Singapore

 Is Singapore a city or a country? The answer is YES. It is also considered a city-state. The Republic of Singapore consists of 64 islands and islets. Collectively, they cover 281 square miles, 20% of which is landfill. For comparison Cuyahoga County covers 3,230 square miles. Eleven Singapores could fit in Cuyahoga County. Singapore is the smallest country in Asia. The population is over 6 million which makes it the second most densely populated country in the world.

    The Republic of Singapore is located at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula. It is sometimes referred to as the red dot because it is so tiny on the map. It is located south of Malaysia, separated by the 1 km wide Straits of Johor. It is surrounded by numerous islands of Indonesia.  Singapore is less than 100 miles north of the equator. Therefore, there is little in the way of seasonal variation. The lengths of day and night vary only a little over the course of a year.

    Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles was a British colonial official who was able to secure control over sparsely populated Singapore in 1819. In 1942, the Japanese took control of Singapore until it was returned to the British with the surrender of Japan in 1945. Singapore became independent in 1965. This summary skips a lot of fascinating details which can be found here in the Wikipedia entry for Singapore.

    Initially, it was not clear that Singapore was a viable nation due to its small size, absence of natural resources, little adequate housing, and significant unemployment. Against all odds, with strong leadership and a strategic trade location, Singapore was able to attract investment from multinational corporations and has emerged as one of the four Asian Tigers which also include Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. Strengths include education, healthcare, quality of life, personal safety, infrastructure, home ownership rate of 88%, long life expectancies, fastest internet connection speeds, lowest infant mortality rates, and lowest levels of corruption. The Republic of Singapore has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the world. There are four official languages in Singapore; English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Most people are bilingual, speaking their native language and English.

    Singapore is considered a parliamentary representative democratic republic. Although there are other political parties, the People's Action Party has won elections and maintained control since 1959. The citizens of Singapore appear to be satisfied the regimented control exerted by their government. There are tradeoffs.

    Punishment for littering is severe. As a result, Singapore is one of the cleanest cities in the world. Do not get caught with chewing gum. You will be lucky if you get away with just a heavy fine. Drug trafficking is punishable by death.

    Singapore is a multiracial melting pot. There are powerful incentives to get along amongst groups that historically have not gotten along. It does appear that people are polite and tolerant. Three bloggers were convicted of sedition for posting racist remarks directed at minority groups. Do not mess with authority in Singapore.

    We knew little about Singapore when our friends Bob and Sheree suggested that we go there together. The culture, cuisine, and the infrastructure are amazing. The aura of opulence is quite real, but there is so much more. We feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Singapore.