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 Population: 4,151,264
Literacy rate: 91.1%
Life expectancy at birth: male – 77.1 yrs, female – 83.23 yrs
Infant mortality rate: 3.65 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate: 3.54%
GDP growth rate: 5.5%
GDP per capita: £18,600
Unemployment: 3.2%
Inflation: 0.4%
TI index: 9.1
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
Time: GMT + 8.
Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plug fittings of the 3-pin square type are in use. Many hotels have 110-volt outlets.
Websites: The US Library of Congress has good info at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/sgtoc.html
The official site of the government of Singapore is at http://www.gov.sg/
Often called, “a fine country” – mainly because you are very likely to get fined for something or another while you’re there. For example – smoking or dropping a cigarette end - S$500.
Singapore has been described as a large shopping mall – to be more positive, it is clean, well ordered and safe. This is not an easy place to live in for a westerner – too much interference in your life from big brother.
Singapore is really just a small island tacked onto the southern end of a bit of Malaysia. It is so important because of its financial services and technological industries. There are no forests left on the island, and what agriculture there is, is insignificant. At 618km² it is only a little more than half as big again as the Isle of Wight (381km²) or three times the size of Washington D.C. The government prohibits private individuals from owning satellite TV dishes and there are certain limitations on freedom of expression that you may not find entirely palatable.
Advantages are that you are very well placed for the rest of Asia and you are very unlikely to get robbed – fined, yes – robbed, no. Singapore has all the material attributes of a first-world country. Just remember to pull the flush after visiting a public toilet – there is a fine for neglecting this social nicety.
Entry requirements
30 day tourist visa available on entry.
Vaccinations
Hepatitis A, Polio, Typhoid and Yellow Fever.
Tax and Insurance
Tax is 12.5%. Get health insurance.
Gap Year Programmes
Click here to find gap year programmes and placements in Singapore
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