Singapore

Lying almost on the equator, Singapore is a thriving city-state that has overcome its dearth of natural resources to become one of the juggernaut economies of Asia. A city of concrete, glass and steel, renowned for its hi-tech wizardry, Singapore also offers a taste of the great Asian cultures in a small easy-to-manage package. In the crowded streets of Chinatown, fortune tellers, calligraphers and temple worshippers are still a part of everyday life. In Little India, you can buy the best sari material, freshly ground spices or a picture of your favourite Hindu god. In the small shops of Arab St, the cry of the imam can be heard from the nearby Sultan Mosque.

Singapore may no longer be a rough-and-ready port of rickshaws, opium dens, pearl luggers and pirates, but you can still recapture the colonial era with a gin sling under the languorous ceiling fans at Raffles Hotel, dine out at the renovated quays along the Singapore River where merchant ships once berthed, and visit the numerous Victorian relics that have survived the city's relentless development. It is this carefully stage-managed combination of Western modernity and a treasured Eastern and colonial past, that makes Singapore such an accessible slice of Asia.

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Environment

Singapore consists of the main, low-lying Singapore Island and 58 smaller islands within its territorial waters. Urban areas comprise almost 50% of the land area, while parkland, reservoirs, plantations and open military areas occupy 40%. Singapore Island measures approximately 42km east to west and 23km north to south at its widest points. While there are built-up, high-density areas all around the island, the main city area is in the south, built on the shores of the Singapore River. The Central Business District (CBD) is at the southern shore of the river's mouth. Chinatown adjoins the CBD to the south-west. To the north of the Singapore River is the colonial district, which has many reminders of British rule. Further north again is Little India and Arab St. Orchard Rd runs north-west from the colonial district.

To the west of the island is Jurong, an industrial area with a sprinkling of tourist attractions. The east coast has some of the older
residential areas, a major beach park and the international airport. The north-east is the location of huge housing developments and the central north of the island has most of Singapore's undeveloped land and remaining forest. A 1km long causeway connects Singapore with Johor Bahru in Malaysia; a second
causeway is planned to relieve congestion. Under current plans, land reclamation and housing developments should dramatically alter Singapore's geography.

Hot and humid year-round, Singapore's temperature almost never drops below 20 degrees Celsius, even at night, and usually climbs to 30 degrees Celsius during the day. Humidity is high, hovering around the 75% mark. Singapore is wettest from November to January and at its driest from May to July - the difference between the two, however, is slight. And due to Singapore's proximity to the equator, it receives a steady diet of sunshine all year.

Culture

Despite rapid industrialisation, the majority of Singaporeans celebrate the major festivals associated with their respective religions. The variety of religions found in Singapore is a direct reflection of the diversity of races living there. The Chinese are predominantly followers of Buddhism and Shenism (deity worship), though some are Christians. Malays are overwhelmingly Muslims and most of Singapore's Indians are Hindus; there is, however, a sizeable proportion of Muslims and Sikhs amongst the Indian population.

The four official languages of Singapore are Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. English is widespread and is the language which unites the various ethnic groups. Children are taught in English at school but also learn their mother tongue to make sure they don't lose contact with their traditions. The only communication problem English-speakers are likely to have in Singapore is with older Singaporeans who did not learn English at school - though trying to understand the unique patois called Singlish - which uses a clipped form of English mixed with Malay and Hokkien words - can be taxing. The use of Malay is mostly restricted to the Malay community. Chinese dialects, such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainanese and Hakka, are still widely spoken, especially among the older Chinese, but the government's long-standing campaign to promote Mandarin, the main non-dialectal Chinese language, has been very successful and increasing numbers of Chinese now speak Mandarin at home. Tamil is the main Indian language, though Malayalam and Hindi are also spoken.

Singaporeans are keen on Chinese opera, which is a colourful mixture of dialogue, music, song and dance. It is an ancient form of theatre, reaching the peak of its popularity during the Ming Dynasty from the 14th to 17th centuries. The acting is heavy and stylised, and the music cacophonous to most Western ears. Street performances are held during important festivals such as Chinese New Year. The Lion Dance is a spectacular, acrobatic dance usually performed during Chinese festivals. Other performing arts include Malay and Indian dances; liberalisation has also meant a noticeable increase in alternative theatre.

Singapore is the food capital of Asia. Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian and Western foods are all on offer, and some of the most tasty creations are those sold from the atmospheric street stalls. Nonya cooking is a local variation on Chinese and Malay food, mixing Chinese ingredients with local spices such as lemon grass and coconut cream. The popular spicy, coconut-based soup laksa is a classic Nonya dish. Singapore is a great place to discover tropical fruits. Some of the more unusual ones on offer include rambutan, mangosteen, durian, jackfruit, pomelo, starfruit, zirzat, buah duku, chiku and jeruk.

History

According to Malay legend, a Sumatran prince encountered a lion - considered a good omen - on Temasek, prompting him to found Singapura, or Lion City. It mattered little that lions had never inhabited Singapore (more likely the prince had seen a tiger); what did matter was the establishment of the region as a minor trading post for the powerful Sumatran Srivijaya empire and as a subsequent vassal state of the Javanese Majapahit empire in the mid-13th century. Singapore might have remained a quiet backwater if not for Sir Stamford Raffles' intervention in 1819. The British had first established a presence in the Straits of Malacca (now called Melaka) in the 18th century when the East India Company set out to secure and protect its line of trade from China to the colonies in India. Fearing another resurgence of Dutch expansionism - which had been the dominant European trading power in the region for nearly 200 years - Raffles argued for an increased British presence, which he was promptly given. Under his tutelage, Singapore's forlorn reputation as a fetid, disease-ridden colony was soon forgotten. Migrants, attracted by a tariff-free port, poured in by the thousands and a flourishing colony with a military and naval base was established.

Singapore's inexorable growth continued into the 20th century. However, the outbreak of WWII brutally exposed the fallacy of British might: they suffered the ignominy of defeat when Japan invaded the colony in 1941. The British were, however, welcomed back after Japan's surrender in 1945, but their right to rule was no longer assured.

By the 1950s, burgeoning nationalism had led to the formation of a number of political parties as Singapore moved slowly towards self-government. The People's Action Party, with the Cambridge-educated Lee Kuan Yew as leader, was elected in 1959. Lee became prime minister, a position he was to hold for the next 31 years. In 1963, Singapore formed a union with Malaya (now Malaysia) but by 1965, the nascent federation was in tatters. Singapore became independent soon after and was once again the economic success story of the region. Pragmatic and shrewd, Lee fashioned a government hellbent on modernisation and the suppression of political opposition. Lee Kuan Yew resigned as Prime Minister in 1990 and Goh Chok Tong - a leader more inclined towards consultation and liberalism - took over.