Amazing Facts » Facts And Trivia About Countries – Singapore

Amazing Facts about Singapore

Singapore is known for its Singlish, Marina Bay Sands, and of course, it is Chicken Rice. Singapore has so many wonderful things to see and do that it is little wonder that it is one of Asia’s top tourist destinations. In addition to the Sentosa Island Resort, Singapore has many other truly amazing places that you should try to visit. Here are a few amazing facts about this beautiful albeit tiny country.

Singapore was initially named Singapura, which means Lion City in Sanskrit. This was because a visiting king thought that one of the creatures he saw was a lion. However, there were no lions in Singapore at all. Singapore actually consists of only one central island and another 63 tiny islands. Most of these 63 odd islands are either uninhabited or deserted. It has changed itself from a swampy island to a top class modern city in a span of just about 50 years. It is also a regional hub for corporations, with its own biomedical and high tech centers etc.

• Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world, with a total land area of only 683 square kilometers.
• Singapore is one of only three surviving city-states in the world that do not have a capital city.
• Singapore, not counting Monaco, is the most densely populated country in the world, with over 6,432 people per square kilometer and a population of about 6 million.
• On 21 September 1965, Singapore joined and became the 117th member of the United Nations.
• Its national flag symbolizes universal brotherhood and equality of man with purity and virtue. It also represents a young nation on the rise that protects the deals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality. Its national flower is Vanda Miss Joaquim, the name of its discoverer Agnes Joaquim, an Armenian. She discovered this orchid in 1893.
• There are currently four official languages that are spoken in Singapore. This include, English, Chinese Mandarin, Malay and Tamil that reflect the ethnic makeup of the city.
• Many Singaporeans have the habit of adding “lah” to the end of their sentences. For example, “okay-la,” is one example of Singlish. Singlish is a mixture of English with odd phrases of Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. It has two entries in the Oxford English Dictionary - lah and sinseh.
• English is the official working and the most widely used language. However, its national anthem is actually sung in Malay.
• The world’s biggest bat known as the flying fox, and which has a wingspan of about 150 centimeters can be found on one of the islands off mainland Singapore.
• The Night safari, the world’s first night zoo, is also located in Singapore.
• Singapore is also a transit point for thousands of migratory birds.
• Singapore is also the largest exporter of ornamental fish, which is about 25% of the world market.
• The Nature Reserves at Bukit Timah has more different species of trees than the whole of North America - Although Singapore is classified as an urban jungle most of the time, more than half of the country is actually covered in green, although some say this is all artificial.
• Singapore has a very flat terrain and the highest natural point is the Bukit Timah Hill, which is only 164 meters high.
• The world’s tallest artificial (man-made) waterfall, that is close to 30 meters, is located at the Singapore Jurong Bird Park.
• The buildings in Singapore cannot be higher than 280 meters.
• The largest fountain in the world is located in Singapore at Suntec City. It is made of cast bronze, and was built in 1997. The buildings have been built in the shape of a palm of a hand in line with good feng shui. Singapore’s Changi Airport have been consistently winning the award for The Best Airport Worldwide for a number of years.
• It is funny that according to statistics most Singaporeans have been born during the month of October, rather than any other month. The earliest population census showed a population of just close to 11,000. However, it was just over 4 million according to the 2000 census. It is now close to 6 million.
• According to government data, nearly 9 out of 10 Singaporeans live in public housing.
• The most common Chinese surnames in Singapore are Tan, Lim, and Lee.
• Singapore has more than 3,000 kilometers of roads. Stretched end to end, they can cover the distance from Singapore to Hong Kong.
• Eight in 10 people in Singapore own cell phones. In fact, telecom companies issue new numbers at the rate of 30,000 to 40,000 per month.

Now for some fun trivia – The World Toilet Organization was founded in Singapore. The locals take toilet cleanliness seriously. In fact, you can be fined up to $500 for not flushing after you use the toilet.

If you know any more amazing facts on Singapore, that needs mentioned, please post them in the below comments section. Have a nice day.