FAST FACTS
Area: 618 sq km
Population: 3,015,000
Capital (population): Singapore City (2,812,000)
Government: Multiparty republic
Ethnic groups: Chinese 78%
Malay 14%
Indian 7%
Languages: Chinese, Malay, Tamil and English (all official)
Religions: Buddhist, Daoist and other traditional beliefs 54%
Muslim 15%
Christian 13%
Hindu 4%
Currency: Singapore dollar = 100 cents
GDP per capita: US$ 27,024

Singapore was once part of Malaysia, whilst still under British rule. Then, as now, Singapore was a key strategic port, straddling, as it does the Straits of Malacca (the main route west towards India and the Suez Canal beyond), and the bottom of the south China Sea.

Singapore was crucial to the British in the development of their East Asian trade, especially with China, and during wartime, as a key naval port, from which ships could be quickly deployed throughout the region.

Singapore, now a small island, city state, still relies on its function as one of the key ports in the region, especially in Southeast Asia. The island is always surrounded by fleets of ships, from large freighters, to small sampans. This importance as a trading port has made Singapore a key centre for trading and finance within the region. This has been helped by the Singapore government's relative openness and firmly governed democracy, which have kept the country stable.

Singapore rates only after Hong Kong and Japan as one of the most sophisticated consumer markets in Asia, with wealthy citizens being a ready market for designer clothes, consumer electronics, and the such like. The high level of average educational achievement in Singapore, makes its workforce one of the most upwardly mobile and skilled, which fact has helped to maintain the country's position as one of the key destinations for immigrant workers (one of the country's major imports).

SINGAPORE LINKS

http://www.straitstimes.asia1.com
http://www.asia-online.com
http://www.asia-directory.com