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Information
Full name: Republic of Singapore.
Capital City: Singapore.
Language: dialects of Chinese, Malay, English, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi.
Currency: Singapore Dollar.
Religion: Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Taoist and Hindu.
National Anthem: "Majulah Singapura" meaning 'Onward Singapore'.
Newspaper: Asian Wall Street Journal, The Business Times, Computer Times, Berita Harian, Little Speck, Lianhe Zaobao, Tamil Murasu and The Straits Times.
Places to Visit: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Chinese and Japanese Gardens, Haw Par Villa (Tiger Balm Gardens), Jurong BirdPark, Jurong Reptile Park, Ming Village, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore Discovery Centre and Singapore Science Centre.
Transport: Airways: almost daily flights from all over the world arrive at the Changi International Airport; Roadways: buses and taxis are easily available between Malaysia and Singapore; Waterways: passenger ferries and speed boats are the common options. Speedboats ply between Batam and Pekanbaru in Sumatra. Weekly ships too can be availed between Bintan with Jakarta; Railways: trains run thrice daily between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on week days; while on weekends there are four trains.
Shopping: antiques from Bali in Indonesia, China, Philippines, India and Malaysia; carpets from China, India and Persia; clothing; batiks; silks; jewelry; silverware; shoes, briefcases, handbags and wallets made of reptile and snake skins; perfumes; and electronic goods.
Introduction
the country, it is said, was named by the prince Sang Nila Utama. The island country derives its name from two Malay and Sanskrit words: "Singha" and "Pura" which translates as 'Lion City'. In the year 1819, the British made the country its trading colony. Subsequent to attaining autonomy in 1959, they joined the Malaysian Federation for two years, separating in 1965.
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Location of Singapore
the island country of Singapore is located in the southern region of Eastern Asia; just off Malaysia. Its immediate political neighbors are Malaysia to the north and Indonesia.
Physical Map of Singapore
the country of Singapore is a broken off land mass from the main land of Malaysia. So, not only is it an island surrounded with water, it is also full of lagoons and other types of water bodies intruding into the mainland from the surrounding seas. The landscape of the country comprises of lowlands near the coast which slowly ascend to form plateaus and hills. The highest region in the country is known as Bukit Timah. The hills are covered with rain forests, while the coastal regions are encroached upon by swamps and harbors.
Climate of Singapore: the climatic condition of the country of Singapore, in general, is tropical. So, the country is hot and wet. Monsoons are torrential, with soaring humidity levels. The monsoons occur twice a year: once between the months of June and September and the second time between the months of December and March.
Flora and Fauna of Singapore
Flora: the plant life in Singapore comprises of both land and sea varieties. In the land, the species of plants available are mainly of the rain forest hardwood variety. Mangroves are another kind of habitat. However, grasses, sedges and creepers are quite a common sight in the country too. Water flora includes reeds and sea weeds like red, green and brown seaweeds. Singapore has a number of flowering plants too. Some of the common ones are frangipani, lantana and bougainvillea, angsana, rain tree, yellow flame and wild cinnamon.
Fauna: the fauna in the country comprises of such species as flying lemurs, flying lizards, squirrels, long-tailed macaques, shrews, rats, snakes, skinks and frogs. Bats are found in Singapore in diverse varieties too. Some of the popular ones are fruit bats, horseshoe bats, sheath-tailed bats and the false vampires. Marine fauna in the country includes fish, prawns, mussels, mud-lobsters, freshwater crabs, water bugs, dragonfly, damselfly nymphs, barnacles and mud-skippers. Along with these there are some 180 different avian species in the country.
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