| GENERAL
INFORMATION OF SINGAPORE |
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| [
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION ] |
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| "It
is far from ordinary, yet comforts are always near."
Located at one of the crossroads of the world, Singapore's
strategic position has helped it grow into a major centre
for trade, communications and tourism. Its geographical location
is 136.8 km north of the equator, between latitudes 103 degrees
38' E and 104 degrees 06' E. It is linked to Malaysia by two
causeway bridges and the key islands of the Riau Archipelago
of Indonesia are just a quick ferry trip away. Thailand and
the Philippines are a short plane journey away and Singapore,
with an airport served by more than 69 airlines, is very much
the gateway to South-East Asia. |
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| [
CLIMATE ] |
"It
is a place where the sun shines through the rain."
Singapore's climate is warm and humid, with only slight variations
between the average maximum of 31 degrees Celsius and minimum
of 23 degrees Celsius. Rain falls throughout the year, with
more consistent rain coming during the monsoon season from November
to January. Showers are usually sudden and heavy, but also brief
and refreshing. |
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| [ PEOPLE
] |
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| What
makes Singapore such a special destination is its multi-cultural
mix of people. The population is just over 4 million, comprises
77% Chinese, 14% Malays and 8% Indians. The remaining 1% comprises
people from all over the world who have chosen to make Singapore
their home. Singapore’s many races live together in harmony,
united by the motto, “Many races, one Singapore”,
and it is ethnic diversity that is one of Singapore’s
strengths. |
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| [ TIPPING
] |
| Tipping
is not encouraged as most hotels and restaurants in Singapore
already levy a 10% service charge on customers' bills. Tipping
is not a way of life in Singapore and the practice is not encouraged. |
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| [ SECURITY
AND SAFETY ] |
| Singapore
has a well-founded reputation as one of the safest cities in
the world. Crime rates are very low and the streets are safe
to walk in any time of the day or night. However, we do recommend
that visitors to our city take the normal precaution of keeping
their valuables in a safe place at all times.
The Singapore Government
has and will continue to be vigilant in ensuring that Singapore
remains safe. It has stepped up security measures at key installations
and other sensitive places. The Government has also made it
known that extremism originating from religion or race has
no place in Singapore and it will not hesitate to take action
against any extremist or terrorist groups or individuals.
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| [
WINE AND DINE ] |
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| Singapore's
multicultural population is reflected in the wide variety of
excellent restaurants offering a diversity of cuisine from around
the world. |
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| [
LANGUAGE ] |
| There are four
official languages in Singapore: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and
English. English is the language of business and administration,
and is widely spoken and understood. Most Singaporeans are bilingual,
and speak their mother tongue as well as English. Malay is the
national language. |
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| [
MONEY MATTERS ] |
| Banks throughout
Singapore generally open at 9.30am and close at 3.30pm Mondays
to Fridays, and 9.30am to 11.30am on Saturdays for transactions
of travellers' cheques and other financial matters. For convenience,
ATM machines are open round-the-clock. Apart from the convenience
of exchanging money at all banks and hotels, money can also
be exchanged wherever the sign "Licensed Money Changer"
is displayed. |
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| [
PUBLIC TRANSPORT FROM AIRPORT ] |
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| The Airport
shuttle bus runs from both Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 to various
points throughout the City including Marina Square and Orchard
Road areas. Taxis are readily available at the taxi stands at
the airport, and the MRT trains will connect you to all parts
of Singapore. Also available are public buses that, with transfers,
will also take you to every part of Singapore. |
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| [
RELIGION ] |
| With this mixture
of people, Singapore is also a mixture of religions. Singapore's
skyline boasts the distinctive minarets of mosques, spires of
gothic cathedrals, intricate figurines of Hindu temple gods
and distinctive roof architecture of Chinese temples. The main
religions are Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism,
Judaism and Zoroastrianism. |
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| [
SHOPPING HOURS ] |
| Shops open
from 10 am to 9 pm daily. You needn't keep a sharp eye on
your watch when you're shopping in Singapore. Our island also
enjoys the reputation of being one of the safest places to
be in, so provided basic precautions are taken, you can have
peace of mind to shop and walk around well into the night.
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| [
SHOP TAX FREE ] |
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| [
TRAVEL AND HEALTH INSURANCE ] |
| We strongly
recommend that you take out insurance policies to cover medical
and travel expenses. If necessary, consult your travel agent.
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| [
VISA AND ENTRY FACILITIES] |
| Visitors
to Singapore are normally granted a Social Visit Pass of between
30 days on arrival, provided they are in possession of valid
travel documents and an onward or return ticket to their next
destination.
Please consult your nearest Singapore overseas mission or
embassy or visit: http://app.ica.gov.sg/travellers/entry/visa_requirements.asp
for more visa and entry information.
SARS Information
The World Health Organization has removed Singapore from its
list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS. For
more SARS updates, please visit: http://www.sars.gov.sg
For more information on about Singapore, please visit: http://www.visitsingapore.com/
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To find out more information
about Singapore, please visit:
www.newasia-singapore.com
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