Singapore is a wealthy country in south-east Asia. It used to be the British colonial trading post, today it is a global financial hub and considered as one of Asia’s economic tigers. It is famous for its strict local laws and conservatism and Singapore prides itself on its security and stability.
Chinese has more population of about 78%. Densely populated, most of the people live in public-housing tower blocks. Its trade-driven economy is supported heavily by foreign workers.
The People’s Action Party has dominated politics since the country declared independence from Malaysia in the year 1965. Some of the major issues such as immigration, a rise in the cost of living and income inequality are the major challenges facing the government.
Republic of Singapore
Area: 660 sq. km (255 sq. miles)
Population: 5.3 million
Major religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism
Currency: Singapore dollar UN, World Bank
Life expectancy: 79 years (men), 84 years (women)
Major languages: Malay, English, Tamil, Mandarin
Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong
The eldest son of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, the Prime Minister has been in office since August 2004. The Cambridge educated mathematician and a former army officer, Lee Hsien Loong followed feet of his father in politics in the year 1984 when he was 32.
As a prime minister, Mr. Lee launched the policies to build the competitive economy, introducing various programmes to update the education system, transforming & developing the city-state and investing in the research. Mr. Lee was got involved in a public feud with his siblings over the will of their father.
President: Halimah Yacob
The lady was sworn in as first female president of Singapore in 2017. As Muslim Malay minority member, she is also the first Malay leader of the country in 47 years.
Two other prospective failed to meet the eligibility requirement and this is how she became the contender. She was the speaker in parliament before taking the post of president.
Media
As the hub for South-East Asia, Singapore is the strategic centre for area’s English-speaking audience.
Its controlled media environment means self-censorship among the journalists is common. There are also the curbs on online content.
Some essential dates in the history of Singapore
1819: Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded Singapore as a trading post for British East India Company.
1942: Singapore falls against Japan during World War II. The island was renamed as Syonan-to in Japanese which means ‘Light of the South Island’.
1945-46: Singapore became the British colony.
1959: Singapore holds the first election.
1963: Singapore joins Malaya Federation and Sabah in Federation of Malaysia.
1965: Declares independence from Malaysia Federation.
1990: Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew stands down after 31 years.
1993: Singapore holds the first election of President.