Singapore - 新加坡 - Singapura - சிங்கப்பூர்

Singapore is considered one of the Four Asian Tigers - along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, it has a highly developed economy and is one of the financial capitals of Asia.

Located on the southern tip of the Malaysian Peninsula, near to the many islands that make up Indonesia

Despite knowing these general facts, before I got ready to move to Singapore, I didn't actually know very much about it. So, if like me, you find your Singapore knowledge a little lacking, I'm writing this brief post on the basics of Singapore. Sure, you could look at the Wikipedia page. That'll work too. But I went through the trouble to make these cool map pictures, so stick with me!

Jacob is getting be somewhat familiar with this part of the world...

Singapore is an island on the very tip of the Malaysian Peninsula. Roughly 80 miles north of the equator, it is definitely tropical. This means that the weather is very constant - highs of 87-90, lows of 74-76, relative humidity averaging about 80% (beating out all US cities), and more or less frequent rain with thunder and lightening. The  main rainy season is Nov-Feb. Oh, and the days are all the same length - which is a weird phenomenon to me! During the whole year, the length of day only fluctuates from 11:46 to 12:11 hours.

I've circled a few of our important places. The colored lines show the MRT (train) routes. Jacob teaches all over, but frequently at the Singapore American School and sometimes at the Brass Store. I work at Duke-NUS.

Singapore is just 270 sq.mi - smaller than Luxembourg, Tonga, and Bahrain, and just a hair larger than Micronesia. Singapore's population of about 5.2 million makes it similar to Minnesota or Colorado - slightly smaller in population than the Atlanta Metro area. In the U.S., it would be the 10th biggest city.

As the title of this blog suggests, there are a variety of languages spoken in Singapore. The 4 official languages are English (language of the government), Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil, and Malay. The majority of residents are of Chinese of Singaporean-Chinese descent, with Malays and Indians making up significant minorities. And the rest is a wide range of expats.

This is a flag.

As for history - Singapore was an English colony up until 1963, when it joined with Malaysia. Then, in 1965, Singapore declared independence and became the Republic of Singapore. It is governed by a unitary parliamentary republic - a one-party parliament.

The government control much here,and also subsidizes a lot of living costs. Most Singaporeans live in HDB flats - apartments built by the government and sold at low-ish prices to citizens. Healthcare is also heavily subsidized and, I believe, universal (and gee, the world hasn't ended!) Jacob and I both feel fortunate to be covered by our employers at no cost beyond the low co-pays. In fact, co-pays tend to be so low, that insurance is only really needed to cover inpatient services. But I'll wait til I have more experience with the healthcare system before I say too much (or perhaps I won't ever have to learn!!)

Featuring Singapore's first president, Yusof bin Ishak.
I like his fetching mustache. 

The currency (below) is Singapore Dollars (roughly US$.80 = SG$1). The bills are in increments of $2, $5, $10, $50 and $100 (perhaps higher, but I haven't seen them!). The bills are colorful and are sized according to value - and several of them have transparent plastic sections which make them really nifty. The coins are worth $.05, $.10, $.20, $.50 and $1. I love the $1 coin, and the fact that there are no pennies! In stores, the prices include tax, so what you see if what you pay. And if the total comes to something like $4.87, it is rounded down to the nearest 5 = $4.85.

I feel like this covers a fair amount - although there is so much one could say about this island! For now I'll leave it at that - but let me know if there are other things you want to know!!

Oh, and in parting, here is the National Anthem (which, incidentally, we hear at 7:28 each morning as the neighboring school blasts it over the intercom):

Malay: Mari kita rakyat Singapura sama-sama menuju bahagia; Cita-cita kita yang mulia, berjaya Singapura. Marilah kita bersatu dengan semangat yang baru; Semua kita berseru, Majulah Singapura, Majulah Singapura! Marilah kita bersatu dengan semangat yang baru; Semua kita berseru, Majulah Singapura, Majulah Singapura! English: Come, fellow Singaporeans Let us progress towards happiness together May our noble aspiration bring Singapore success Come, let us unite In a new spirit Together we proclaim Onward Singapore Onward Singapore Come, let us unite In a new spirit Together we proclaim Onward Singapore Onward Singapore