Singapore

Singapore

The Republic of Singapore is an island nation and city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to the north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Straits of Singapore to the south. Singapore is the world's third leading financial center and a cosmopolitan world city that plays an important role in international trade and finance. The Port of Singapore is one of the five busiest ports in the world.

"If Singapore is a nanny state, than I am proud to have fostered one." Lee Kwan Yew

Tourism

Singapore is a well-known travel destination city, driving its importance in the country's tourism industry. To attract more tourists, the government decided to allow gambling and two casino resorts were built in Marina South and Sentosa Island in 2005. To compete with regional cities such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, the government announced that the city area would be transformed into a more attractive area by lighting up civic and commercial buildings. Food is also utilized as a visitor attraction at the Singapore Food Festival held every July to celebrate Singaporean cuisine. Other annual events in Singapore include the Singapore Sun Festival, Christmas Light Up, and Singapore Jewel Festival.

Singapore promotes itself as a health tourism hub: around 200,000 foreigners seek healthcare in the country every year, and Singapore's healthcare service is targeting one million foreign patients annually from 2012 and a revenue of USD 3 billion.The government states that this program could create around 13,000 new jobs in the healthcare industry.

Culinary Heritage

Eating and shopping have become national pastimes for Singaporeans.Singaporean cuisine is an example of the country's cultural diversity and diffusion, with influences from Britain, China, India, Malay, Tamil and Indonesia. Common Singaporean dishes include satay, nasi lemak, spicy crab and Hainanese chicken rice.

Culture

Due to the diversity of its population and immigrant background, Singaporean culture is often referred to as a mixture of British, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Arab and Peranakan cultures. Foreigners also make up 42% of Singapore's population and play an important role in influencing Singaporean culture.

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