Overview :
Singapore Photos
 Singapore
is an island city located at the southernmost tip of the Malaysian
Peninsula in South East Asia. It is well-known for being one of the
richest, most well organised, efficient countries in the world with a
very high standard of living and an excellent skyline by the water.
Singapore is an island with "1000 shopping malls" or so they say. Despite
the hot climate, it is a tropical paradise for most tourists. This great
diversity of lifestyles, cultures and religions thrives within the
framework of a regulated society. Singapore's "FINE" city reputation is
well-earned, and in fact, many will admire at once the clean, modern
metropolis. Surrounded by artificially 'ordered' parks, its tall housing
projects are populated by more than 80% of the population - whose smiling
native charms often belie underlying tensions of the way the island is
progressing after 30 years of development.
Highlights of Singapore include some of the ethnic parts of town: Arab
street, Chinatown, Colonial District, Orchard road and Little India.
South of Singapore are a few beautiful islands that are well worth
visiting. The most visited is Sentosa island. It is a playground for
people of all ages. See the Sentosa island section for more information.
A common misconception is that chewing gum is strictly not allowed into
Singapore and that you will be arrested for that ''crime''. However, THAT
IS COMPLETELY WRONG! The law states that chewing gum cannot be sold in
Singapore, but it is PERFECTLY OKAY for you to bring in chewing gum for
your own personal consumption. But if you improperly dispose of the gum,
just as you would litter any other thing, you might be fined, BUT the
authorities rarely enforce this ruling. The signs are there to act as a
deterrent and the authorities do not enforce the rules strictly at all.
Please note that, like all countries in the region, visitors are not
exempt from strict laws pertaining to drug possession and trafficking.
The death penalty will be prescribed if you are caught with more than a
specific weight of narcotics. |
Singapore, the diamond-shaped island off
the southern tip of Malaysia, is an unlikely success story. Once a simple
fishing village, it was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles, an
official of the British East India Company, who decided it was the
perfect location as a trading station. Since then it has become one of
the world’s most prosperous cities, known as the Lion City.
Singapore City is by far the largest and most significant island
alongside 63 others that make up Singapore state. Here, especially at the
mouth of the Singapore River, Asian tradition meets modern technology –
gleaming skyscrapers tower over traditional architecture, while squat
Chinese and Hindu temples stud the city. A curious blend of ancient and
modern, the city is home to an ethnic mix of Chinese, Malaysians and
Indians, as well as ex-pats from all over the world, in a predominantly
English-speaking society. These different races live harmoniously thanks
to religious tolerance, increased prosperity, stringent no-nonsense laws
and a constant balmy equatorial heat.
Since the island became an independent Republic in 1965, it has enjoyed a
vigorous and successful free trade policy, as introduced by its then
Prime Minister (now Minister Mentor) Lee Kuan Yew. This has led to an
unprecedented rise in the standard of living (most city dwellers own
their own homes) and exponential economic growth, due mainly to the
export industry. Its healthy economy was dented between 2001 and 2003
during the global recession and slump in the technology sector, and it
suffered a heavy loss in tourist numbers after the terrorist attacks of
September 11. There was a further drop in the number of visitors to the
region during the SARS outbreak at the end of 2003. A subsequent
recovery, however, has seen unemployment fall from 6% in 2002 to 3.4% in
2004.
(by
www.world66.com)
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Photo Gallery : Singapore
Artwork,
photos, concept, content and layout are (c) 2005