The world's most efficient city-state — a gleaming metropolis where hawker centres serve the world's cheapest Michelin-starred food, Gardens by the Bay glows after dark, and the MRT runs like clockwork.
- Capital
- Singapore
- Population
- 6,036,900
- Area
- 692 km²
- Languages
- English, Malay, Tamil, Chinese
- Currency
- Singapore Dollar (SGD)
- GDP
- $564,774M
Good to know
Driving side
Left
National dish
Chilli crab,Hainanese Chicken Rice
Annual visitors
2,742,000 (2020)
Safety
Very low (0.07/100k)
Big Mac
$5.78
Avg temp
27.7°C
Religion
Buddhism
Coast
Coastal
☎ Police 999 · Ambulance 995 · Fire 995
Travel guide
Singapore (Chinese: 新加坡; Malay: Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர்) is a city-state in Southeast Asia. Modern Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819, and since independence, it has become one of the world's most prosperous countries and boasts one of the world's busiest ports. Singaporean food is legendary, with bustling hawker centres and 24-hour coffee shops offering affordable food from all parts of Asia. Combining the skyscrapers and shopping malls of an affluent modern city with a medley of different Asian cultures and a tropical climate, good shopping and a vibrant nightlife scene, this Garden City makes a great stopover or springboard into the region. The country has a partly deserved reputation for its sterile predictability. Nevertheless, the "Switzerland of Asia" is for many a welcome respite from the chaos, dirt and poverty of much of the rest of Southeast Asia. If you scratch below the squeaky clean surface and get away from the tourist trail you'll soon find more than meets the eye in one of the few remaining city-states in the world.
© Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
Explore Singapore
Best time to visit
Singapore is a year-round destination with tropical weather (26–32°C). The Northeast Monsoon (November–January) brings more rain. Chinese New Year (January–February) is spectacular. June–July is the drier period.
Visa
Citizens of 160+ countries including US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia receive 30–90 days visa-free. Singapore has one of the world's most open visa policies.
Public holidays
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (1)
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