Singapore, officially the Republic of
Singapore, is a sovereign city-state and island country in
maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of
latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator,
off the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, and, by
extension, the southernmost extremity of continental
Eurasia. The island country is wedged between western
Indonesia and peninsular Malaysia, sharing its southern
maritime border with the Batam, Bintan, and Karimun
archipelago of the former's Riau Islands province, and its
northern, western, and eastern maritime borders with the
latter's Johor state; it is additionally in the vicinity of
Sumatra to its west and Borneo to its east. Singapore is
enveloped by the littoral waters of the Johore Strait to its
north and the Singapore Strait to its south, and is within
the confluence of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, being
bounded by the Malacca Strait to its west and the South
China Sea to its east. The country's territory, which is
archipelagic, is composed of one main island, 63 satellite
islands and islets, and one outlying islet, the combined
area of which has increased by 25% since the country's
independence as a result of extensive land reclamation
projects.
Singapore is one of the five founding members of ASEAN, is
the headquarters of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) Secretariat and Pacific Economic Cooperation Council
(PECC) Secretariat, is a member of the United Nations, World
Trade Organization, East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement,
and the Commonwealth of Nations, and is a recurrent guest
invitee to the annual G20 summit; its outsized influence on
global affairs, relative to its size, has led to it being
classified as a middle power. The country is the most
developed sovereign nation in Asia, being ranked 9th on the
UN Human Development Index, and has the 7th highest GDP per
capita in the world. It is also considered by Transparency
International to be the most incorruptible nation in Asia,
and the fifth most incorruptible worldwide. Singapore is
placed highly in key social indicators: education,
healthcare, quality of life, personal safety and housing,
with a home-ownership rate of 91%. Singaporeans enjoy one of
the world's longest life expectancies and one of the lowest
infant mortality rates in the world. As a city, Singapore is
classified as an Alpha+ global city, and is the only country
in Asia with an AAA sovereign rating from all major rating
agencies. It is a major financial and shipping hub,
consistently ranked the most expensive city to live in since
2013, and has been identified as a tax haven. Singapore is
also a popular tourist destination, with well-known
landmarks such as the Merlion, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by
the Bay, the Jewel, the Orchard Road shopping belt, the
resort island of Sentosa, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens,
the only tropical garden in the world to be honoured as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The
Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares (250
acres) in the Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to the
Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens:
Bay South Garden (in Marina South), Bay East Garden (in Marina
East) and Bay Central Garden (in Downtown Core and Kallang). The
largest of the gardens is the Bay South Garden at 54 hectares
(130 acres) designed by Grant Associates. Its Flower Dome is the
largest glass greenhouse in the world.
Gardens by the Bay was part of the nation's plans to transform
its "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden", with the aim of
raising the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in
the city. First announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at
Singapore's National Day Rally in 2005, Gardens by the Bay was
intended to be Singapore's premier urban outdoor recreation
space, and a national icon.
Universal
Studios Singapore is a theme park located within Resorts
World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It features 28
rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It was
a key component of Genting's bid for the right to build
Singapore's second integrated resort. On 8 December 2006,
the Singapore government announced that the consortium had
won the bid. Construction of the theme park and the rest of
the resort started on 19 April 2007. It is the second
Universal Studios theme park to open in Asia (Japan being
the first), and the first in Southeast Asia. The official
plans for the park were unveiled to the public when
Universal Studios Singapore released a park map to the
public on 20 October 2009. Universal Studios Singapore
attracted more than 2 million visitors in the 9 months from
its opening.
The park has been marketed by Universal Parks & Resorts as a
"one-of-its-kind theme park in Asia" and promised that the
park would be the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia for
the next 30 years.
Clarke
Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore,
located within the Singapore River Planning Area. The
quay is situated upstream from the mouth of the
Singapore River and Boat Quay.
At present, five blocks of restored warehouses house
various restaurants and nightclubs. There are also
moored Chinese junks (tongkangs) that have been
refurbished into floating pubs and restaurants. The
Cannery is one of the anchor tenants of the place. There
are over 5 different concepts in one block. Another
anchor tenant, The Arena, will be home to Singapore's
First Permanent Illusion Show (starting August 2008)
starring J C Sum and 'Magic Babe' Ning. The G-MAX
reverse bungee, the first in Singapore, is located at
the entrance which opened in November 2003. Notable
restaurants and nightclubs include Hooters and
Indochine. River cruises and river taxis on the
Singapore River can be accessed from Clarke Quay. One of
its most popular attractions is its exciting host of
CQ's signature events happening once every quarter.
Clark Quay has become known as a hub of Singaporean
nightclubs including Zirca, and up until 2008, the
Ministry of Sound. Now it hosts the Singaporean
nightlife institution, Zouk, after it moved from its
previous home on Jiak Kim Road.
Sentosa
Island, known mononymously as Sentosa, is an island
located off the southern coast of Singapore's main
island. The island is separated from the main island of
Singapore by a channel of water, the Keppel Harbour, and
is adjacent to Pulau Brani, a smaller island wedged
between Sentosa and the main island.
Formerly used as a British military base and then a
Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, the island was renamed
Sentosa and was planned to be a popular tourist
destination. It is now home to a popular resort that
receives more than twenty million visitors per year.
Attractions include a 2 km (1.2 mi) long sheltered
beach, Madame Tussauds Singapore, Kidzania, an extensive
Cable Car network, Fort Siloso, two golf courses, 14
hotels and the Resorts World Sentosa, which features the
Universal Studios Singapore theme park and one of
Singapore's two casinos, the other being Marina Bay
Sands.
Sentosa is also widely known as being the location of
the 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit,
where North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S.
President Donald Trump met at the Capella Hotel located
on the island. This was the first-ever meeting between
the leaders of North Korea and the United States.