Singapore Facts, Singapore Flag -- National Geographic

Fast Facts

Population:: 4,296,000
Capital:: Singapore; 4,296,000
Area:: 660 square kilometers (255 square miles)
Language:: Chinese, Malay, Tamil, English
Religion:: Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Currency:: Singapore dollar
Life Expectancy:: 79
GDP per Capita:: U.S. $25,200
Literacy Percent:: 93

The country of Singapore, consisting of Singapore island and some 50 smaller islands, is located in Southeast Asia at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. More than 3,000 multinational companies have offices on this tropical island at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca—the shortest sea route between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. As a trade center of the British Empire, Singapore attracted thousands of Chinese settlers—now 77 percent of the population. Independent since 1965, Singapore is Southeast Asia's financial hub and the world's busiest container port.

ECONOMY

Industry: Electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining
Agriculture: Rubber, copra, fruit, orchids; poultry
Exports: Machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, chemicals, mineral fuels

—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

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