One of the smallest states in the world - Singapore - is located on 63 islands in the Indian Ocean. It is an island state, a city-country with a population of about 6 people per 1 sq. m. with a unique climate, rich history attracts mainly sophisticated tourists and fans of oriental culture.
History of Singapore
In ancient times, the island was called Tumasik and was a haven for fishermen and pirates. In the 15th century, the island was part of the Malay Sultanate of Johor and was a major trading port. The island became a British colony in 1867 and began to develop rapidly, earning the title of the eastern pearl of the British crown.
In the winter of 1942, after fierce fighting, the city was occupied by Japanese troops and difficult times fell on the population. The Japanese turned the island into a prison and renamed the city Senan. After the defeat of Japan in 1945, Britain was unable to regain its influence over Singapore, people yearned for freedom and independence.
Modern Singapore
As a result of lengthy diplomatic negotiations and ultimatums, Singapore acquired the status of a parliamentary republic in 1965. The newly gained independence and wise government transformed one of the poorest countries in the world into a highly developed state with the highest standard of living in Asia.
Singapore has very favorable conditions for doing business, which attracts a large number of investors investing in the economy. Singapore banks are consistently among the top 10 most reliable banks in the world. Corruption has practically been wiped out in the republic, it is not even customary to tip.
Modern Singapore has a very low crime rate, possibly due to the fact that the country still has the death penalty, for example, for drug trafficking. The system of sufficiently high fines ensures order and cleanliness in the streets. Chewing gum thrown on the street will be fined 500 Singapore dollars, for smoking indoors a thousand.
Recreation and entertainment in Singapore
The climate in Singapore is equatorial, the air temperature in January is only 2 degrees colder than in July, the islands are warm and humid all year round, rains are abundant, but short-lived. Despite the comfortable weather and many islands, beach holidays in Singapore are not popular. The huge docks of the international port of Singapore occupy a significant area of the coast.
The exception is the beaches of Sentosa Island. Everything on the island is equipped for a comfortable beach holiday: clean cabanas, an indoor pavilion in case of a tropical rainstorm, showers and an amusement park with attractions. All three beaches of the island are public and free.
There is also plenty of fun on land. One cannot ignore the world's largest Ferris wheel, which lifts 28 capsules with passengers to a height of 165 meters. The city is beautiful by daylight and magnificent at night, the attraction is open from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm.
To the fountain of wealth, entered in the Guinness Book of Records, queues of people wishing to perform the ritual of fulfilling desires line up. It is necessary to go around the small bowl of the fountain clockwise three times and touch the water jets with the palm of your hand. For this purpose, the upper jets are specially switched off several times a day. Well, in the evening the fountain turns into a site for a laser show, which can be watched from many parts of the city.
Features of Singapore
The city of Singapore strikes with its contrast - ethnic quarters are located among the mirrored skyscrapers. The inhabitants of the country profess various religions, Hindu, Taoist and Buddhist temples peacefully coexist next to Islamic mosques and Christian churches. The population respects the different beliefs and characteristics of the guests, but Singapore is a very chaste country, and too open outfits and cheeky behavior cause general condemnation.
Singapore is unique in that the metropolis was built in full observance of the canons of the teachings of Feng Shui. The location and architecture of buildings, the locations of parks and the direction of traffic (left-hand traffic) are consistent with the ancient science of energy flow. This can be viewed with skepticism, but in 2012, Singapore took first place in the ranking of "The World's Healthiest Countries".
