Located in Southeast Asia, Singapore is a small country of about 710 square kilometres in size. Yet, Singapore commands a big presence in the world today with its remarkable transformation from a simple fishing village to a modern economic miracle with a per capita GDP equal to that of leading Western European nations. With its strategic location in the region, Singapore has a major port that is one of the world's busiest in terms of boxes handled. The country is also known as a beautiful, clean and safe city in a garden. Here are some facts and figures that might interest you.

Country name: Republic of Singapore

Climate: Hot and sunny all year round, with two monsoons (Dec-Mar and Jun-Sep) every year

Currency: Singapore Dollar (SGD)

Exchange rate: SGD1.00 = USD0.72 (approx.)
                         SGD1.00 = 0.58 Euros

Language: English is the lingua franca in Singapore though English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil serve as official languages. You will notice a wide variety of Asian languages being spoken on the streets due to the presence of multi-ethnic communities in Singapore. Signs and instructions across the island are in English.

Main ethnic groups: Chinese 74.2%, Malay 13.4%, Indian 9.2%, other ethnicities 3.2%

Religions: Buddhism 42.5%, Islam 14.9%, Christianity 9.8%, Taoism 8.5%, Catholicism 4.8%,
Hinduism 4%, other religions 0.7%, none 14.8% (Statistics Singapore, Census of Population 2000)

Transportation: Singapore's public transportation is world class, with bus and rail services reaching even the most remote spots. Places where buses do not go can be reached by the island's efficient taxi service. Transport guides can be purchased from most bookstores and newsstands. Check out these useful websites below for more information.

Transitlink map: http://www.transitlink.com.sg/images/eguide/mrt_sys_map.htm
Singapore Bus Service: www.sbstransit.com.sg
SMRT: www.smrt.com.sg
One-stop site for taxis: http://taxisingapore.com/

Communications: Communication services are excellent. 3G wireless services have been available since 2005. Household broadband penetration rate stands at a high 152.1% and mobile phone penetration at 137.6%. Free Wi-Fi is available at select hot-spots, including the hotel you would be staying at, Furama City Centre. Broadband internet will also be available in your hotel room.

International country code: +65

Internet country code: .sg