009, 74.2% of residents were of Chinese descent, 13.4% of Malay descent, and 9.2% of Indian descent.[97] Prior to 2010, each person could register as a member of only one race, by default that of his or her father. From 2010 onwards, people may register using a "double-barrelled" classification, in which they may choose one primary race and one secondary race, but no more than two.[98]
[edit] Religion
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 largest religions, in order of size, are Christianity, Islam, Taoism and Hinduism. The proportion of Christians, Taoists and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, while the proportion of Buddhists decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population.[99]
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.[100] Chinese Mahayana is the most predominant form of Buddhism in Singapore, with missionaries from Taiwan and China for several decades. However, Thailand's Theravada Buddhism has seen growing popularity amongst the people (not only the Chinese) in the past decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organisation, is practised by many people in Singapore, but by mostly those of Chinese descent. Tibetan Buddhism has also made slow inroads into the country in recent years.[101]
[edit] Languages
Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil.[103] English is the first language of the nation and is the language of business, government and medium of instruction in schools.[104][105][106] The Singapore constitution and all laws are written in English. [107] However, despite it being the first language of the nation, only 32% of Singaporeans use English as their first language and 20% of Singaporeans are illiterate in English.[102] [108] English is the official language that most Singaporeans are literate in, with 80% of Singaporeans literate in it. This is followed by Mandarin, Malay and lastly, Tamil.[99][109] Singaporean English is based on British English,[110] and forms of English spoken range from Standard English to a pidgin known as Singlish. Singlish is heavily discouraged by the government.[111] According to the 2010 official census, nearly one in three Singaporeans speak English as their home language.[102]
Chinese is the most common home language, used by about half the population.[102] Singaporean Mandarin is the most common version of Chinese in the country,[104] with 1.2 million using it as their home language. Nearly half a million speak other Chinese languages (which the government describes as "dialects"), mainly Hokkien, Teochew, and Cantonese, as their home language, although the use of these is declining in favour of Mandarin and English.[112]
Malay is the "national language", a ceremonial rather than functional designation to reflect the country's history.[113][114][103] It is used in the national anthem "Majulah Singapura"[115] and in military commands. Today Malay is generally spoken within the Singaporean Malay community, with only 16.8% of the population literate in Malay[116] and only 12% using it as their home language.[102] Bazaar Malay was historically the lingua franca in Singapore, until it was eclipsed by English, especially after independence.[117] Around 0.1 million or 3% of Singaporeans speak Tamil as their home language.[102] Even though only Tamil has official status, there have been no attempts to discourage the use or spread of other Indian languages.[118]
36% of the population in Singapore are foreigners who work and live there.[119] As of 2010, there are about about 300,000 Malaysians, 200,000 Chinese, 177,000 Filipinos and 100,000 Indians in Singapore. [120] [121] [122][123] [124] Therefore, Malaysian Mandarin, Tagalog, Hindi and many other languages are spoken as well.
[edit] Education
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.[125] English is the language of instruction in all public schools[126] and all subjects are taught and examined in English except for the "Mother Tongue" language paper.[127] While "Mother Tongue" generally 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.[128][129] 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.[130][131]
Education takes place in three stages: "Primary education", "Secondary education", and "Pre-university education", of which 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, and maths.[132] There are four standard subjects taught to all students, English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and science.[133] Secondary school lasts from four to five years, and is divided between "Special", "Express", "Normal (Academic)", and "Normal (Technical)" streams within each school, depending on a student's ability level.[134] The basic coursework breakdown is the same as in the primary level, although classes are much more specialised.[135] Pre-university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools mostly called Junior Colleges.[136] Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum, and are known as autonomous schools. These exist from the secondary education level.[134]
National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken after each stage of school. After the first six years of education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination,[132] which determines their placement at secondary school. After the next stage of school, General Certificate of Secondary Education exams are taken, with O levels taken after secondary school[134] and A levels after pre-university level school.[136] Of all non-student Singaporeans aged 15 and above, 18% have no educational qualifications at all while 45% have the Primary School Leaving Examination as their highest qualification. 15% have the General Certificate of Secondary Education as their highest qualification and 13% have a degree.[137]
[edit] Health
Singapore has one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world, even with a health expenditure relatively low for developed countries.[138] Life expectancy in Singapore is 79 for males and 83 for females, and 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, and high levels of immunisation. Adult obesity is below 10%.[139]
The government's healthcare system is based upon the "3M" framework. This has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those who could not otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings scheme covering about 85% of the population, and Medishield, a government-funded health insurance scheme.[138] Public hospitals in Singapore have autonomy in their management decisions, and compete for patients. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income.[140] In 2008, 31.9% of healthcare was funded by the government, approximately 3.5% of Singapore's GDP.[141]
[edit] Culture
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.[142] Due to the many races and cultures in the country, there is no single set of culturally acceptable behaviours. The country is generally conservative socially but some liberalisation has occurred.[143] Foreigners also make up 42% of the population[93][112] and have a strong influence on Singaporean culture. A.T. Kearney named Singapore the most globalised country in the world in 2006 in its Globalization Index.[144] 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.[145]
The Singapore dream is often satirically and light-heartedly portrayed as the "5 Cs" of Singapore - cash, credit cards, car, condominium and country club membership. [146]
[edit] Cuisine
Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country's national pastime. Local favourites include food like char kway teow, roti prata and satay [147] The diversity of food is touted as a reason to visit the country,[148] and the variety of food representing different ethnicities is seen by the government as a symbol of its multiculturalism.[149] The "national fruit" of Singapore is the Durian [150]
In popular culture, food items belong to a particular ethnicity, with Chinese, Indian, and Malay food clearly defined. The diversity of cuisine has been increased further by the "hybridization" of different styles, e.g. the Peranakan style, a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisine.[148] Western cuisines, which include a broad range of cusines from Italian to American, are also well-loved by Singaporeans who find delight in their burgers, steaks, barbequed ribs and desserts.[151]
[edit] Arts
The performing arts scene in Singapore is vibrant and diverse with 7,500 performances a year, and a continual stream of major events such as the Singapore Arts Festival, Mosaic Festival Sun Festival, LIVE! Singapore and ConversAsians attract the world’s best artists and arts groups. Supporting this vibrant scene is a world-class arts infrastructure. Performing arts venues in Singapore are now numbered at 56 with a seating capacity of over 44,000. The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay,a performing arts centre, along with new performance venues at the two Integrated Resorts, host large-scale musicals and long-running shows. [152]
The stand-up comedy scene has been growing, with a weekly open mic.[153] Singapore hosted the 2009 Genee International Ballet Competition, a classical ballet competition promoted by London's Royal Academy of Dance.[154] Two home grown Singaporean comedians are Hossan Leong and Kumar.
Singapore has also produced a few internationally renowned Singers. English singers include Dick Lee, Corrinne May, Olivia Ong, Douglas Oliverio, Jacintha Abisheganaden amongst others. Mandarin Singers include Stefanie Sun, JJ lin, Kit Chan and Tanya Chua amongst others.[155]
[edit] Sport and recreation
Popular sports include football, basketball, cricket, swimming, sailing, table tennis and badminton. Most Singaporeans live in public residential areas 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 recreation, particularly around the southern island of Pulau Hantu, known for its rich coral reefs.[156]
Singapore's football (soccer) league, the S-League, formed in 1994,[157] currently comprises 12 clubs including foreign teams.[158] The Singapore Slingers, formerly in the Australian National Basketball League, is one of the inaugural teams in the ASEAN Basketball League, founded in October 2009.[159] Singapore began hosting a round of the Formula One World Championship in 2008. The race was staged at the Marina Bay Street Circuit and became the first night race on the F1 circuit[160] and the first street circuit in Asia.[161] Singapore won the bid to host the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.[162]
[edit] Media
Singapore’s local media market is tightly controlled. All domestic newspapers, radio stations, and television channels are owned by government-linked companies.[163] Reporters Without Borders ranks the Singaporean press 136th in its Press Freedom Index.[164]
The state-owned MediaCorp operates all free-to-air television channels and most radio stations in Singapore. Singapore Press Holdings, a body with close links to the government, controls most of the newspaper industry, publishing 15 newspapers and six periodicals, including The Straits Times.[104] In the 1990s the media sector grew 7.7%, and by 2001 produced $10 billion and contributed 1.56% of Singapore's GDP. MediaCorp also hosts an international Singaporean News channel called MediaCorp Channel NewsAsia which is broadcast to dozen of countries around the world. [165]
Singapore has one cable TV operator, Starhub TV, and one IPTV operator, mio TV. They offer hundreds of international channels for viewing; and all major news and entertainment stations such as CCTV, BBC, CNN and Discovery Channel can be viewed in Singapore.[166] However, the content of international channels remains subject to censorship, with eg. Sex and the City banned entirely until 2004 and subject to cuts afterwards due to nudity and the use of vulgarities.[167]
Singapore has 2.42 million internet users, making up 67.2 percent of the population. The country has one of the highest Internet penetration rates in the world. Internet in Singapore is largely uncensored and all websites are accessible except for a list of one hundred websites, mostly pornographic, which the government blocks as a symbol of disapproval of their contents. [168] [169][169] [170]
[edit] Transport
Singapore is a major international transportation 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 in terms of cargo tonnage, coming behind Shanghai 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.[171]
Singapore is an aviation hub for the Southeast Asian region and a stopover on the Kangaroo route between Sydney and London.[172] There are 8 total airports in the country,[19] 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 by Skytrax.[173] The national airline is Singapore Airlines.[174]
The island has a road system covering 3,356 kilometres (2,085 mi) which includes 161 kilometres (100 mi) of expressways.[19] The public road system is served by the many bus services and a number of licensed taxi-operating companies, and thousands of people use these services everyday.[175] Since 1987, the heavy rail passenger Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) metro system has been in operation.[176]
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