Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia. Read our Singapore Travel Information page for more details on how to get in and around the country.
Geography: Singapore’s total area is 692.7 sq km, making it slightly larger than Washington DC. Its climate is tropical, usually hot, humid, and rainy. Two distinct monsoon seasons occur annually: a northeastern monsoon (December to March) and a southwestern monsoon (June to September). The terrain is mostly lowland, with a gently undulating central plateau that contains water catchment areas and nature preserves. Its highest point is Bukit Timah with a height of 166 m. Singapore’s natural resources consist mainly of its fish and its deepwater ports.
Population: More than 4,500,000 people live in Singapore. Life expectancy is 81.8 years. Birth rate is 9.17 births per 1,000. Literacy rate is 92.5%.
Languages: Four official languages are recognized: Mandarin, English, Malay, and Tamil. Other languages spoken in Singapore include Hokkien, Cantonese, and Teochew.
Ethnic Groups: Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian
Religion: Buddhist, Muslim, Taoist, Hindu, Christian
Political History: Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
Economic Overview: Singapore has a highly-developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP equal to that of the four largest West European countries. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics and information technology products. Fiscal stimulus, low interest rates, a surge in exports, and internal flexibility led to vigorous growth in 2004-06 with real GDP growth averaging 7% annually.
