With visionary thinkers and innovators as the guides, City of the Future: Singapore dives deep into the latest innovations and technology being created and implemented to blaze a path into the future.
Singapore is considered one of the most advanced regions in the world. What intrigues you the most about this fascinating city?
The Republic of Singapore is an island country and city-state at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula in Asia. Singapore is north of the equator. Its closest neighbors are Malaysia and Indonesia. About 5.40 million people live in Singapore, of which 3.31 million are citizens, and most of them (76%) are Chinese. In Tamil, an old Indian language, "Singaporean", from which Singapore got its name, means "Lion City" commonly ruled by Sultans.
Singapore is also commonly known as a "Garden City" or a "City in a Garden" because there are plants everywhere, making it look like a garden.
The national language of Singapore is Malay and the other official languages of Singapore are English, Mandarin and Tamil. English is the language of choice because it is the language that almost everyone in Singapore knows. It is the first language taught in schools and the language used by the government. Students are also taught their first language. This means that the Chinese will learn Mandarin and the Malays will learn Malay, and so on. Students can also choose to learn a third language in secondary school.
Religion
Buddhism is the most common religion in Singapore. Other common religions include: Christianity, Islam, Taoism, and Hinduism.
Education
Students in Singapore go through six years of compulsory Primary school, which ends with all students taking a Primary School Leaving Examination(PSLE). Then, depending on their results in the PSLE, students are streamed into "Special", "Express", "Normal (Academic)", and "Normal (Technical)" groups. The amount of time a student spends studying in Secondary school (4–5 years) depends on their group.
Students are taught in English and their mother tongue, which can be Chinese, Malay or Tamil. Secondary school students may also choose to study a third language.
- German
- Japanese
- French
Malay special programme - For non-Malay speakers
Chinese special programme - For non-Chinese speakers
Students can take a third language as it increases their chances in getting an overseas scholarship and can improve their examination grades, especially in the GCE Ordinary Level ("O" Levels), which are Secondary students take after their five or four years of education. However, only some students can qualify to take a third language.
After their "O" Levels, students can choose to go to a polytechnic, which is a place where students can study for 3 years for a diploma or to a junior college where students study for 2 years to receive an "A" Level. Students can also go to Institutes of Technical Education (ITE), where students study for two years to receive a "National ITE Certificate" (NITEC). This certificate is only recognized in Singapore. Students who go to ITE usually continue their education at a polytechnic.
With either a diploma, or an "A" Level certificate, students can apply to go to Universities in Singapore or overseas.
Languages
The Singapore government has chosen four official languages: English, Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), and Tamil. English is the primary language.
Culture
Singapore has many kinds of people and immigrants from many places. Therefore, Singaporean culture has often been described as a mix of cultures – British, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan. Also, foreigners are 42% of the population in Singapore and they are part of changing Singaporean culture.
Food
Dining is an important part of life in Singapore. Singaporean food is an example of the many different cultures in the country. It is also an example of mixing among cultures. British, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Tamil, and Indonesian styles of cooking all mix together. Typical Singaporean food includes Satay, Nasi lemak, Chilli crab, and Hainanese chicken rice.
Media
MediaCorp, the state-owned media corporation, operates all seven local broadcast television channels in Singapore. It also runs 13 radio stations of the total 18 radio stations in Singapore. Radio and television stations are all owned by government controlled companies. However, one radio transmitter in Singapore is not controlled by the government. That is the Far Eastern Relay Station of the BBC World Service.
Print media of Singapore includes 16 newspapers and several magazines. Daily newspapers are published in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil.
National flower
The national flower of Singapore is Vanda Miss Joaquim. It is a type of orchid and it is a hybrid orchid. This makes Singapore the only nation in the world to have a hybrid as a national flower. It was chosen because it was part of the effort to create national pride and identity.
Curiosity is the single most important attribute with which humans are born. More than a simple desire to discover or know things, curiosity is a powerful tool, like a scalpel or a searchlight. Curiosity changes us. It is also a way to effect change, perhaps even on a global level.