Population Size: 4.19 million Area: 697 sq km Ethnic Diversity: Chinese (77%), Malays (14%), Indians (8%) and Others (1%) Time Difference: GMT +8 Key Industry: Commerce, Financial Services, Manufacturing (Electronics, Chemicals), Biomedical Sciences, Tourism.
Singapore is a tropical island located just north of the equator and weather all year around is warm and humid. Strong sun is punctuated by refreshing tropical rain. Daily average temperature range from a minimum of 23 degrees Celsius to a maximum of 31 degrees Celsius.
There are 4 official languages in Singapore: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. English is the language of business and administration, and is widely spoken and understood. Most Singaporeans are bilingual, speaking their mother tongue in addition to English. In addition, many will speak a number of local dialects, including the famed "Singlish" which is a local brand of colloquial English.
Singapore’s rich cosmopolitan heritage bears witness to its religious diversity. Social harmony and religious tolerance are enduring characteristics of community living in Singapore. Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism are the major religions in Singapore.
The unit of currency is the Singapore dollar. Credit cards and traveler's checks are widely accepted.
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