SINGAPORE

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in Southeast Asia. The country is situated
about one degree (137 kilometers or 85 miles) north of the equator, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, with
Indonesia's Riau Islands to the south and Peninsular Malaysia to the north.

Singapore's territory consists of one main island along with 58 other islets. Since independence, extensive land
reclamation has increased its total size by 23% (130 square kilometers or 50 square miles).

Singapore comes from the Sanskrit word 'Singa Pura' which means Lion City in Sanskrit.

According to the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), a Sumatran prince called Sang Nila Utama landed on Temasek
(Singapore's old name) and saw a Lion which is called 'Singa' in Malay. Thus he gave the island a new name, 'Singapura'.

Although its history stretches back millennia, modern Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles as a trading
post of the British East India Company.

Government

Singapore is a parliamentary republic based on the Westminster system.

The Constitution of Singapore is the supreme law of the country, establishing the structure and responsibility of
government.

The President is head of state and exercises executive power on the advice of her ministers.

The Prime Minister is head of government and is appointed by the president as the person most likely to command the
confidence of a majority of Parliament. Cabinet is chosen by the prime minister and formally appointed by the president.

Language

Singapore has four official languages:

Malay, Tamil, Chinese Mandarin, English

Religion

Buddhism is the most widely practiced religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves
adherents at the most recent census. The next-most practiced religion is Christianity, followed by Islam, Taoism, and
Hinduism.

17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation.

The proportion of Christians, Taoists, and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each,
whilst the proportion of Buddhists decreased.

Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population. An analysis by the Pew Research Center found
Singapore to be the world's most religiously diverse nation

Culture

Despite its small size, Singapore has a diversity of languages, religions, and cultures.

Each Singaporean's behaviors and attitudes are influenced by, among other things, his or her home language and his
religion.

Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean toward Western culture, while those who speak
Chinese as their native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism. Malay-speaking Singaporeans
tend to lean toward Malay culture, which itself is closely linked to Islamic culture.
Arts

Since the 1990s when the National Arts Council was created to spearhead the development of performing arts,
visual and literary art forms, to hasten a vibrant cosmopolitan "gateway between the East and West".[435]

The National Gallery Singapore is the nation's flagship museum with some 8,000 works of Singapore and South East
Asian artists.

The Singapore Art Museum focuses on contemporary art.

The Red Dot Design Museum celebrates exceptional art and design of objects for everyday life, from more than
1,000 items from 50 countries.

The lotus-shaped Art Science Museum host touring exhibitions that combine art with the sciences.

Other major museums include the Asian Civilizations Museum, Peranakan Museum, The Arts House.

The Esplanade is Singapore's largest performing arts center with many performances throughout the year, including
5,900 free arts and culture events in 2016.Some of the major music and dance groups include the Singapore Symphony
Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, and the Singapore Dance Theatre.

Literature of Singapore, or SingLit, comprises a collection of literary works by Singaporeans written chiefly in the
country's four official languages.

• It is increasingly regarded as having four sub-literatures instead of one. Many significant works has been
translated and showcased in publications such as the literary journal Singa, published in the 1980s and 1990s
with editors including Edwin Thumboo and Koh Buck Song, as well as in multilingual anthologies such
as Rhythms: A Singaporean Millennial Anthology Of Poetry (2000), in which the poems were all translated three
times each into the three languages. A number of Singaporean writers such as Tan Swie Hian and Kuo Pao
Kun have contributed work in more than one language

Music

Singapore has a diverse music culture that ranges from pop and rock, to folk and classical.

Western classical music plays a significant role in the cultural life in Singapore, with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra
(SSO) instituted in 1979. Other notable western orchestras in Singapore include Singapore National Youth Orchestra
which is funded by the Ministry of Education and the community-based Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra.

Many orchestras and ensembles are also found in secondary schools and junior colleges. Various communities have their
own distinct ethnic musical traditions: Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Eurasians. With their traditional forms of music and
various modern musical styles, the fusion of different forms account for the musical diversity in the country

Education

Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public,
must be registered with the Ministry of Education.

Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is
compulsory.

Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year
orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and
science.

Secondary school lasts from four to five years, and is divided between Special, Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal
(Technical) streams in each school, depending on a student's ability level.