Singapore is officially known as the republic of Singapore. It is also known as Singapura which means ‘Lion City’ in Malay.

Singapore’s land area is getting bigger mainly due to land reclamation; it is currently made up of 63 tiny islands

Some 5 million people live in Singapore. Most are of Chinese, Malay, Indian descent and there are Eurasians as well. There are four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate, with high humidity. It is hot and sunny all year with temperature ranging from 23-35 degree Celsius. The two monsoon seasons occur during December to March, and June to September. These attribute to the high rainfall in Singapore.

Shopping, watching movies and dining are said to be Singapore’s national pastimes. There is a diversity of cuisine in Singapore, so you might get the feeling of having travelled around the world, just by eating in Singapore!.

National Sport?
No, we do not have a national sport but we are competitive in swimming, badminton and shooting.

National Costume?
The traditional dress of Singapore is the traditional attire of the four different ethnic groups. However, foreigners often associate Singapore Airlines uniform as the dress of Singapore. At times, you will see our Ministers wearing shirts with orchid prints.

Singapore Airlines is our national airline.
The Vanda Miss Joaquim is Singapore's national flower which belongs to the gene of orchid.

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Cultural Shock

With Singapore’s hot and humid climate, people are generally dressed casually. Most are dressed in T-shirts, jeans, shorts and flip- flops. But some are in long sleeves, shawls and cardigans.

It is always good to have an extra piece in your bag as it can get cold in air-conditioned lecture theatres, shopping malls and cinemas have blasting air conditioners.

Given that Singapore’s weather is usually hot or wet, some people have the habit of carrying umbrellas, whether to shield themselves from the sun or rain. Even if you do not have an umbrella, no worries. Usually there are sheltered walkways from bus stops to MRT stations and shopping malls.

Eating out is not uncommon in Singapore.

Do not be surprised to see items especially tissue packets and umbrellas, lying on tables in food centers unattended. This is how Singaporeans typically reserve seats so that they can secure a place while they buy their food at ease!

Also don’t be upset if you find your Singaporean friends tapping away at their mobile phones. Many Singaporeans cannot live without their phones and with all the new techy gadgets and social media, no wonder they are hardly seen without a phone.