The Lion-city provides a unique blend of East-meets-West culture where modern skyscrapers tower over religious temples, and ethnic quarters provide links to the past. With an Indian temple and a mosque found in the heart of Chinatown, Singapore is a multi-racial melting pot where visitors can discover flavours of China, India and Malaysia in a thoroughly contemporary setting. In recent years, efforts to preserve the remaining colonial and post war architecture have been stepped up. The vibrant nightlife will surprise anyone who hasn't been to the city for a few years.

Getting There
Changi Airport (www.changiairport.com) is an award-winning international airport which has become an important transport hub in Southeast Asia. Over 80 airlines operate over 4,000 flights a week around the world, with Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeair.com) flying to and from most major cities. A budget terminal opened in 2006 and a third main terminal will open in 2008.

Weather
Singapore lies just north of the Equator and its climate is characterised by a fairly uniform temperature (23^oC to 34^oC ) and pressure, high humidity and abundant rainfall. The climate can be divided into two main seasons - the Northeast Monsoon (December to early March) when spells of moderate to heavy rain occur lasting from 1 to 3 days at a stretch and the Southwest Monsoon season (June to September) when showers are more isolated and scattered in late morning and early afternoon. The two Monsoon seasons are separated by two relatively short, dry inter-monsoon periods.

Important Numbers

Transportation/Getting Around

Note: The local currency is the Singapore dollar.

Local language/slang
English is used throughout the island nation, although Malay is the official language. Generally, Singaporeans like to end their sentences with "lah", eg, "where are you going lah?";, and thus call their spoken language, Singlish. Mandarin is also used, as well as the local Hokkien dialect.

Business and finance
Singapore has become a business city of choice because of its strategic location in Asia, acting as gateway for China as well as India. Political stability, an excellent business and social infrastructure, a sophisticated banking sector and a highly-skilled labour force have made it an ideal location for setting up business. With its sophisticated banking industry and reputation as a financial safe-haven, Singapore is a highly sought-after place for investors.

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