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The colours of the Singapore flag represent red for brotherhood and equality; white for purity and virtue. The crescent moon originally served as a symbol of assurance to the Malays in 1959 —the year the flag was designed— that Singapore was not a Chinese state. Today it is generally said that the moon signified a young nation rising. The flag was designed initially to have three stars, until leaders such as then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye expressed concern that Singapore might be perceived to have associations with the Malayan Communist Party, the flag of which also had three stars. The flag was originally meant to be red as red is a very traditional Chinese colour. But because of the fear of Communism in those days, a completely red flag was abandoned.

 

Dialling Codes

• From the UK – 00 65
• From Singapore to the UK – 00 44

http://www.dialcodesplus.com/

Languages

• The official language spoken in Singapore is Malay; this language is also the official language of Malaysia and Brunei.
• Worldwide Malay has a total of 20 – 30 million speakers.
• Other secondary and unofficial languages spoken in the country are English, Chinese, Mandarin and Tamil.

Currency

Singapore Dollar The currency is divided into 100 cents and follows the decimal system. ISO 4217 code is SGD Denomination Notes               Coins - 10000 S$         - 50 cent -   1000 S$         - 20 cent -     100 S$         - 10 cent -       50 S$         -  5 cent -       10 S$         -  1 cent  -         5 S$        -         2 S$ -         1 S$

Geography

• Singapore is located off the southernmost tip of the Malaysian peninsula. It is connected to Malaysia by a bridge and causeway.
• Geographic coordinates are 1 22N, 103 48E
• Total land area is now 650 sq. km, and is being steadily increased by reclamation.
• Singapore is also comprises 63 smaller islands, 24 of which are inhabited
• The main island is 42km long and 23km wide.
• The country has 193km of coastline and no land boundaries.
• The island is relatively low lying, with a highest point of 166m at Bukit Timah.
• About half of the island is separated into residential, commercial and industrial districts
• The climate is equatorial; temperatures do not fluctuate much throughout the year.
• The wettest months are December and January, with abundant rainfall throughout the year.
• Average daily maximum temperature is roughly 31 C

Time zones

• Singapore, SST
• GMT/UTC + 08:00 hours
• Summer DST not observed.