Singapore
The smallest country in South East Asia
Categories: Singapore
Singapore is the smallest country in South East Asia. In terms of area, the island and city state is the size of Hamburg. The city name means lion city in Sanskrit. This is why a mythical creature with a fish body and lion's head has been the city's landmark since 1964. The island state consists of a main island and 61 other islands of different sizes. Neighbouring Singapore are Malaysia, Indonesia, Sumatra and the Riau Islands. The nearby Strait of Malacca is one of the world's busiest waterways. On the main island Pulau Ujong lies the city-state, which is connected to the mainland of Malaysia via the Johor-Singapore-Causeway. 
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Every year 11 million guests visit the member of the Commonwealth of Nations. This places Singapore among the top 10 most visited cities in the world. In a global comparison, the cost of living occupies a top position.
Singapore is becoming increasingly important as Asia's financial centre. The multicultural region with 5.6 million inhabitants is home to a large number of Chinese, Indians and Malays. Buddhism is the most widespread. The country's numerous religions meet peacefully. In some places in Singapore, there are cult places like temples and mosques right next to each other.
Officially there are four official languages. In business life, English predominates. The city state is administratively divided into five town councils. The biggest and most populous city district is called Central Singapore District, which is crossed by the Singapore River. The airport of Singapore is located approximately 20 kilometers from the city center. Adults and children need a valid passport to enter the country. Those who visit the metropolis with millions of inhabitants should get informed in advance about very strictly handled laws. Carelessly throwing away garbage is punished expensively.
The local transport network in Singapore has been systematically expanded. Driving a taxi is also inexpensive. In addition to one of the most important airports in Southeast Asia, the port of the city state is one of the world's largest transhipment points for containers. Singapore has a tropical-humid climate. The average annual temperature is between 29 and 32 degrees. During the monsoon season from October to February the heaviest rainfall occurs. The flat landscape of Singapore has the highest elevation of 177 meters with the Bukit Timah in the center of the main island.
The nature reserve of the same name is 164 hectares in size. On an urban area the primary rainforest is a rarity. Due to the heavy settlement there is hardly any original vegetation left. An exception are the mangrove forests along the coast of Singapore, which are home to animal species like birds, snakes and monkeys.
UNESCO World Heritage Site is the 74 hectare Singapore Botanic Gardens. With 4.2 million visitors annually, the gardens are among the most beautiful in Asia. One of the most spectacular buildings in Singapore is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. 
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The highlight of the viewing platform on the roof is a pool. The Gardens by Bay was built on a landfill. The glass greenhouses in the park show the botanical diversity of different vegetation zones. The Super Trees are one of the attractions in Singapore. The planted steel structures reach a height of 50 metres and are illuminated at night. An interesting district is the Arab Street with a touch of the Orient. Here is the Sultan Mosque, the biggest of its kind in Singapore and with space for 5.000 believers. A special experience is to explore the sights with a Tuk Tuk.
