FUN: 1/16/11 - 1/23/11

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

india

India (i /ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Hindi: भारत गणराज्य Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also official names of India), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world.[16] Mainland India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east; and it is bordered by Pakistan to the west;[note] Bhutan, the People's Republic of China and Nepal to the north; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east. In the Indian Ocean, mainland India and the Lakshadweep Islands are in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, while India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share maritime border with Thailand and the Indonesian island of Sumatra in the Andaman Sea.[17] India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometres (4,700 mi).[18]
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.[19] Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism—originated here, while Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by the British East India Company from the early 18th century and colonised by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence which was marked by a non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
India is a federal constitutional republic with a parliamentary democracy consisting of 28 states and seven union territories. A pluralistic, multilingual and multiethnic society where more than 300[20] languages are spoken, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The Indian economy is the world's eleventh largest economy by nominal GDP and the fourth largest by purchasing power parity. Since the introduction of market-based economic reforms in 1991, India has become one of the fastest growing major economies in the world;[21] however, the country continues to face several poverty, illiteracy, corruption and public health related challenges. India is classified as a newly industrialised country and is one of the four BRIC nations.[22][23] It is the world's sixth de facto recognized nuclear weapons state and has the third-largest standing armed force in the world, while its military expenditure ranks tenth in the world.[24] India is a regional power in South Asia.[25]
It is a founding member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the World Trade Organization, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the East Asia Summit, the G20 and the G8+5; a member of the Commonwealth of Nations; and an observer state in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
3 Geography
3.1 Climate
3.2 Biodiversity
4 Politics
4.1 Government
4.2 Judiciary
4.3 Administrative divisions
4.4 Foreign relations
4.5 Military
5 Economy
6 Demographics
6.1 Languages
6.2 Religion
7 Culture
7.1 Society and traditions
7.2 Music, dance, theatre and cinema
7.3 Cuisine
7.4 Sport
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links
Etymology

Main article: Names of India
The name India is derived from Indus, which is derived from the Old Persian word Hindu, from Sanskrit सिन्धु Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River.[26] The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi (Ινδοί), the people of the Indus.[27] The Constitution of India and common usage in various Indian languages also recognise Bharat (pronounced [ˈbʱaːrət̪] ( listen)) as an official name of equal status.[28] The name Bharat is derived from the name of the legendary king Bharata in Hindu scriptures. Hindustan ([ɦɪnd̪ʊˈst̪aːn] ( listen)), originally a Persian word for “Land of the Hindus” referring to northern India, is also occasionally used as a synonym for all of India.[29]
History

Main articles: History of India and History of the Republic of India
Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared about 8,500 years ago and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation,[30] dating back to 3400 BCE in western India. It was followed by the Vedic period, which laid the foundations of Hinduism and other cultural aspects of early Indian society, and ended in the 500s BCE. From around 550 BCE, many independent kingdoms and republics known as the Mahajanapadas were established across the country.[31]

Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 6th century
In the 3rd century BCE, most of South Asia was united into the Maurya Empire by Chandragupta Maurya and flourished under Ashoka the Great.[32] From the 3rd century CE, the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as ancient "India's Golden Age".[33][34] Empires in southern India included those of the Chalukyas, the Cholas and the Vijayanagara Empire. Science, technology, engineering, art, logic, language, literature, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings.
Following Islamic invasions from Central Asia between the 10th and 12th centuries, much of northern India came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire. Under the rule of Akbar the Great, India enjoyed much cultural and economic progress as well as religious harmony.[35][36] Mughal emperors gradually expanded their empires to cover large parts of the subcontinent. However, in northeastern India, the dominant power was the Ahom kingdom of Assam, among the few kingdoms to have resisted Mughal subjugation. The first major threat to Mughal imperial power came from a Hindu Rajput king Maha Rana Pratap of Mewar in the 16th century. By early 1700s, the Sikh Empire and the Marathas had emerged as formidable foes of the Mughals.[37] Following the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire entered a period of gradual decline and by mid-18th century, a large portion of the Mughal territory came under the control of the Hindu Maratha Empire.[38]
From the 16th century, European powers such as Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and Great Britain established trading posts and later took advantage of internal conflicts to establish colonies in the country. By 1856, most of India was under the control of the British East India Company.[39] A year later, a nationwide insurrection of rebelling military units and kingdoms, known as India's First War of Independence or the Sepoy Mutiny, seriously challenged the Company's control but eventually failed. As a result of the instability, India was brought under the direct rule of the British Crown.

Mahatma Gandhi (right) with Jawaharlal Nehru, 1937. Nehru would go on to become India's first prime minister in 1947.
In the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched by the Indian National Congress (INC) and other political organisations.[40] Several Indian radical revolutionaries, such as Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh, led armed rebellions against the British Raj.[41] However, the defining aspect of the Indian independence movement was the nonviolent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi and the INC.[42] Under the leadership of Gandhi, millions of Indians participated in the Quit India civil disobedience movement against the British Raj.[43]
In September 1939, India declared war on Germany and at the height of the World War II, more than 2.5 million Indian soldiers were fighting against the Axis powers.[44] The Indian Army was one of the largest Allied forces contingents which took part in the North and East African, Western Desert and the Italian Campaign and played a crucial role in halting the progress of Imperial Japan in the South-East Asian theatre. [45][46] However, certain Indian nationalists collaborated with the Axis powers to overthrow the British Raj. The Indian National Army (INA), led by Bose, forged an alliance with the Axis powers and fought an unsuccessful military campaign against British India.[47]
In 1943, a perceived shortage of food leading to large-scale hoarding and soaring food prices coupled with poor food distribution mechanism and inadequate response of the British officials resulted in a catastrophic famine in the Bengal region which killed about 1.5 to 3 million people.[48][49] After World War II, a number of mutinies broke out in the Air Force and Navy and the INA trials caused considerable public unrest.[50][51]
On 15 August 1947, the British Indian Empire was dissolved following which the Muslim-majority areas were partitioned to form a separate state of Pakistan.[52] The partition led to a population transfer of more than 10 million people between India and Pakistan and the death of about one million people.[53] On 26 January 1950, India became a republic and a new constitution came into effect under which India was established as a secular and a democratic state.[54]
Since independence, India has faced challenges from religious violence, casteism, naxalism, terrorism and regional separatist insurgencies, especially in Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern India. Since the 1990s, terrorist attacks have affected many Indian cities. India has unresolved territorial disputes with the People's Republic of China, which, in 1962, escalated into the Sino-Indian War, and with Pakistan, which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999.
India is a state armed with nuclear weapons; having conducted its first nuclear test in 1974,[55] followed by another five tests in 1998.[55] From the 1950s to the 1980s, India followed socialist-inspired policies. The economy was shackled by extensive regulation, protectionism and public ownership, leading to pervasive corruption and slow economic growth.[56] Beginning 1991, significant economic reforms[57] have transformed India into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, increasing its global clout.[21]
Geography

Main article: Geography of India
See also: Geological history of India and Climate of India

Topographic map of India.
The territory controlled by India, the major portion of the Indian subcontinent, lies between latitudes 6° and longitudes 36° N, and 68° and 98° E. The country sits atop the Indian tectonic plate, a minor plate within the Indo-Australian Plate.[58]
India's defining geological processes commenced seventy-five million years ago, when the Indian subcontinent, then part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana, began a northeastwards drift—lasting fifty million years—across the then unformed Indian Ocean.[58] The subcontinent's subsequent collision with the Eurasian Plate and subduction under it, gave rise to the Himalayas, the planet's highest mountains, which now abut India in the north and the north-east.[58] In the former seabed immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vast trough, which, having gradually been filled with river-borne sediment,[59] now forms the Indo-Gangetic Plain.[60] To the west of this plain, and cut off from it by the Aravalli Range, lies the Thar Desert.[61]
The original Indian plate now survives as peninsular India, the oldest and most geologically stable part of India, and extends as far north as the Satpura and Vindhya ranges in central India. These parallel ranges run from the Arabian Sea coast in Gujarat in the west to the coal-rich Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand in the east.[62] To their south, the remaining peninsular landmass, the Deccan Plateau, is flanked on the left and right by the coastal ranges, Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats respectively;[63] the plateau contains the oldest rock formations in India, some over one billion years old. Constituted in such fashion, India lies to the north of the equator between 6°44' and 35°30' north latitude[64] and 68°7' and 97°25' east longitude.[65]

The Himalayas form the mountainous landscape of northern India. Seen here is Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.
India's coast is 7,517 kilometres (4,700 mi) long; of this distance, 5,423 kilometres (3,400 mi) belong to peninsular India, and 2,094 kilometres (1,300 mi) to the Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands.[18] According to the Indian naval hydrographic charts, the mainland coast consists of the following: 43% sandy beaches, 11% rocky coast including cliffs, and 46% mudflats or marshy coast.[18]
Major Himalayan-origin rivers that substantially flow through India include the Ganges (Ganga) and the Brahmaputra, both of which drain into the Bay of Bengal.[66] Important tributaries of the Ganges include the Yamuna and the Kosi, whose extremely low gradient causes disastrous floods every year. Major peninsular rivers whose steeper gradients prevent their waters from flooding include the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the Kaveri, and the Krishna, which also drain into the Bay of Bengal;[67] and the Narmada and the Tapti, which drain into the Arabian Sea.[68] Among notable coastal features of India are the marshy Rann of Kutch in western India, and the alluvial Sundarbans delta, which India shares with Bangladesh.[69] India has two archipelagos: the Lakshadweep, coral atolls off India's south-western coast; and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a volcanic chain in the Andaman Sea.[70]
Climate
Main article: Climate of India
India's climate is strongly influenced by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert, both of which drive the monsoons.[71] The Himalayas prevent cold Central Asian Katabatic wind from blowing in, keeping the bulk of the Indian subcontinent warmer than most locations at similar latitudes.[72][73] The Thar Desert plays a crucial role in attracting the moisture-laden southwest summer monsoon winds that, between June and October, provide the majority of India's rainfall.[71] Four major climatic groupings predominate in India: tropical wet, tropical dry, subtropical humid, and montane.[74]
Biodiversity
Main articles: Flora of India and Fauna of India
See also: List of ecoregions in India

The Indian peacock is India's national bird and is found primarily in semi-desert grasslands, scrubs and deciduous forests of India.[75]
India, which lies within the Indomalaya ecozone, displays significant biodiversity. One of the seventeen megadiverse countries, it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of all avian, 6.2% of all reptilian, 4.4% of all amphibian, 11.7% of all fish, and 6.0% of all flowering plant species.[76] Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, exhibit extremely high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic.[77][78]
India's forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, and northeastern India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest of eastern India; the teak-dominated dry deciduous forest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain.[79] Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment. According to latest report, less than 12% of India's landmass is covered by dense forests.[80]
Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, from which the Indian plate separated. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic changes 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.[81] Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya.[79] Consequently, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians.[76] Notable endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species.[82] These include the Asiatic Lion, the Bengal Tiger, and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle.
In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the system of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act[83] and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; in addition, the Forest Conservation Act[84] was enacted in 1980. Along with more than five hundred wildlife sanctuaries, India hosts thirteen biosphere reserves,[85] four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; twenty-five wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention.[86]
Politics

Main article: Politics of India

The Secretariat Building, in New Delhi, houses key government offices.
India is the most populous democracy in the world.[16][87] It has operated under a multi-party system for most of its history.[citation needed] For most of the years since independence, the federal government has been led by the Indian National Congress (INC).[88] Politics in the states have been dominated by national parties like the INC, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and various regional parties. From 1950 to 1990, barring two brief periods, the INC enjoyed a parliamentary majority.
Within Indian political culture, the Indian National Congress is considered centre-left or "liberal" and the Bharatiya Janata Party is considered centre-right or "conservative". The INC was out of power between 1977 and 1980, when the Janata Party won the election owing to public discontent with the state of emergency declared by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In 1989, a Janata Dal-led National Front coalition in alliance with the Left Front coalition won the elections but managed to stay in power for only two years.[89] As the 1991 elections gave no political party a majority, the INC formed a minority government under Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and was able to complete its five-year term.[90]
The years 1996–1998 were a period of turmoil in the federal government with several short-lived alliances holding sway. The BJP formed a government briefly in 1996, followed by the United Front coalition that excluded both the BJP and the INC. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with several other parties and became the first non-Congress government to complete a full five-year term.[91]
In the 2004 Indian elections, the INC won the largest number of Lok Sabha seats and formed a government with a coalition called the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), supported by various Left-leaning parties and members opposed to the BJP. The UPA again came into power in the 2009 general election; however, the representation of the Left leaning parties within the coalition has significantly reduced.[92] Manmohan Singh became the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.[93]
Government
Main articles: Government of India and Constitution of India
National Symbols of India[94][95]
Flag Tricolour
Emblem Sarnath Lion Capital
Anthem Jana Gana Mana
Song Vande Mataram
Animal Royal Bengal Tiger
Bird Indian Peacock
Aquatic animal Dolphin
Flower Lotus
Tree Banyan
Fruit Mango
Sport Field hockey
Calendar Saka
River Ganges
India is a federation with a parliamentary form of government, governed under the Constitution of India.[96] It is a constitutional republic and representative democracy, "in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law." Federalism in India defines the power distribution between the centre and the states. The government is regulated by a checks and balances defined by Indian Constitution, which serves as the country's supreme legal document.
The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950.[97] The preamble of the constitution defines India as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic.[98] India has a bicameral parliament operating under a Westminster-style parliamentary system. Its form of government was traditionally described as being 'quasi-federal' with a strong centre and weaker states,[99] but it has grown increasingly federal since the late 1990s as a result of political, economic and social changes.[100]
The President of India is the head of state[101] elected indirectly by an electoral college[102] for a five-year term.[103][104] The Prime Minister is the head of government and exercises most executive power.[101] Appointed by the President,[105] the Prime Minister is by convention supported by the party or political alliance holding the majority of seats in the lower house of Parliament.[101] The executive branch consists of the President, Vice-President, and the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet being its executive committee) headed by the Prime Minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of either house of parliament. In the Indian parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature, with the Prime Minister and his Council being directly responsible to the lower house of the Parliament.[106]
The Legislature of India is the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the upper house called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the lower house called the Lok Sabha (House of People).[107] The Rajya Sabha, a permanent body, has 245 members serving staggered six year terms.[108] Most are elected indirectly by the state and territorial legislatures in proportion to the state's population.[108] 543 of the Lok Sabha's 545 members are directly elected by popular vote to represent individual constituencies for five year terms.[108] The other two members are nominated by the President from the Anglo-Indian community if the President is of the opinion that the community is not adequately represented.[108]
Judiciary
India has a unitary three-tier judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India, 21 High Courts, and a large number of trial courts.[109] The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases involving fundamental rights and over disputes between states and the Centre, and appellate jurisdiction over the High Courts.[110] It is judicially independent,[109] and has the power to declare the law and to strike down Union or State laws which contravene the Constitution.[111] The role as the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution is one of the most important functions of the Supreme Court.[112]
Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of India
India consists of 28 states and seven Union Territories.[88] All states, and the two union territories of Puducherry and the National Capital Territory of Delhi, have elected legislatures and governments patterned on the Westminster model. The other five union territories are directly ruled by the Centre through appointed administrators. In 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act, states were formed on a linguistic basis.[113] Since then, this structure has remained largely unchanged. Each state or union territory is further divided into administrative districts.[114] The districts in turn are further divided into tehsils and eventually into villages.

The 28 states and 7 union territories of India
States:
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Goa
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Orissa
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Union Territories:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Chandigarh
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Daman and Diu
Lakshadweep
National Capital Territory of Delhi
Puducherry

Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of India

India and Russia share an extensive economic, defence and technological relationship.[115] Shown here is PM Manmohan Singh with President Dmitry Medvedev at the 34th G8 Summit.
Since its independence in 1947, India has maintained cordial relationships with most nations. In the 1950s, it strongly advocated for the independence of European colonies in Africa and Asia and played a pioneering role in the Non-Aligned Movement.[116][117] India was involved in two brief military interventions in neighbouring countries – the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and Operation Cactus in Maldives. India has a tense relationship with neighbouring Pakistan and the two countries went to war in 1947 and 1965 over the Kashmir dispute. After the Sino-Indian War and the 1965 war, India's relationship with the Soviet Union warmed and continued to remain so until the end of the Cold War. In 1971, a third major war broke out between India and Pakistan which resulted in a decisive Indian victory and the creation of Bangladesh.[118] Additional skirmishes have taken place between the two nations over the disputed Siachen Glacier. In 1999, India and Pakistan fought an undeclared war over the Kargil district.
In recent years, India has played an influential role in the SAARC and the WTO.[119] India has provided as many as 55,000 Indian military and police personnel to serve in thirty-five UN peacekeeping operations across four continents.[120] India is also an active participant in various multilateral forums, particularly the East Asia Summit and the G8+5.[121][122] In the economic sphere, India has close relationships with other developing nations in South America, Asia and Africa.
India maintains close defence cooperation with Russia, Israel and France, who are the chief suppliers of arms. Recent overtures by the Indian government have enhanced India's economic, strategic and military cooperation with the United States and the European Union.[123] In 2008, a civilian nuclear agreement between India and the United States was signed, prior to which India received waivers from the IAEA and the NSG which ended restrictions on nuclear technology commerce, even though India possesses nuclear weapons and is not a signatory of the NPT. As a consequence, India became the world's sixth de facto recognized nuclear weapons state.[124] Following the NSG waiver, India has also signed civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreements with other nations including Russia,[125] France,[126] the United Kingdom,[127] and Canada.[128]
Military
Main article: Indian Armed Forces

Jointly developed by Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics, the Su-30 MKI "Flanker-H" is the Indian Air Force's prime air superiority fighter.[129]
India maintains the third-largest military force in the world, which consists of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and auxiliary forces such as the Paramilitary Forces, the Coast Guard, and the Strategic Forces Command.[54] The official Indian defence budget for 2010 stood at US$31.9 billion (or 2.12% of GDP).[130] According to a 2008 SIPRI report, India's annual military expenditure in terms of PPP stood at US$72.7 billion.[131] The President of India is the supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces. Defence contractors, such as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), oversee indigenous development of sophisticated arms and military equipment, including ballistic missiles, fighter aircraft and main battle tanks, to reduce India's dependence on foreign imports.
China's repeated threats to intervene in the 1965 war in support of Pakistan convinced India to develop nuclear weapons to counter Chinese nuclear tests.[132] India conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1974 and carried out further underground testing in 1998. Despite criticism and military sanctions, India has consistently refused to sign the CTBT and the NPT which it considers to be flawed and discriminatory.[133] India maintains a "no first use" nuclear policy and is developing a nuclear triad capability as a part of its "minimum credible deterrence" doctrine.[134][135] India also has an advanced missile defence shield development program[136] and other major military development projects include — an indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier and a fifth generation fighter jet being developed in collaboration with Russia.[137][138]
Economy

india

singapore

Singapore (i /ˈsɪŋəpɔr/), officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator, in Southeast Asia. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre[14] and a cosmopolitan world city, playing a key role in international trade and finance. The port of Singapore is one of the five busiest ports in the world.[15]
Singapore has a long history of immigration. It has a diverse population of close to 5 million people made up of Chinese, Malays, Indians, Asians of various descents, and Caucasians.[16] 42% of the population in Singapore are foreigners who work and study there. Foreign workers make up 50% of the service sector.[17][18] The country is the second most densely populated in the world after Monaco.[19] A.T. Kearney named Singapore the most globalised country in the world in 2006 in its Globalization Index.[20]
Before independence in 1965, Singapore was a vibrant trading port with a GDP per capita of $511, the third highest in East Asia then.[21] After independence, foreign direct investment and a state-led drive for industrialisation based on plans by former Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Goh Keng Swee created a modern economy.[22]
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.[23] Singapore possesses the world's ninth largest foreign reserves.[24][25] The country also maintains armed forces that are technologically advanced and well-equipped.[26][27]
After a contraction of -6.8% in the 4th quarter of 2009,[28] Singapore claimed the title of fastest-growing economy in the world, with GDP growth of 17.9% in the first half of 2010.[29]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Pre-19th century
2.2 British colonial rule
2.3 World War II and post-war period
2.4 Independence (since 1965)
3 Government and politics
4 Geography
4.1 Climate
5 Economy
5.1 Tourism
5.2 Currency
6 Foreign relations
7 Military
8 Demographics
8.1 Population
8.2 Religion
8.3 Education
8.4 Languages
9 Culture
9.1 Cuisine
9.2 Media
9.3 The Arts
9.4 Sport and recreation
10 Transport
10.1 Ports and aviation
10.2 Domestic
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
[edit]Etymology

Main article: Names of Singapore
The English name of Singapore is derived from the Malay name Singapura (Sanskrit सिंहपुर "Lion City"). Today it is sometimes referred to as the Lion City. Studies indicate that lions probably never lived there; the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama, founder of Singapore, who gave the city its name, was most likely a tiger.[30][31]
[edit]History

Main article: History of Singapore
See also: Majapahit and Srivijaya
[edit]Pre-19th century
Main article: Early history of Singapore

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, early founder of Singapore
The first records of settlement in Singapore are from the 2nd century AD.[32] The island was an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire and originally had the Javanese name Temasek ('sea town'). Between the 16th and early 19th centuries, Singapore was part of the Sultanate of Johor. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burnt down the settlement at the mouth of Singapore River and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries.
[edit]British colonial rule
Main article: Founding of modern Singapore
See also: Singapore in the Straits Settlements
On 28 January 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles landed on the main island in Singapore. Spotting its potential as a strategic trading post for Southeast Asia, Raffles signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah on behalf of the British East India Company on 6 February 1819 to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post and settlement.[33]
Until 1824, Singapore was still a territory controlled by a Malay Sultan. It became a British colony on 2 August 1824 when John Crawfurd, the second resident of Singapore, officially made the whole island a British possession by signing a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah in which 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.[33]
[edit]World War II and post-war period
Main article: Japanese occupation of Singapore

Victorious Imperial Japanese Army troops marching through downtown Singapore City after British capitulation.
During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Malaya, culminating in the Battle of Singapore. The British were defeated in six days, and surrendered the supposedly impregnable fortress to General Tomoyuki Yamashita on 15 February 1942. The surrender was described by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history".[34] The Sook Ching massacre of ethnic Chinese after the fall of Singapore claimed between 5,000 and 25,000 lives.[35] The Japanese renamed Singapore Shōnantō (昭南島?), from Japanese "Shōwa no jidai ni eta minami no shima" ("昭和の時代に得た南の島"?), or "southern island obtained in the age of Shōwa", and occupied it until the British repossessed the island on 12 September 1945, a month after the Japanese surrender.
Following the war, the British government allowed Singapore to hold its first general election, in 1955, which was won by a pro-independence candidate, David Marshall, leader of the Labour Front party, who became Chief Minister.
Demanding complete self-rule, Marshall led a delegation to London, but was refused by the British. He resigned upon return, and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock, whose policies then convinced the British. Singapore was granted full internal self-government with its own prime minister and Cabinet overseeing all matters of government except defence and foreign affairs.
Elections were held on 30 May 1959 with the People's Action Party winning a landslide victory. Singapore eventually became a self-governing state within the Commonwealth on 3 June 1959, and Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in as the first prime minister.[36] Then Governor of Singapore, Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode, served as the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara until 3 December 1959. He was succeeded by Yusof bin Ishak, later first President of Singapore.
Singapore declared independence from Britain unilaterally in August 1963,[37] before joining the Federation of Malaysia in September along with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as the result of the 1962 Merger Referendum of Singapore. Singapore was expelled from the Federation two years later, after heated ideological conflict between the state's PAP government and the federal government in Kuala Lumpur.
[edit]Independence (since 1965)
Main article: History of the Republic of Singapore
Singapore officially gained sovereignty on 9 August 1965.[7] Yusof bin Ishak was sworn in as President, and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of the Republic of Singapore.
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.[38] Among his more notable decisions is the plan to open casinos to attract tourism.[39]
[edit]Government and politics

Main articles: Government of Singapore, Politics of Singapore, and Foreign relations of Singapore
See also: Law of Singapore

Singapore's Parliament House.
Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing different constituencies. The Constitution of Singapore establishes representative democracy as the nation's political system.[40] The People's Action Party (PAP) dominates the political process and has won control of Parliament in every election since self-government in 1959.[41] Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free" in its "Freedom in the World report" and The Economist ranks Singapore as a "hybrid regime", the third rank out of four, in its "Democracy Index".
The bulk of the executive powers rests with the cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. The office of President of Singapore, historically a ceremonial one, was granted some veto powers in 1991 for a few key decisions such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judicial positions. 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 the Parliament.[42]
Parliamentary elections in Singapore are plurality-based for group representation constituencies since the Parliamentary Elections Act was modified in 1991.[43]
Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated Members. The majority of MPs are elected to Parliament at a General Election on a first-past-the-post basis and represent either Single Member or Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs).[44]
Singapore has consistently been rated as one of the least corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International.[45][46]
Although Singapore's laws are inherited from English and British Indian laws, and include many elements of English common law, in some respects they have departed from that tradition since independence. For example, trial by jury has been abolished.
Singapore has laws and penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning for offences such as rape, violence, rioting, drug use, vandalism of property, and some immigration offences.[47][48] Singapore also imposes a mandatory death penalty for first-degree murder, drug-trafficking, and firearms offences.[49] Amnesty International said that "a series of clauses in the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Arms Offences Act contain presumptions of guilt, conflicting with the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and eroding the right to a fair trial", and has estimated that Singapore has "possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population".[50] The government states that Singapore has the sovereign right to determine its own judicial system and impose what it sees as an appropriate punishment.[51] The government disputed many points in the Amnesty report in detail. They said that in the five years to 2004, 101 Singaporeans and 37 foreigners had been executed, all but 28 for drugs-related offences.[51] Amnesty listed 408 executions between 1991 and 2003 from government and other sources, out of a population of about four million.[50]
A survey by Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) of expatriate business executives in September 2008 found that those surveyed considered that Hong Kong and Singapore had the best judicial systems in Asia, with Indonesia and Vietnam the worst: Hong Kong's judicial system scored 1.45 on the scale (zero representing the best performance and 10 the worst); Singapore with a grade of 1.92, followed by Japan (3.50), South Korea (4.62), Taiwan (4.93), the Philippines (6.10), Malaysia (6.47), India (6.50), Thailand (7.00), China (7.25), Vietnam (8.10) and Indonesia (8.26).[52][53]
PERC commented that, as the survey involved expatriate business executives rather than political activists, criteria such as contracts and IPR protection were given more weight: "the general perception of expatriates is that local politics has not compromised the way commercial and criminal law is conducted". PERC noted that the Singapore's top rating in the survey is not shared by political activists, who have criticised the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) for using the judiciary to silence critics.
In November 2010, a Singapore court sentenced British author Alan Sheldrake to six weeks in prison for contempt of court for publishing a book, "Once A Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice In The Dock", based on interviews with a retired executioner, and critical of the country's death penalty[54].
[edit]Geography

Main article: Geography and climate of Singapore

Year 2006's map outline of Singapore and the surrounding islands & waterways
Singapore consists of 63 islands, including mainland Singapore. The main island is widely known as Singapore Island but is officially called Pulau Ujong (Malay: transliterated as island at land's end [of the peninsula]). 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 many smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 166 m (545 ft).[55]
Singapore has on-going land reclamation projects with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area grew from 581.5 km2 (224.5 sq mi) in the 1960s to 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi) today, and may grow by another 100 km2 (38.6 sq mi) by 2030.[56] The projects sometimes involve some of the smaller islands being merged together through land reclamation in order to form larger, more functional islands, as in the case of Jurong Island.[citation needed]
[edit]Climate

Singapore Botanic Gardens, a 67.3-hectare (166-acre) botanical garden in Singapore that includes the National Orchid Garden, with more than 3,000 species of orchids
Under the Köppen climate classification system, Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinctive seasons, uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Temperatures range from 22 to 34 °C (71.6 to 93.2 °F). On average, the relative humidity is around 90% in the morning and 60% in the afternoon. During prolonged heavy rain, relative humidity often reaches 100%.[57] The lowest and highest temperatures recorded in its maritime history are 19.4 °C (66.9 °F) and 36.0 °C (96.8 °F).
May and June are the hottest months, while November and December make up the wetter monsoon season.[58] From August to October, there is often haze, sometimes severe enough to prompt public health warnings, due to bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia. Singapore does not observe daylight saving time or a summer time zone change. The length of the day is nearly constant year round due to the country's position near the equator.[citation needed]
About 23% of Singapore's land area consists of forest and nature reserves.[59] Urbanisation has eliminated many areas of former primary rainforest, with the only remaining area of primary rainforest being Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. A variety of parks are maintained, such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens.[citation needed]

[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 #1: National Environment Agency (Temp 1929-1941 and 1948-2009, Rainfall 1869-2009, Rain days 1891-2009) [60]
Source #2: Hong Kong Observatory (sun only, 1982—2008) [61]
[edit]Economy

Main article: Economy of Singapore
See also: International trade agreements of Singapore

The port of Singapore, one of the world's busiest, with the skyline of Singapore in the background
Singapore has a highly developed market-based economy, which has historically revolved around 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[62] 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.[63] 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.[64] The World Bank ranks Singapore as the world's top logistics hub.[65]
Singapore's economy has been ranked amongst the world's ten most open,[66] competitive[67] and innovative.[68][69] Rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world,[70][71] Hundreds of thousands of foreign expatriates work in Singapore in multi-national corporations. There are also hundreds of thousands of foreign manual workers.

Alternative view of Singapore Central Business District (CBD)
As a result of a global recession and a slump in the technology sector, the country's GDP contracted by 2.2% in 2001. The Economic Review Committee (ERC) was set up in December 2001, and recommended several policy changes with a view to revitalising the economy. Singapore has since recovered from the recession, largely due to improvements in the world economy; the economy grew by 8.3% in 2004, 6.4% in 2005[72] and 7.9% in 2006.[73]
Singapore introduced a Goods and Services Tax (GST) with an initial rate of 3% on 1 April 1994 substantially increasing government revenue by S$1.6 billion (US$1b, €800m) and stabilising government finances.[74] The taxable GST was increased to 4% in 2003, to 5% in 2004, and to 7% on 1 July 2007.[75]
Most companies in Singapore are registered as private limited-liability companies (commonly known as private limited companies). A private limited company in Singapore is a separate legal entity and shareholders are not liable for the company's debts beyond the amount of share capital they have contributed.[76][77]

[edit]Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Singapore
See also: Merlion

Singapore Skyline and The Merlion, a national symbol of Singapore, at night.
Singapore is a popular travel destination, contributing to the importance of its tourism industry. Total visitor arrivals were 10.2 million in 2007.[78] To attract more tourists, the government has decided to legalise gambling and to allow two casino resorts (euphemistically called Integrated Resorts) to be developed at Marina South and Sentosa in 2005.[79] To compete with regional rivals like Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, the government has announced that the city area would be transformed into a more exciting place by lighting up the civic and commercial buildings.[80] Food has also been promoted as an attraction for tourists, with the Singapore Food Festival held every July to celebrate Singapore's cuisine. Other annual events in Singapore include the Singapore Sun Festival, the Christmas Light Up, and the Singapore Jewel Festival.[81]
Singapore is promoting itself as a medical tourism hub: about 200,000 foreigners seek medical care in the country each year, and Singapore medical services aim to serve one million foreign patients annually by 2012 and generate USD 3 billion in revenue.[82] The government states that this could create some 13,000 new jobs within the health industries.
[edit]Currency
Main article: Singapore dollar
The currency of Singapore is the Singapore dollar, represented by the symbol S$ or the ISO abbreviation SGD. The central bank is the Monetary Authority of Singapore, responsible for issuing currency. Singapore established the Board of Commissioners of Currency in 1967[83] and issued its first coins and notes.[84] The Singapore dollar was exchangeable at par with the Malaysian ringgit until 1973.[84] Interchangeability with the Brunei dollar is still maintained.[84][85] On 27 June 2007, to commemorate 40 years of currency agreement with Brunei, a commemorative S$20 note was launched; the back is identical to the Bruneian $20 note launched concurrently.[85]
[edit]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 Defense William S. Cohen during Lee's visit in 2000
Singapore maintains diplomatic relations with 175 countries,[86] although it does not maintain a high commission or embassy in many of those countries. It is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth, ASEAN and the Non-Aligned Movement. For obvious geographical reasons, relations with Malaysia and Indonesia are most important but the domestic politics of the three countries often threatens their relations.
Singapore also enjoys good relations with many European nations, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the latter sharing ties via the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) along with Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Good relations are also maintained with the United States, a country perceived as a stabilising force in the region to counterbalance the regional powers.
Singapore supports the concept of Southeast Asian regionalism and plays an active role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which it is a founding member. It is also a member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which has its Secretariat in Singapore. Singapore also has close relations with fellow ASEAN nation Brunei and maintains Army training facilities there.
Singapore is one of the first countries to normalise ties with the People's Republic of China after its opening up in 1978.[87][88] It recognises the PRC's One-China policy and has extensive trade relations with the PRC, although it also maintains diplomatic ties with the Republic of China in Taiwan.
[edit]Military

Main article: Singapore Armed Forces
See also: Ministry of Defence (Singapore) and Conscription in Singapore

RSS Formidable

A Singapore Air Force F-15SG
Despite its small size, Singapore has one of the most advanced military forces in South East Asia. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), currently headed by Minister Teo Chee Hean, oversees the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force, collectively known as the Singapore Armed Forces, along with volunteer private companies in supporting roles. The Chief of Defence Forces is Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong.
The armed forces serve primarily as a deterrent against potential aggressors and also provide humanitarian assistance to other countries. Singapore has mutual defence pacts with several countries, most notably the Five Power Defence Arrangements. There is an extensive overseas network of training grounds in the United States, Australia, Republic of China (Taiwan), New Zealand, France, Thailand, Brunei, India and South Africa. Since 1980, the concept and strategy of "Total Defence" has been adopted in all aspects of security, aimed at strengthening Singapore against all kinds of threats.
Singapore legislation requires every able-bodied male Singapore citizen and permanent resident to undertake National Service for a minimum of two years upon reaching 18 years of age or completion of his studies (whichever comes first), with exemption on medical or other grounds. After serving for two years, every male is considered operationally ready, and is liable for reservist national service to the age of 40 (50 for commissioned officers). Those medically fit must also take the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) yearly as part of their training program. More than 350,000 men serve as operationally ready servicemen assigned to reservist combat units, and another 72,500 men form the full-time national service and regular corps.
The recent rise in unconventional warfare and terrorism has cast increasing emphasis on non-military aspects of defence. The Gurkha Contingent, part of the Singapore Police Force, is also a counter-terrorist force. In 1991, the hijacking of Singapore Airlines Flight 117 ended in the storming of the aircraft by Singapore Special Operations Force and the subsequent deaths of all four hijackers without injury to either passengers or SOF personnel. A concern is Jemaah Islamiyah, a militant Islamic group whose plan to attack the Australian High Commission was ultimately foiled in 2001.
Singapore's defence resources have been used in international humanitarian aid missions, including United Nations peacekeeping assignments involved in 11 different countries.[89] In September 2005, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) sent three CH-47 Chinook helicopters to Louisiana to assist in relief operations for Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the 2004 Asian Tsunami the SAF deployed tanks and helicopters to aid relief operations to the countries affected.
[edit]Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Singapore
[edit]Population
The population of Singapore has the sixth-highest percentage of foreigners globally. Approximately 42% of the population in Singapore are foreigners and foreigners make up 50% of the service sector.[17][18] This means that one out of every two to three person in Singapore is not Singaporean. If one were to include foreign born first generation citizens, almost one out of every two person in Singapore would not be locally born.
The largest group of foreigners in Singapore are the Malaysian Chinese. They are then followed by the Chinese from China, Indians from India, Bangladeshis, Filipinos , Indonesians, Australians, Americans, Europeans etc. The country is also the second most densely populated in the world after Monaco.[19] According to government statistics, the population of Singapore as of 2009 was 4.99 million, of whom 3.73 million were Singaporean citizens and permanent residents (termed "Singapore Residents"). There were 3.2 million citizens in 2009.[90] 74.2% of Singapore's residents are of Chinese descent, 13.4% are of Malay descent , 9.2% are of Indian descent and 3.2% are of Caucasian or Eurasian descent. Because Singapore did not use double-barrelled classification until 2010, the figures may not be entire accurate. For example, many Singaporeans of Chinese descent are actually of mixed Malay or Indian descent but were simply classified as being of Chinese descent. Starting from 2010, Singaporeans are allowed to identify themselves using double-barrelled classifications of Chinese-Indian, Chinese-Malay, Chinese-Caucasian etc.
In 2010, the total fertility rate was 1.1 children per woman, the 3rd lowest in the world and well below the 2.1 needed to replace the population.[91] To overcome this problem, the government is encouraging foreigners to immigrate to Singapore. These large numbers of immigrants have kept Singapore's population from declining.[92]
[edit]Religion
Main article: Religion in Singapore
Religion in Singapore[93]
religion percent
Buddhism

33%
Christianity

18%
No religion

17%
Islam

15%
Taoism

11%
Hinduism

5.1%
Others
0.9%

Buddhism is the dominant religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census.[93] 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.[94]
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 is also making a slow inroad into the country in recent years.[95]
[edit]Education
Main article: Education in Singapore

The Administrative Building of Nanyang Technological University, one of five public universities in Singapore
English is the language of instruction in all Singaporean schools.
Students attend primary school at age seven and it lasts for six years, at the end of which they sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). There are four subjects in primary school - English, Mathematics, Science and Mother Tongue language. All subjects are taught and examined in English except for the "Mother Tongue language" which is taught and examined in either Malay, Mandarin (Chinese) or Tamil. While "Mother Tongue" generally refers to the first language internationally, in Singapore's education system, it is used to refer to the second or extra language as English is the first language. Public primary schools do not charge school fees, however, there might be nominal miscellaneous fees.[96]
After primary school, students typically attend secondary school for four to five years.[citation needed]
The average student studies seven to eight subjects but it is relatively common for students to take more than eight subjects. Once again, all subjects in secondary school are taught and examined in English except for the "Mother Tongue language" which is taught and examined in either Malay, Mandarin or Tamil. At the end of secondary school, students sit for the Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'O' Level examination and their results determine the kind of post-secondary education routes they can pursue.[97] School fees in most public secondary schools are nominal, they come up to around 5 SGD after subsidies.[98] However, there are independent secondary schools that charge up to a few hundred dollars in school fees each month.
Not all students enroll into secondary schools. There are many who attend vocational education institutes such as the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) where they graduate with a vocational certificate. Others attend the Singapore Sports School or a school with Integrated Programme where they bypass the Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'O' Level altogether.
After the O levels examinations, at around sixteen years of age, students normally enrol into a Junior College, Centralised Institute or Polytechnic. Programmes in Junior Colleges and Centralised Institutes lead to the GCE A levels examinations after two or three years.
There are five polytechnics in Singapore. Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic. Unlike similarly named institutions in many other countries, polytechnics in Singapore do not award degrees. Students in polytechnics graduate with a diploma at the end of three years.
There are five public universities in Singapore - National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Technology and Design and the Singapore Institute of Technology. The government has been building more public universities in the past few decades as it hopes to provide higher education for 30% of each cohort.[99][100] Courses in polytechnics and universities are conducted entirely in English.
A plethora of foreign universities also have campuses in Singapore. They include INSEAD, Chicago Business School, New York University, University of Las Vegas, Technische Universität München, ESSEC and many more.[100]
[edit]Languages
Main article: Languages of Singapore
See also: Singapore English and Singlish
The Singapore government recognises four official languages: English, Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), and Tamil; with English being the first language of the nation.[101]
Unlike neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, English is the main language in Singapore.[102] While English is the first language of the nation, it is only the second most commonly spoken home language and not the first. The most commonly spoken home language amongst Singaporeans is Chinese (51%), followed by English (32%), Malay (13%) and Tamil (3%). This means that 32% of Singaporeans speak English as their native language while 68% speak it as their second language.
However, amongst Singaporeans, English has the largest number of speakers after taking into account second language speakers. This is followed by Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil.[3]
Singaporean English is based mainly on British English with a few exceptions, such as the common use of the American "pants" for the British "trousers". The forms of English spoken in Singapore range from Standard English to a pidgin known as Singlish. The Singapore government and many Singaporeans alike discourage the use of Singlish as it is an English-based Creole. An annual "Speak Good English" campaign is held to emphasise the point. Singlish is also heavily discouraged in public schools and in the mass media.
Singaporeans' fluency in the English language differs vastly depending mainly on whether it is spoken as a home language or at work. According to the official government census in 2010, 32% of Singaporeans speak English as their home language. 36% speak Mandarin Chinese, 15% speak other Chinese languages, 13% speak Malay and 3% speak Tamil as their home language. [103]
Older Singaporeans (above 50 years old) tend to be less fluent in English vis-a-vis younger Singaporeans as many of them were first generation migrant workers from China, Malaysia and India. Many of these migrant workers originally had no intention of staying in Singapore for good. But various events such as the famine in China persuaded them to stay in Singapore for good and take up citizenship in 1965 when the country declared independence. However, there was a sizeable group of local born Singaporeans amongst them (second generation onwards) who spoke English as their first language along with Malay. They were called Straits Chinese as unlike other first generation migrants, they have settled in the Malaya region for centuries. Since citizenship was created in 1965, the term Straits Chinese is no longer used. Instead the terms first generation Singaporean or local born Singaporean are being used today. A Straits Chinese was basically a local born Singaporean. Today, most younger Singaporeans today have English as their first language or are fluent in English.
Due to liberal immigration policies, almost 40% of Singapore's population is made up of foreign workers and students. Hence, a large portion of the population speak English as a foreign language. For example, there are around 300000 Malaysians, mostly Malaysian Chinese, working in Singapore.
Malay is the national language for symbolic and historical reasons[4] and is generally spoken by Singapore's Malay community. The Malay language is used in the national anthem "Majulah Singapura"[104] and printing of coins. Military commands are also given in Malay. However, around 85% of Singaporeans do not speak Malay. [3]
Chinese - Mandarin and other Chinese dialects - is widely spoken in Singapore. Chinese is the most commonly spoken home language in Singapore with just over 50% of Singaporeans speaking it as their home language. Singaporean Mandarin is based on simplified Chinese, similar to the system used in mainland China. The writing system of simplified Chinese used in Singapore and mainland China is different from that of traditional Chinese used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, it is generally possible for someone who writes simplified Chinese to understand articles in traditional Chinese and vice versa. The forms of Mandarin spoken in Singapore range from Standard Mandarin to a pidgin known as Singdarin.
Besides Mandarin, many southern Chinese dialects are also spoken in Singapore. Because Chinese dialects other than Mandarin are banned in the mass media, these dialects are quickly dying out. The most common Chinese dialects spoken by Singaporeans are the Hokkien, Hainan, Teochew and Cantonese dialects.
Tamil is spoken by about 60% of Singapore's Indian community or 5% of all Singaporeans. Indian languages such as Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi are also spoken by a small group of Singaporean Indians in Singapore.
[edit]Culture

Main article: Culture of Singapore
Due to its diverse population and immigrant background, Singaporean culture has often been described as a mix of cultures – British, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan. Foreigners also make up 42% of the population in Singapore[17][18] and they play an important role in influencing Singaporean culture.
[edit]Cuisine
Main article: Cuisine of Singapore
Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country’s national pastime.[105] Singaporean cuisine is an example of the country's diversity and cultural diffusion; with significant influences from British, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Tamil cuisine, and Indonesian cuisine. Typical Singaporean food includes the satay, nasi lemak, chilli crab and Hainanese chicken rice.[citation needed]
[edit]Media
Main article: Media of Singapore

The Straits Times, the most circulated newspaper in the country
MediaCorp, the state-owned media corporation, operates all seven free-to-air terrestrial local television channels, as well as 14 radio channels. Radio and television stations are all government-owned entities. The radio stations are mainly operated by MediaCorp, with the exception of four stations operated by SAFRA Radio and SPH UnionWorks. The Cable and IPTV Pay-TV Service are owned by StarHub and SingTel. Private ownership of satellite dish receivers capable of viewing uncensored televised content from abroad is illegal.
The print media of Singapore include a 16 newspapers in active circulation, and several magazines. Daily newspapers are published in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, with the print media being dominated by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), the government-linked publisher of the flagship English-language daily broadsheet, The Straits Times. SPH publishes almost all daily newspapers, including a free bilingual daily, My Paper – which claims to be the world's first, with equal coverage in both English and Chinese. Most of these papers have parallel online versions, including The Straits Times, The New Paper, and the Business Times. So does Today - a free English-language tabloid published by MediaCorp, and the only daily not published by SPH.
One Singapore-based radio transmitter entirely outside government control is the Far Eastern Relay Station of the BBC World Service.
[edit]The Arts
Since the 1990s, the government has been striving to promote 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'.[106] The highlight of these efforts was the construction of Esplanade, a top-class centre for performing arts that opened on 12 October 2002.[107] Also, the Singapore Arts Festival is an annual event organised by the National Arts Council. The stand-up comedy scene has also been growing, including a weekly open mic.[108] Singapore hosted the 2009 Genee International Ballet Competition, a prestigious classical ballet competition promoted by the Royal Academy of Dance, an international dance examination board based in London, UK.[109]
[edit]Sport and recreation
Main article: Sport in Singapore
Favourite Singaporean sports include outdoor sports such as football, basketball, cricket, swimming, sailing and various indoor sports such as table tennis and badminton.
Most Singaporeans live in public residential areas with amenities such as public swimming pools, outdoor basketball courts and indoor sport complexes nearby. As might be expected on an island, water sports are popular, including sailing, kayaking and water skiing. Scuba diving is another recreation, particularly around the southern island of Pulau Hantu which is known for its rich coral reefs.

National Stadium of Singapore
Singaporean sportsmen have performed in regional as well as international competitions in sports such as table tennis, badminton, bowling, sailing, silat, swimming and water polo. Athletes such as Fandi Ahmad, Ang Peng Siong, Li Jiawei and Ronald Susilo have become household names in the country.
Singapore has its own football (soccer) league, the S-League, formed in 1996, currently comprising 12 clubs with 3 foreign teams.
The Singapore Slingers joined the Australian National Basketball League in 2006, which they left in 2008. They are one of the inaugural teams in the ASEAN Basketball League founded in October 2009.
Beginning in 2008, Singapore started hosting a round of the Formula One World Championship. The race was staged at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in the Marina Bay area and became the first night race on the F1 circuit[110] and the first street circuit in Asia.[111]
On 21 February 2008 the International Olympic Committee announced[112] that Singapore won the bid to host the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. Singapore beat Moscow in the final by 53 votes to 44.[113]
On 15 September 2010, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports Mr Teo Ser Luck announced that Singapore will start off the Singapore Biennale Games initiative to keep up the Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010 Legacy, to be held every 2 years, starting from year 2011.[114]
[edit]Transport

Main article: Transport in Singapore
[edit]Ports and aviation

The Port of Singapore with Sentosa island in the background
Singapore is a major international transportation hub in Asia, positioned on many sea and air trade routes.

A C751B train at Eunos MRT Station on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, one of three heavy rail passenger transport lines in Singapore
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.[115]
Singapore is an aviation hub for the Southeast Asian region and a stopover on the Kangaroo route between Australasia and Europe. Singapore Changi Airport has a network of 80 airlines connecting Singapore to 200 cities in 68 countries. It has been rated as 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.[116]
The airport currently has three passenger terminals. There is also a budget terminal, which serves budget carriers Tiger Airways, Cebu Pacific and Firefly, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. The national carrier is Singapore Airlines (SIA), the most awarded airline in the world. Singapore Changi Airport was privatised in the year 2009 and is now wholly owned by Changi Airport Group.
[edit]Domestic
The domestic transport infrastructure has a well-connected island-wide road transport system which includes a network of expressways. The public road system is served by the nation's bus service and a number of licensed taxi-operating companies. The public bus transport has been the subject of criticism by Singaporeans, the majority of whom are dependent on it for their daily commuting.
Since 1987, the heavy rail passenger Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) metro system has been in operation. The MRT system has been further augmented by the Light Rail Transit (LRT) light rail system, and increases accessibility to housing estates. Established in 2001, the EZ-Link system allows contactless smartcards to serve as stored value tickets for use in the public transport systems in Singapore.

Singapore
[edit]See also

Singapore portal
Index of Singapore-related articles
International rankings of Singapore
Outline of Singapore
Christmas Island - part of post War and pre-Independence of Singapore
[edit]References

Notes
^ Oon, Clarissa; Goh Chin Lian (14 August 2009). "English to remain master language". The Straits Times (Singapore).
^ Singapore Government (13 August 2009). "Speech by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew". Press release.
^ a b c Literacy and language, Singapore Census of Population, 2000. Singapore Department of Statistics (December 2000).
^ a b "Republic of Singapore Independence Act". Retrieved 4 January 2009.
^ Chew, Ernest (1991). Edwin Lee. ed. A History of Singapore. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-588917-7.
^ Hoe Yeen Nie (2 June 2009). "State of Singapore came into being 50 years ago on 3 June". Channel News Asia (Singapore).
^ a b "Road to Independence". U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
^ Time Series on Population (Mid-Year Estimates). 31 Aug 2010. Statistics Singapore. 2010.
^ 2008 Estimate. 2008. Statistics Singapore. 2009.
^ a b "Singapore". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita
^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita
^ "Human Development Report 2010". United Nations. 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
^ "Global Financial Centres 7", City of London, March 2010.
^ Kelly, Rachel (10 January 2008). "Singapore retains busiest world port title". Channel News Asia (Singapore).
^ "Statistics Singapore - Latest Data". Singstat.gov.sg. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ a b c "Trends in international migrant stock: The 2008 revision", United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2009).
^ a b c "Population Trends 2009", Singapore Department of Statistics. ISSN 1793-2424
^ a b List of countries and dependencies by population density.
^ "Measuring Globalization", Foreign Policy, no date.
^ GDP (per capita) (1968) by country, NationMaster.com.
^ Murphy, Craig (2006). The United Nations Development Programme: A Better Way?. Cambridge University Press. p. 101. ISBN 9780521864695.
^ "The Economist Intelligence Unit's quality-of-life index", 2005.
^ Official Foreign Reserves, Monetary Authority of Singapore.
^ Top 10 countries with Largest Foreign Exchange Reserves, Shine, 8 September 2009.
^ Moss, Trefor (18 January 2010). "Buying an advantage". Jane's Defence Review.
^ "The Impact of Singapore's Military Development on Malaysia's Security". Journal of Politics and Law (Canadian Center of Science and Education) 2 (2): P68. 2009. ISSN 1913-9047.
^ "Singapore GDP Contracts By 6.8% In The Fourth Quarter". Gov Monitor. 3 January 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
^ Ramesh, S. (8 August 2010). "Govt's goal is to ensure all S'poreans enjoy fruits of growth: PM Lee". Channel News Asia (Singapore).
^ "Studying In Singapore". Search Singapore. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
^ "Sang Nila Utama" (PDF). 24hr Art. Archived from the original on 19 August 2006. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
^ "Country Studies". U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
^ a b "Founding of Modern Singapore". Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore. Retrieved 14 April 2006.[dead link]
^ "BBC On This Day – 15 February 1942: Singapore forced to surrender". BBC. 15 February 1942. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
^ "Singapore". Library of Congress Country Studies
^ "Headliners; Retiring, Semi". The New York Times. 2 December 1990. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
^ Guide Me Singapore. "A Brief History of Singapore". p. 1. Retrieved 18 05 10.
^ "Country profile: Singapore". BBC News. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ Smale, Will (23 August 2004). "Singapore signs up to global casino club". BBC News Online (London). Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "CIA – The World Factbook – Singapore". U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Country Report: Singapore". Freedom House. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Parliament of Singapore website". Parliament.gov.sg. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 218, 2001 Rev. Ed.)
^ "Members of Parliament". Parliament.gov.sg. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ "Transparency International – Corruption Perceptions Index 2006". Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Corruption Perceptions Index 2009". Transparency International. 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
^ "Judicial caning in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei". World Corporal Punishment Research. 2008.
^ Kuntz, Tom (26 June 1994). "Ideas & Trends; Beyond Singapore: Corporal Punishment, A to Z". The New York Times.
^ "Singapore country specific information". Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State. 19 March 2010.
^ a b "Singapore: The death penalty: A hidden toll of executions". Amnesty International USA.
^ a b Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore (30 January 2004). "The Singapore Government's Response To Amnesty International's Report "Singapore – The Death Penalty: A Hidden Toll Of Executions"". Press release. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ (AFP) – 14 Sep 2008 (14 September 2008). "afp.google.com/article, Hong Kong has best judicial system in Asia: business survey". Afp.google.com. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ Agence France-Presse (15 September 2008). "Hong Kong has best judicial system in Asia: business survey". Abs-cbnnews.com. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ British Author Jailed in Singapore, ABC News Australia
^ "Heritage Trails: Bukit Timah Hill". Heritage trails. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Towards Environmental Sustainability, State of the Environment 2005 Report (PDF)". Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Singapore. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Climate of Singapore". National Environment Agency, Singapore. Retrieved 14 April 2006.[dead link]
^ "Weather Statistics". National Environment Agency. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Earthtrends country profile" (PDF).
^ "Weather Statistics". National Environment Agency. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
^ "Climatological Normals of Singapore". Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
^ "Gross Domestic Product by Industry". Singapore Department of Statistics. 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ Xilinx (14 September 2007). "Xilinx Underscores Commitment To Asia Pacific Market At Official Opening Of New Regional Headquarters Building In Singapore". Press release. Retrieved 22 April 2010.[dead link]
^ "MAS Annual Report 2005/2006". Monetary Authority of Singapore.
^ Yang Huiwen (7 November 2007). "Singapore ranked No. 1 logistics hub by World Bank". The Straits Times (Singapore).
^ Li, Dickson (30 January 2010). "S'pore most open economy". The Straits Times (Singapore). Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ http://www.weforum.org/pdf/GCR09/GCR20092010fullrankings.pdf
^ "Singapore ranked 7th in the world for innovation". The Straits Times (- Singapore). 5 March 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ "Hong Kong ranked Asia's most innovative economy: survey". Channel NewsAsia. Agence France-Presse (Singapore). 5 March 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ Wong Choon Mei (6 September 2006). "Singapore the most business-friendly economy in the world: World Bank". Channel NewsAsia (Singapore). Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2010. "According to a World Bank-IFC report, Singapore beats previous winner New Zealand for the top spot in the 2005/2006 rankings while the United States came in third"
^ "Singapore top paradise for business: World Bank". AsiaOne. Agence France-Presse (Singapore). 26 September 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2010. "For the second year running, Singapore tops the aggregate rankings on the ease of doing business in 2006 to 2007, the World Bank said in releasing its 2008 Doing Business report."
^ "Performance of the Singapore Economy in 2005". Ministry of Trade and Industry. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ Loh, Dominique (31 December 2006). "Singapore's economy grows by 7.7% in 2006". Channel NewsAsia (Singapore).[dead link]
^ "FY 1996 Budget, Revenue And Tax Changes". Ministry of Finance. Retrieved 1 May 2006.
^ "GST rate to rise to 7% from 1 July". Channel NewsAsia (Singapore). 15 February 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Singapore company incorporation". Janus corporate solutions. 2 December 2010.
^ "Singapore company registration Guide". Guidemesingapore.com. Singapore. 3 December 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
^ Year Book of Statistics, Singapore. Singapore Tourism Board.
^ Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore) (18 April 2005). "Proposal to develop Integrated Resorts – Ministerial Statement by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong". Press release. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ Urban Renewal Authority (27 March 2006). "Let Bright Ideas Light Up Singapore". Press release. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ YourSingapore.com - What's On in Singapore
^ Dogra, Sapna (16 July 2005). "Medical tourism boom takes Singapore by storm". Express Healthcare Management (Mumbai). Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ Low Siang Kok, Director (Quality), Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore (22 June 2002). "Chapter 6: Singapore Electronic Legal Tender (SELT) – A Proposed Concept". The Future of Money / Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Paris: OECD. p. 147. ISBN 92-64-19672-2. Retrieved 28 December 2007. "The Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore (BCCS) was established on 7 April 1967 by the enactment of the Currency Act (Chapter 69). It has the sole right to issue currency notes and coins as legal tender in Singapore."
^ a b c Monetary Authority of Singapore (9 April 2007). "The Currency History of Singapore". Press release. Retrieved 22 April 2010. "On 12 June 1967, the currency union which had been operating for 29 years came to an end, and the three participating countries, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei each issued its own currency."
^ a b Monetary Authority of Singapore (27 June 2007). "Commemorating the 40th Anniversary the Currency Interchangeability Agreement". Press release. Retrieved 22 April 2010. "Brunei Darussalam and Singapore today celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Currency Interchangeability Agreement"
^ "Singapore Missions Worldwide". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore. 31 March 2007. Archived from the original on 21 August 2007.
^ "Opening "window of opportunity" for China-Singapore cooperation - People's Daily Online". English.peopledaily.com.cn. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
^ "Major cosying up between China and Singapore". Shanghaiist. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
^ "About Us: Defence Pllicy". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 1 May 2006.
^ "Singapore Statistic". Singapore Statistic. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
^ The World Factbook. "Singapore". Retrieved 16 January 2011.
^ Ng, Julia (7 February 2007). "Singapore's birth trend outlook remains dismal". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ a b Singapore Department of Statistics (12 January 2011). "Census of population 2010: Statistical Release 1 on Demographic Characteristics, Education, Language and Religion". Retrieved 16 January 2011.
^ Khun Eng Kuah (2009). State, society, and religious engineering: towards a reformist Buddhism in Singapore. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 9789812308658. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
^ "Modernity in south-east Asia". Informaworld.com. 2 December 1995. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
^ "Ministry of Education, Singapore: Education System: Primary Education: Curriculum". Moe.gov.sg. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
^ "Ministry of Education, Singapore: Education System: Secondary Education: Special/Express Courses Curriculum". Moe.gov.sg. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
^ "Ministry of Education, Singapore: Education System: Secondary Education". Moe.gov.sg. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
^ Hoe Yeen Nie (18 December 2007). "More tertiary options in 2008 and beyond". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ a b "Ministry of Education, Singapore: Education System, Post-Secondary". Moe.gov.sg. 1 April 1992. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
^ "Republic of Singapore Independence Act, 1997 revised edition".
^ Gupta, A.F.. Fischer, K.. ed. "Epistemic modalities and the discourse particles of Singapore" (DOC). Approaches to Discourse Particles (Amsterdam: Elsevier): 244–263.
^ [1].
^ Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act (Cap. 296, 1985 Rev. Ed.)
^ "Singapore Dining". App.www.sg. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
^ "Renaissance City Report: Culture and the Arts in Renaissance Singapore (Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts)" (PDF). Archived from the original on 24 May 2006. Retrieved 1 May 2006.
^ "Virtual Tourist: Reviews of Esplanade (Theatres by the Bay)". Retrieved 28 March 2006.
^ Chee, Frankie. "Stand-up is back", The Straits Times, 12 July 2009.
^ "Royal Academy of Dance • Updates". Rad.sg. 12 September 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
^ Formula1.com. "News – Singapore confirms 2008 night race". Press release. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2007.
^ Formula1.com (16 November 2007). "SingTel to sponsor first Singapore Grand Prix". Press release. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
^ "Youth Olympic Games 2010 (Singapore)". Press release. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
^ "Singapore won bid to host the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics". Press release. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ S, Ramesh (15 September 2010). "S'pore to kick off first Biennale Games in 2012". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
^ "Singapore remains world's busiest port". China View. Xinhuanet. 12 January 2006. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "2006 Airport of the Year result". Archived from the original on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2006.
Bibliography
Hill, Michael (1995). Kwen Fee Lian. ed. The Politics of Nation Building and Citizenship in Singapore. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-12025-X.
King, Rodney (2008). The Singapore Miracle, Myth and Reality. Insight Press. ISBN 0-9775567-0-0.
Mauzy, Diane K.; Milne, R.S. (2002). Singapore Politics: Under the People's Action Party. Routledge. ISBN 0415246539.
Tan, Kenneth Paul (2007). Renaissance Singapore? Economy, Culture, and Politics. NUS Press. ISBN 9789971693770.
Lee Kuan Yew (2000). From Third World To First: The Singapore Story: 1965–2000. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-019776-5
Worthington, Ross (2002). Governance in Singapore. Routledge/Curzon. ISBN 0-7007-1474-X.
"Census of Population (2000)" (PDF). Singapore Department of Statistics. Retrieved 11 January 2000.
"Key Facts & Figures". Ministry of Transport, Singapore. Retrieved 11 January 2003.
"Nation's History". Singapore Infomap. Retrieved 11 January 2004.
"MOE-PRIME". Programme For Rebuilding and IMproving Existing schools (PRIME). Archived from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2007.
Ministry of Education (14 February 2007). "Eight More Schools to Benefit from Upgrading". Press release. Retrieved 15 May 2007.