Fun Facts About Singapore - Hospitality News & Business ...

Singapore's surface is just over 719 km2 which makes the nation the 20th smallest countries that exist. Ever wonder why both the country and the city are known ... EHLEducation EHLServices ENG Français Deutsch Insights BusinessManagement CulinaryArts HospitalityIndustry StudentResources TrendsinEducation Subscribe Home StudentResources FunFactsAboutSingapore StudentResources 6minread FunFactsAboutSingapore Writtenby EHLInsights Singapore'sCulture Singapore'snationallanguageisMalay.TherearefourofficiallanguagesinSingapore:Malay,English,Chinese,andTamil,andyou'llprobablyalsohearSinglish-theuniquemixofSingapore'sofficiallanguagesandEnglish.75%ofSingaporeansareethnicallyChinese,mostlyfromtheHokkienorTeochewcommunities.Anestimated6%ofSingaporeansareTamil,heraldingfromSouthernIndia,andabout15%areMalayMuslims.Thatleaves4%ofSingaporeanswithmixedorotherheritage. Singapore'sflagisredandwhitewithacrescentmoonandfivestars.Thefivestarssymbolizefiveideals-democracy,peace,progress,justiceandequality-whilethemoonsymbolizesarisingnation(itwasfoundedin1965).Thewhitesuggestspuritywhilethereddenotestheequalityofmankind. Singaporeansareverypoliteandthere'sagoodreasonforthat.ThegovernmenttaughtmannersundertheNationalCourtesyCampaign.Whilethemannerscampaignhasbeenrunningsincethe1970s,itgotarebrandingin2001,andisbetterknownnowasSingaporeKindnessMovement. MaleSingaporeansmustserveinthemilitaryfor1-2years. Singaporeranksamongthelowestnationsforfreedomofthepress,cominginat151of180nationsaccordingtotheReporterswithoutBorderssurvey. Singaporehasauniquenationalicon:ahalflion,halffishcreatureknownastheMerlion.You'llfindMerlionstatuesthroughoutSingapore,butdon'tmisstheSentosaMerlionasyoucangoinside! SwitzerlandandSingaporearethe2topcountriesintheworldforexpatsduetoqualityoflife.Accordingtosomeestimates,Singaporehasaround1.5millionexpats.Thecountry'sexpatpopulationissplit,roughly50-50,betweencorporateworkersandblue-collardomesticorconstructionworkers.Theexpatsalsoenjoythewidespreadpublicservices,low-keytaxframework,nearnocorruption,andhighlevelofcompetition(Singaporefallsthird,cominginrightbehindSwitzerland). SingaporehasitsownuniquewayofhonoringFengshui:thetowersintheSuntecCitydevelopmentareshapedintothepalmofahand,whichisabeneficialFengshuisymbol.SuntecCityisalsohometothelargestfountainintheworld,whichisknownastheFountainofWealth.Atthetimeofitsconstruction,thefountaincost $6million tobuild. Singapore'sEconomy ThePrimeMinisterofSingaporeout-earnsthePresidentoftheUnitedStates(andmanyothergloballeaders)byamultipleoffourorfive,withanannualsalaryof$1.7million.TheSwissPrimeMinisterearnedaround$500,000,incontrast. Singaporeisopenforbusiness!From2006through2016,thetinycountrytoppedtheWorldBank'sindexofeasiestcountriestodobusinesswith.TimeshavechangedandtheunlikelyNewZealandisnowtheeasiestcountrytodobusinesswith.Singaporeranksasthesecondmosteasynationwithwhichtodobusiness,followedbyDenmark. Whowantstobeamillionaire?That'ssomethingoneinsixSingaporeansdon'thavetoworryabout,becausetheyalreadyhaveover$1millioninassets! Givenallthiseconomicdata,itmightnotsurpriseyoutoknowthatSingaporeisamongthemostexpensivecitiesintheworld.For2019,SingaporesharesthetopspotwithHongKongandParis-adubioushonor. Singapore'snationalanthemcouldbeinyourwallet.It'sprintedinverytinytextonthebackofthe$1,000note. Singapore'sFood AtahawkercenteryoucouldenjoyaMichelinstarredmealofchickenandriceforaslittleas$2.Singapore'shawkercentersprovidesomeofthebestfoodinthenation,andhavedrawninterestfromcelebritychefsincludingGordonRamsay. Allthatyummyfoodyou'reeatinghastocomefromsomewhere,andonly7%ofthefoodthat'seateninSingaporeisgrownlocally.TherearefarmsinKranji,inthenorthofSingapore,aswellasontopoftheroofsofcondosandshoppingcenters. TheSingaporeSlingisanold-fashionedbarfavorite.Thecocktail,whichismadewithgin,Cointreau,DomBenedictine,cherryBrandy,Angosturabitters,pineapplejuice,grenadine,andlimes,wasfirstservedinthefamousRafflesHotelin1915. Fancyahug?ThenheadtotheNationalUniversityofSingaporewhereyoucangrabacokefromafirstofitskind"HugMe"Coca-Colavendingmachine. SomeestimatessuggestthattworestaurantsopeneverydayinSingapore-that'showmuchSingaporeanslovetoeat.Anunfortunaterealityisthatbytheirfifthyear,40%ofthoserestaurantshaveclosed! Singapore'sGeography Singapore'ssurfaceisjustover719km2whichmakesthenationthe20thsmallestcountriesthatexist. EverwonderwhyboththecountryandthecityareknownasSingapore?Theislandisoneofonlythreecity-states.TheothertwoareVaticanCityandMonaco. Whileitslandmassissmall,Singaporehasover3,000kilometersofroads.Ifyoucouldunwindtheroadsendtoend,theywouldtakeyoufromSingaporeallthewaytoHongKong. Singaporesetsaheightlimitforitsbuildings,whichis280meters.You'llfindthreebuildingstodatethatreachexactly280metersinheight.TheheightlimitforbuildingsstemsfromthefactthatthemilitarybaseissituatedclosetothedowntownbusinessareasinceSingaporeisasmallcountry.Forthesafetyofthemilitaryplanes,thebuildingscan'tbetootall. Singapore'sskyscrapersareover100meterstallerthanthehighestnaturalpointinthecountry.Thehighpoint,asit'sknown,whichisBukitTimahHill,isonly164metershigh.AlongwithBukitTimahHill,theBukitTimahNatureReserveoffersanincrediblediversityofflora.You'llfindmoretreespeciesinahectareofthenaturereservethanyouwillacrosstheentiretyofNorthAmerica. AjointstudyfromtheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnologyandtheWorldEconomicForumcreditedSingaporeasthegreenestcity:30%ofthecityisgreen,duetoSingaporeans'loveofgardensandothergreenspaces.Don'tbesurprisedifyouseewildlifesuchasmonitorlizardsorsnakesintheheartofthecity.Perhapsbecauseofallthatgreenspace,Singaporeisthesecondmostdenselypopulatednation,cominginafterMonaco. Singaporeisgrowing.SincetheBritisharrivedin1822,theislandhasbeenreclaiminglandfromthesea.Accordingtosomeestimates,asmuchas25%ofSingapore'spresentdaylandmassdidn'texistatindependence.Whytheneedforsomuchland?Growthofindustryandpopulation.TheMarinaBaySandsHotelisoneofthemostfamoussightsinSingapore,andit'sbuiltentirelyonreclaimedland. ForSingapore,thelandreclamationeffortsmeandoingbattlewiththesea,afatethebefallsotherlow-lyingnationssuchasTuvaluorNauru. ThinkSingaporeisasingleisland?Thinkagain:thereareactually63islands,althoughmanyareuninhabited. Singapore'sSports Singaporeanscouldwinaworldrecordinwalking,withanaveragewalkingspeedof6.15km/h. Singapore’sNationalStadiumdoesn'tcloseforraindelays.Thestadiumhasagiantcanopyshelterthat'scapableofcovering55'000fansfrominclementweather,andalargeretractabledome-at312meters,thebiggestintheworld. Singaporedidn'twinanOlympicGoldmedaluntil2016,inRio,wherea21-year-oldswimmerwongoldinthe100-meterbutterfly. Singapore'sAnimals ThefirstofitskindnightzooisinSingapore.CalledtheNightSafari,thezooisopeneverydayfrom7:15p.m.tomidnight.Whenyouvisitatnight,you'llenjoynocturnalanimalsincludingAsianelephant,pangolin,Malaysiantapir,cloudleopard,andfishingcat. Thelargestbatintheworld,whichhasawingspanof1.5meters,islocatedonanislandoffthecoast. Singapore'sEntertainment Everyyearsince2008,SingaporehashostedaFormula1GrandPrix,whichhastheuniquedistinctionofbeingthefirsteverFormula1nightrace.Concertsandotherentertainmentleaduptotheexcitingrace,wherecarswindthroughtheMarinaBayneighborhood. ThewholecountrygoesonsalefortheGreatSingaporeSale,heldannuallyinJune.Theevent,whichisorganizedbytheSingaporeRetailersAssociation,wasdevelopedtopromotetourismintheregion. FoodiesmaywanttovisitinJuly,whentheannualSingaporeFoodFestivalisheld.Festival-goersmunchonmod-sinormodernSingaporeanfoodsaswellastraditionaldishes. Singaporeishometothetallestindoorwaterfall,insidetheGardensbytheBayconservatory.Inadditiontothe35-meterwaterfallyou'llfindlocalflorafromthetropicalhighlands. SingaporeBotanicGardensbelongtotheUNESCOWorldHeritagelist.Thegardensarethethirdbotanicalgardensandthefirst-evertropicalgardennamedtoUNESCO'slist. Singapore'sWorldRecords Onyourwaytoorfromthecountry,spendsometimeintheairport.ChangiAirporthaswonthebestairportinAsiaawardforcloseto30years.ThecountryalsotookhomethefirstplaceattheWorldAirportAwardsforsevenyearsinarow,andhaswontheaward10timesinthe20-yearhistoryoftheWorldAirportAwards. AGuinnessrecordforthelongesthumandominochainwassetin2000,when9,234localstudentsstoodinadominoformation. Singaporesetarecordforthebiggestpass-the-parcelgame,inwhich3,918studentsremovedwrappersfromapackagemeasuring1.5metersby1.5metersby0.5meters.Atotalof2,200wrapperswereremovedfromthepackage. Singaporealsosetarecordforlinedancingin2002,when11,967peopleparticipatedinalinedance. Singapore'sbusystudentsformedachainofcoinsthatspelledoutapositivephraseonnevergivinguptocreateanotherinventive worldrecordforthelongestcoinchain,at199.8meters. TheyoungestpersonwhoeverpassedtheGCE‘O’LevelChemistrytestwasa7-yearoldSingaporean. SingaporeresidentshaveoneofthebestlifeexpectanciesinAsia,withanaverageanticipatedlifespanof84. Wanttostudyabroad?DiscoverwhySingaporeistheidealAsiadestinationforyourHospitalityManagementstudies. 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