Singapore

Singapore Flag

The colours of the Singapore flag represent red for brotherhood and equality; white for purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the rise. The five stars stand for Singapore's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

Singapore Weather

Like most of Southeast Asia, Singapore is generally hot and humid. It's warm and humid year round, with the temperature almost never dropping below 20°C (68°F), even at night, and usually climbing to 30°C (86°F) during the day. Recent times, it even reached till 35°C.

Humidity is high, mounting over a 75% mark. November and December is the rainy season. June-August is considered to be the best time to visit, but even then it rains often. Don't let the climate stop you from going, however. Most buildings are air-conditioned (to the point that you may want to take a sweater), and pains have been taken to make everything as comfortable as can be, all things considered. When it does rain, it's generally only for a short period.
For those who enjoy the sun and the beach, Singapore is an ideal place for beach lovers, as you get the hot hot sun throughout the year. So when you're in Singapore, just bring along your cooling apparels and hats.

Singapore Geography

Singapore's strategic location at the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula has ensured its importance, which is greater than its size might seem to justify. Singapore consists of the island of Singapore and some 63 islets within its territorial waters. The main island is about 26 mi/42 km from west to east and 14 mi/23 km from north to south. It's a mostly undulating country with low hills (the highest, 540-ft/166-m Bukit Timah Hill, is to the northwest of the city).
Singapore's Central Business District actually spreads across both the central and southern parts of the island (you'll know when you're there - it boasts striking high-rise structures). You can get a good visual orientation to the city as you cross the Benjamin Sheares Bridge on the East Coast Parkway, which links the airport to the city center. The Singapore cityscape looks magnificent, particularly at night when buildings are brilliantly lit. Offshore, there appears to be another city all lit up because of the many ships anchored there - Singapore is one of the busiest seaports in the world.

Many of the city's attractions are clustered closely together. Orchard Road, the shoppers' haven, is located in the northern part of the city center. Chinatown, where you'll find Boat Quay, is just to the southeast of Orchard Road, while Little India is northeast. Sentosa Island, with its many amusements, is directly to the southwest of the city center. These frequently visited neighborhoods, as well as more suburban areas, remain a bustling hive of pedestrian activity well into the evening.

Singapore MRT-LRT Map

One can get a clear idea about the MRT & LRT map of Singapore, by visiting the following link.

www.lta.gov.sg/projects/images/system_map.gif

Singapore Facts & Figures

Land and Climate
Total land area: 699.0 sq km. Comprising one main island and a number of islets scattered off its north-east and south.
Climate: Singapore is an equatorial country with relatively uniform temperature, high humidity and abundant rainfall.
Average daily temperature 25.1 - 31 degree Celsius
Annual rainfall: 2,136 mm with increased rainfall from Nov to Jan

People: Singapore's people are largely descendants of immigrants from the Malay Peninsula, China and the Indian sub-continent.

Total Populate (2006) 4,483,900
Resident Population (2006) 3,608,500
Resident Population growth 1.8%
Population Density (2005) 6,208 per sq km
Population by race Chinese (76%); Malays (13.7%); Indians (8.4%); Others (1.8%)
Population by age Below 15 (20.1%); 15-64 (71.9%); 65 and over (8%)

Official Languages: English (language of administration, Chinese (Mandarin), Malay (National language) & Tamil
Main Religions: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Taoism, Hindusim

Government

Singapore is a republic with a parliamentary system of government based on the Westminster model. The organs of state comprise.

The Executive: Head of State and Cabinet Head of State: President S R Nathan, elected on 1 Sep 1999 (The President is elected for a fixed term of 6 years.)

Cabinet: Led by the Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong (since 12 Aug 2004)

Parliament: Parliament is elected by general election every five years. The first sitting of Parliament was held on 8 Dec 1965. The first general election for Parliament was held on 13 Apr 1968. There are 23 registered political parties.

The current Parliament, elected on 3 Nov 2001 has 82 People's Action Party (PAP) Members of Parliament (MPs), 2 Opposition MPs and 1 Non-Constituency MP. In addition there are 7 nominated MPs.

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

Employment (2005)

Labour force: 2,367,300
Employed persons: 2,266,700
Unemployment rate: 3.4%

Central Provident Fund: A social security savings scheme in which all employees and their employers contribute a percentage of their salary. Employees below 55 years contribute 20% while employers contribute 13%. Employees 55 years and above contribute at lower rates. In addition to providing security for old age, this fund can also be used for healthcare, home ownership and asset enhancement.There are 3.05 million CPF members and their CPF balance stood at $119.79 billion (as at December 2005)

Wage policies: The National Wages Council made up of representatives from the government, employers groups & trade unions advises the government on wage policies, and issues guidelines in line with long term economic objectives. There are 70 registered employees' trade unions and 3 employer unions and one federation of employee trade union, National Trade Union Congress (NTUC). NTUC works closely with the government and business sector to look after workers' interest.*includes public housing**including Foreign Affairs, Trade & Industry. $625 million set aside for R&D activities

Public Holidays 2007
(http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en/general/Public_holidays_2007.html)

New Year's Day Monday*1 January 2007
Chinese New Year Sunday**18 February 2007Monday19 February 2007
Good Friday Friday 6 April 2007
Labour Day Tuesday 1 May 2007
Vesak Day Thursday 31 May 2007
National Day Thursday 9 August 2007
Hari Raya Puasa Saturday 13 October 2007
Deepavali Thursday8 November 2007
Hari Raya Haji Thursday20 December 2007
Christmas Day Tuesday 25 December 2007

* The following Tuesday, 2 Jan 2007, will be a public holiday in view of the Hari Raya Haji on 31 Dec 2006 falling on a Sunday.** The following Tuesday, 20 February 2007, will be a public holiday.MOM had earlier announced that the date for Deepavali will be checked against the Indian Almanacs. The Hindu Endowments Board has since confirmed the date for Deepavali as 8th November 2007.