Portal:Singapore
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Singapore Portal
The Republic of Singapore (Simplified Chinese: 新加坡共和国; Malay: Republik Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் குடியரசு), is an island city-state in Southeast Asia situated on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of the Indonesian islands of Riau. Its coordinates are . Established as a trading port by the British in the early 19th century, Singapore became a centre of British influence in Southeast Asia. Upon achieving independence from Malaysia in 1965, Singapore advanced from a third world to first world nation under the leadership of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore has been consistently rated as one of the least corrupt countries in the world by Hong Kong-based independent consultancy firm PERC, and possesses one of the highest per capita gross domestic products in the world. Practices such as the ban on import of chewing gum have led some to label Singapore a "nanny state". National service in Singapore is mandatory for all male citizens and Singapore maintains as many as 225,000 military reserves, even though it has not been engaged in any military conflict since World War II. Singapore has had a thorny relationship with Malaysia over disagreements over issues such as the sale of water. Selected article The Mass Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore with a network spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang and Toa Payoh, was opened in 1987, establishing the MRT as the second oldest metro system in Southeast Asia after Manila's LRT System. The network has since grown rapidly as a result of Singapore's aim of developing a comprehensive rail network and reducing dependency on road-based systems such as the bus network. The MRT has 64 operating stations with over 109 kilometres of lines. The MRT is complemented by a smaller Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system which links the MRT stations with the respective public housing (HDB) estate they serve. (more...)
Selected picture The Merlion is the tourism symbol of Singapore. Its landmark statue, once at the Merlion Park, was relocated to the front of the Fullerton Hotel in April 2002. Did you know...
...that Hong San See, a Chinese temple and national monument in Singapore, was sited on a small hill for good fengshui and once commanded a good view of the sea? ...that Pagoda Street in Chinatown, Singapore was named after the pagoda-like gopuram of Sri Mariamman Temple? ...that a fountain was built by the British colonial government to commemorate Tan Kim Seng's $13,000 contribution towards Singapore's first public waterworks? ...that the Queen Elizabeth Walk in Singapore was built on reclaimed land in 1922 and that it was renamed in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom? ...that the original stained glass windows of the Saint George's Church in Singapore were packed away for safekeeping before the Japanese Occupation of Singapore but were never found since? ...that the Civilian War Memorial in Singapore was built in 1967 in memory of the civilians massacred during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore from 1942 to 1945? ...that the Old Ministry of Labour Building in Singapore housed the Chinese Protectorate before World War II, and has been gazetted as a national monument? ...that Central Sikh Temple was Singapore's first gurdwara when it was first set up in a police barracks in the 1880s? CategoriesArchitecture - Housing - Landmarks - Architects Buildings - Buddhist temples - Churches - Convention centres - Health specialist centres - Hindu temples - Hospitals - Hotels - National Monuments - Mosques - Schools - Shopping malls - Stadiums Cities and towns - New towns Communications - Internet - Newspapers - Television - Telecommunication companies In the news2006
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