FACTS & FIGURES

The Island-Nation At Your Fingertips - Republic of Singapore (affectionately known to Singaporeans as “The Little Red Dot” in reference to its tiny size) 

Area: 647.5 sq km 
Population: 4 million (with a growth rate of 1.15%)
People: 76% Chinese, 14% Malay, 7% Indian 
Languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil
Major Religions: 31% Taoist, 28% Buddhist, 18% Muslim, 10% Christian, 4% Hindu 
Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Head of State: President S. R. Nathan
Head of Government: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Major Industries: Shipping, banking, tourism, electronics, manufacturing, chemicals
Trade Partners: US, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan
Time: GMT/UTC +8
Currency: Singapore dollars and cents (SGD).
Weights & Measures: Metric with local variations
Country Code: +65

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

The crescent moon originally served as a symbol of assurance to the Malays in 1959 – the year the flag was designed – that Singapore was not a Chinese state. Today, it is generally said that the moon signifies a young nation rising. The flag was initially to have three stars, until concern was expressed that Singapore might be perceived to have associations with the Malayan Communist Party; the flag of which also had three stars. The flag was originally meant to be totally red as red is a very traditional Chinese color, but again the fear of Communism in those days caused this idea to be abandoned. 

Events & Public Holidays
As a result of Singapore’s richly diverse population, various holidays and religious festivals are celebrated throughout the year. These are mostly based on Chinese, Hindu or Islamic calendars and fall on different dates each year. Christian holidays based on the Gregorian calendar are also widely observed.

The Arm Of The Law
Singapore's government is firm on drug laws with the death penalty applicable to drug trafficking. Laws are also in place against the entry of firearms, controlled drugs, endangered species of wildlife and cigarette lighters in the shape of a firearm. Chewing gum, infamously, is banned from sale in Singapore. Despite drawing criticisms for being a “nanny state” from other countries, Singapore as a result is thankfully free of stale gum on the undersides of tables and seats.

More recently, as prices of cigarettes rose, strict laws were put in place to restrict the entry of cigarettes into the country whether for personal consumption or otherwise. The crackdown on smoking also extends to the banning of smoking in public buses, the MRT, taxis, lifts and air-conditioned places.

Littering and vandalism is also heavily frowned upon and carries heavy penalties from fines of up to SGD$1,000 and corrective work order to jail terms and caning. Another infamous episode of Singapore's legal history occurred with the Michael Fay incident; where a young American was sentenced to a 4-month jail sentence, a fine of SGD$3,500 as well as 6 strokes of the cane for vandalism. The proposed caning predictably caused an uproar with Americans, and U.S. pressure eventually got the Singapore government to reduce the sentence to 4 strokes of the cane.