Singapore is an island 42 km from east to west total land area of only 585.4 sq km, making it one of the world's smallest country. This little island is situated at the lower tip of the Malaya Peninsula in the Malaya archipelago. To its north is the country Malaysia and to its west and south is Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country.

Climate
Singapore is situated near the equator. Thus, it is hot all year round with mean daily minimum and maximum temperatures of 23.9 – 30.9 degrees Celcius (75 – 87.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity often exceeds 90 percent. Rain falls are normal with wet seasons around the monsoon periods of December – March and June – September.

History
Singapore comes from the Malay word – "Singa" which means lion and "Pura" which means island. Legend has it that a Prince saw a lion and named the country "Singapura", the Malay word for Singapore. Singapore is strategically situated at the lower tip of the Malaya peninsula. All ships going from the east to the west and vice versa has to pass through this island. As a result, Singapore was bustling with trade and many merchants from the west and the east gathered here to trade.

The British, Dutch and middle east traders traded with the east for spices, tea and pottery. In 1965, Singapore became an independent country and was admitted in the United Nations in the same year. On December 1965, it became a republic. The first President of Singapore was Yusof bin Ishak. The affectionate name given to a citizen of Singapore is Singaporean. Singapore is a pot-purri of many ethnic groups – the Malays, Indians, Chinese, Armenians, Arabs and Eurasians.

The Indians originally came from India during the British Colony days and the Chinese came from the southern provinces of China (Guangzhou and Fujian). Being an entreport, Singapore also drew a lot of the Arabs and other people from the middle east in the days when spice trade was the flavour of the day.

This mix of many different ethnic groups makes Singapore a very colourful society. Today, the different races live in harmony with each other, many in public housing and side by side as neighbours. It is very common to see neighbours dropping by each other's home for a chat or to bring greetings and gifts for special occasions like the Hari Raya, Deepavali or the Lunar New Year. Often,  the children play in parks and attend neighbourhood schools together.

Due to its small size, Singapore lacks natural resources. Basic food materials, water and fuel have to be imported. Singaporeans tend to work hard to make up for that.  Offices lights don't go off before seven in many commercial areas. A lot of Singaporeans travel frequently and some even relocate to neighbouring countries to manage projects or to work there. As a result, Singaporeans are cosmopolitan in their outlook.

Weekends are spent shopping at Orchard Road or the regional malls. Others would go biking along the stretch of East Coast of the island. Some of the older folks may get together for a social game of mahjong. Those who have more time to spend often venture up north into the neighbouring country called Malaysia.

Mention food and many Singaporeans would tell you that is their favourite subject. Singapore is one place that one can try out many different kinds of dishes due to the cultural diversity. Visit the hawker centres in Singapore to experience it for yourself. From the Malays, you get delicious "satay" which is meat barbequed over hot charcoal and eaten with a sweet and slightly spicy peanut sauce. A famous local Chinese dish would be "Char Kway Teow" which is noodles fried over a hot wok. If you fancy something spicy, you can try the "Fish Head Curry" (don't worry, it is not the kind that Harrison Ford had to brave!). Another gastronomical adventure would be to taste the durian. It is a fruit that you either love it or hate it. Ask your friends who have visited Singapore – they will tell you their version of the story!

Economy
Singapore practices free economy and is an active member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  In addition, it is also one of the key members of the Association of South East Asian (ASEAN) grouping. Key business sectors of Singapore are manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, disk drives, personal computers and oil refining. GDP in Q3 2010 was US$77.2 bil at current prices. 2010 Q3 growth was 12.5%. For the year 2010, Singapore is the 2nd in the world for fastest growing economy, after Qatar.