Singapore
-
Capital
Singapore
-
Local time
4:47
-
Population
5.6 m
-
Driving side
Left
-
Calling code
+65
-
Currency
$ SGD (dollar)
Singapore
-
Capital
Singapore
-
Local time
4:47
-
Population
5.6 m
-
Driving side
Left
-
Calling code
+65
-
Currency
$ SGD (dollar)
-
Average Salary
$ 4 123
-
Petrol price
€ 1.58 pl
-
Precipitation
2 497mm /year
Geography & travel
-
Country Area
719 km2
-
Protected Area
6%
-
Forest Area
23%
-
Annual air passengers
34.97 m
Population
-
Ethnicity
Chinese - 76 %
Malay - 13 %
Indian - 7 %
-
Religion
Buddhist - 43 %
Islam - 15 %
Islam - 15 %
-
Literacy rates
97.0%
-
Languages
Mandarin - 35 %
English - 23 %
Malay
-
Armed Forces
147 600
-
Murders
0 per 100k
-
Alcohol consumption
2.9 l/person
-
Smoking
28%
-
Diabetes
10.5%
-
Tuberculosis
44 per 100k
Economy
-
Industries
electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber products, food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction
-
Agriculture
orchids, vegetables, poultry, eggs, fish, ornamental fish
-
Natural Resources
fish, deepwater ports
-
Energy Import
97%
-
Natural Resources
fish, deepwater ports
-
Renewable Energy
0%
-
CO2 Emissions
56 373kt
-
Ease of Business
2 (Best=1, Worst=200)
-
ATMs per 100k people
60
What not to do when visiting Singapore
Don't forget to shake hands for a warm greeting, but be aware that Malays will not always shake hands. Muslims will not shake hands with the opposite sex. Give a slight bow for older Chinese people.
Don't finish everything on your plate - leave a little food on the plate to indicate you've finished eating.
Don't use first names unless you are invited to. Address someone using the title of Mr., Mrs. Or Miss with the surname.
Did you know?
Singapore derives from the word for “lion city” in Sanskrit because an Indian prince saw a tiger on the island and thought it was a lion.
Don't bring in food into MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) - you can be fined.
Don't wear tight and super revealing clothes. Be conservative in your behaviour. Dress conservatively for business functions and dress casually in other situations.
Don’t give clocks, handkerchiefs or straw sandals - they’re associated with funerals and death. Don’t wrap the gifts in white, blue or black colours these are mourning colours.
Don't accept a gift immediately - refuse a gift two or three times before accepting to show that you're not greedy.
Don't, for a Malay descent, give alcohol, or anything made of pigskin, as Malays are Muslim. Give the gift upon departing, not arriving, and use your right hand or both hands to give or receive presents. Never use only left hand.
Don't, for an Indian descent, give alcohol or something made of leather. Use your right hand to give or receive presents and not your left. If it's large, you may use both hands.
Don't walk around naked or look at porn, even in private - at least ensure you don't get caught!
Don't point at someone with your index finger, which is considered very rude.
Don't feed birds in public - it's prohibited.
Don't get involved in any drugs - Singapore carries a mandatory death penalty for drug-trafficking and harsh penalties for possession and use within the country.
Don't stay on the right side of the escalator - remain on the left side of the escalator, the right lane is for all those people in a rush.
Don't forget to remove your shoes when entering a private home, a temple or a mosque.
Don't tip. Tipping is not customary in Singapore, and it's even frowned upon by the government.
Don't discuss religion or politics, and don't make jokes about it either.
Don't show the bottoms of your feet or use your feet to point - feet are considered dirty.
Don't litter, chew gum, sell gum, jaywalk, or smoke in public - it's punishable by jail or even death.
Tell us your experience
We love to hear from people who have travelled the world and know ‘what not to do’. Why not help other people on their travels?
Don't smoke in public and don't even drop the cigarette end in the street.
Don't touch someone's head - the head is considered sacred.
Don't lose the temper and cause "loss of face". The concept of "saving face" is extremely important in East Asian social relationships.
Don’t disrespect or criticise elders - always give special consideration even you don’t know them.
Don’t be surprised by silence or pausing before responding to a question in conversations - it’s essential and it indicates that the question has been considered.
Don't provide your passport as collateral when hiring vehicles - better use cash as deposit.
Don’t consume alcohol in public places between 22:30 and 07:00 local time, and all day at weekends in certain areas.
Don’t bring vaporisers like e-cigarettes into the country - it’s forbidden.
Don’t be a victim of mosquito-borne diseases - protect yourself against bites by mosquitoes.
Don't be too affectionate in public - kissing, cuddling and similar behaviour are frowned upon if in public, especially amongst older locals.
Don’t bring food if invited to dinner - it can insult the host.
Don't pull the motorbike in the middle of the road when trying to turn right as you might be hit from behind or from the front by others. Most of the traffic accidents are caused by this as it's common vehicles are overtaking within each of the sides in parallel and stopping in the middle can cause you big troubles.
Don't point at people or things with your feet - it's considered very rude as the feet are considered as the most inferior parts of the human body.
Don't show disrespect to Buddha or its images - large or small, ruined or not, it's regarded as a sacred object.
Don’t forget the rainy season occurs twice per year from December to March and from June to September.
Don’t be surprised by increased air pollution due to forest fires in neighbouring countries - it usually happens between July and October.
Don't try to outrun the rainstorm on your moped.
Tell us your experience
We love to hear from people who have travelled the world and know ‘what not to do’. Why not help other people on their travels?
Don't touch a monk. Treat monks with the highest respect. Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of woman.
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