Singapore

Geography

Singapore is an island state at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula and just 137 kilometers north of the equator. Singapore borders Malaysia to the north, separated by the narrow Strait of Johor. To the south, Indonesia lies on the opposite shore of the Strait of Singapore. In addition to the main island, the city-state comprises 63 smaller islands and has a total area of around 719 square kilometers. This land mass corresponds to approximately 90% of the size of New York City. The length of the coastline adds up to 193 km. At an average of only 15 meters above sea level, Singapore is one of the lowest countries in the world. The highest elevation is Bukit Timah Hill, which is only 164 meters high.

With a population of 5.64 million people, there is an enormous population density of 7,840.1 inhabitants per square kilometer. This makes Singapore the third most denselypopulated country in the world after Macau and Monaco.

Its geographical location makes Singapore an important hub for international maritime trade. With its airport, Singapore is also an important hub for the entire Southeast Asian region.

Incidentally, the name "Singapore" comes from the Sanskrit and means "Lion City". The city is known for its impressive skyline and modern infrastructure. Marina Bay Sands, which opened in 2010, is certainly the city's most famous landmark with its three towers and upper platform.

Climate in Singapore

Singapore is located near the equator, which means that temperatures vary only slightly throughout the year. It is tropically hot all year round with daily highs between 29 and 32 degrees. The coolest months are November to January, which is also when it rains the most. The monsoon is noticeable but brings much less cooling than in other regions of Southeast Asia. Most attractive for tourists are the months from June to October because of the still cool temperatures and little rain. Towards the end of the year, the humidity rises and makes for an unpleasant sticky weather.

• Detailed climate data for Singapore

Languages

Mother tongue	Distribution
Chinese	52.0 %
English	29.8 %
Malay	11.9 %
Tamil	4.4 %
Hindi	1.2 %
other	0.7 %

Religions

Religion	Distribution
Buddhists	33.9%
Catholics	7.1%
other Christs	11.0%
Taoists	11.3%
Hinduists	5.2%
Muslims	14.3%
nondenominational	16.4%
other	0.8%

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Economy

GDP:	466.79 bn $
Exportations:	870.81 bn $
Importations:	701.63 bn $
› Tourism receipts:	3.81 bn $
Debt rate:	135.86 %
› Unemployment rate:	3.47 %
› Inflation rate:	6.12 %
› Corruption index:	83 (good)
› Energy consumption:	50.7 bn kWh

With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.949, Singapore counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.

With an average annual income of 67,200 USD Singapore is one of the high-income countries. Taking purchasing power parity into account, it is the second-richest country in the world.

Singapore is sometimes referred to as a tax haven.

Land use

79% Urban areas:	566 km²
1% Agricultural areas:	7 km²
22% Forest:	158 km²
1% Water areas:	10 km²

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Transport

Roadways:	3,500 km
Railways:	240 km
Reg. vehicles:	847,950
› Airports: