Singapore is located in Southeast Asia, and it even has a large world-class international airport. It is a country that will always surprise its tourists and the world. Officially known as the Republic of Singapore, this is a country and a city in Southeast Asia.
Singapore is famous for many things, such as unique skyscrapers, innovative architecture, mouth-watering cuisine, multicultural citizens, and many more.
However, this country also has some interesting facts and history that will never fail to amaze you. So, in this article, we will now discuss some interesting facts about Singapore.
- Fastest pedestrians in the world
As a result of living in such a lively, fast-paced city, Singapore now holds the title of having the fastest pedestrians or movers in the world.
In a study done by the British Council, observing different kinds of cities in the world, Singapore ranked first in the list with an average walking speed of almost 6.15 kilometers per hour.
- Merlion is the symbol of Singapore
Merlion has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It is the symbol and also the official mascot of Singapore. However, it is not “a real” mythical creature, as British ichthyologist Alex Fraser-Brunner designed it in 1964 for the Singapore Tourism Board.
The symbol of fish represents the humble origins of Singapore as a fishing village known as Temasek, later named ‘Lion City’ or Singapore, hence, explaining the lion’s head.
- Singapore has its own dialect
Singapore is full of people with different dialects. The four official languages of this country are Chinese, English, Tamil, and Malay. Though most people of Singapore can speak at least one, which is a dialect that is a blend of all those languages, and that unique language is called Singlish.
Singlish is a complicated English-based dialect that includes ending sentences with ‘lah’ for emphasis.
- You can get caned in Singapore
As Singapore was a Victorian British colony, then canning was only one of those things that were introduced into the Straits and Malaya Settlements of that time, one of which was Singapore.
People may get canned not only for vandalizing but also for rioting, sexual abuse, drug abuse, and many more. This punishment is applied to bare buttocks; however, women are exempt.
- Singapore was founded by British
This city, once called Singapura, was founded by the British. In the 14th century, the last king of Singapura fled after being attacked. From the evidence, it was suggested that the whole place was abandoned at that time.
Then it was nothing but a small-time trading outpost when in 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles rocked up and established Fort Canning.
- The world’s largest fountain
The fountain of wealth, located in Singapore’s Suntec City, is the world’s biggest fountain, and it is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It has an area of 1683 square meters, a circumference of almost 66 meters, and a height of about 14 meters; hence, it is quite the spectacle.
This beautiful fountain features laser performances at night and also is turned off during specific times of the day. During those off0times, pedestrians and walkers-by are invited to search for the coins that have been thrown in for good luck.
- The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is a reserve that has been protected since 1883. Also, this protected reserve is the last substantial rainforest of this country.
This nature reserve has been protected from deforestation and logging and has one of the most diverse ecological systems in the world. Actually, this reserve has more tree species than the entire North American continent.
- Singapore has compulsory Military conscription
As this country is paranoid about its neighbors, it made National Service compulsory on March 15, 1967, for all male 18-year-old citizens of Singapore and permanent residents.
- The national anthem of Singapore is printed on its s$1000 note
Banknotes in this country have a lot of micro text you can barely read. Most of those say “Monetary Authority of Singapore” into infinity. However, the S00 bill of this country has the entire national anthem of Singapore on the back in the micro text.
Also, this country is one of the three surviving city-states. Hence, Singapore doesn’t have capital. The other two are Vatican City and San Marino.
- This country is referred to as the Garden City
Though people think of this country as a skyscraper-ridden megacity; however, that is not the actual case.
Singapore is a country dedicated to significant “greening” efforts. It can be recognized for its tree-lined streets and rising number of green buildings and rooftop gardens overflowing with different types of tropical plants, which can be a perfect way to help the environment.
- One of the islands of Singapore has a dark history
Sentosa Island is a place that has high-end glitz and glamor and is also home to a sheltered beach that is 1.2 miles in length. It even has a casino, two golf courses, Universal Studios Singapore, a unique resort, and also 14 other hotels.
However, previously, it was a British military base featuring Fort Siloso. Also, when Singapore was captured by the Japanese in the year 1942, this fort became a horrifying POW camp.
- Singapore includes 63 islands
This city state, Singapore, comprises 63 small islands, most of which are uninhabitable. This country’s entire territory, Singapore, comprises just one main island and 62 islets.
Since the independence of Singapore in 1959, it has undergone huge land reclamation by developing new land from rivers, lakes, and oceans; and has increased its size by 23 percent.
However, this country has been accused of purchasing too much sand from Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia, which has led to a couple of blockades and protests in the sand trade.
- It is always hot in Singapore
As this country is just less than 100 miles from the Equator, it only has a tropical rainforest climate and no other seasons. Here the temperature is always between 25 to 35 degrees Celsius or 77 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you can say it is always hot in Singapore.
- The largest vertical garden in the world
Another amazing fact about Singapore is that, in 2014, the Tree House condominium created a Guinness World Record for hosting the largest vertical garden in the world. It has four state-of-the-art towers of 24,638.59 square feet of greenery, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and even minimize heat absorption with heat-reducing windows.
- The largest glass greenhouse
Singapore has an amazing nature park that takes up almost 101 hectares of reclaimed land. This waterfront garden located by the Bay includes three gardens: Bay East Garden, Bay South Garden, and Bay Central Garden.
The largest bay is mainly the Bay South Garden, of 54-hectare area, which includes the Flower Dome, the world’s largest glass greenhouse.
- The UNESCO World Heritage Site
Singapore is a green city; however, the historic Singapore Botanic Gardens has attracted attention. This tropical garden is 150 years old and also the country’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The national drink of Singapore
The Singapore Sling is considered the national drink of this country. This drink was created for the first time in 1915 at the colonial-style, iconic luxury hotel Raffles Hotel. Well-known throughout the world, this unique drink is a must-try for all the tourists of Singapore.
Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender, first invented this drink. This gin-based drink includes lime juice, pineapple juice, cherry brandy, grenadine Dom Benedictine, Cointreau, and Angostura biters.
- National Children’s Day
Since the time 1st of October 1961, the entire country has celebrated National Children’s Day by offering gifts and treats to kids under the age of 12. The Friday of that week is also announced as a public holiday, and kids are allowed the day off from school and homework. Hence, they can relax and play.
- The ‘hug me’ Cola-Cola Machine
To spread happiness every day, Coca-Cola has designed an unusual and fun vending machine in Singapore that asks for a hug rather than money in exchange for a can of coke. This successful marketing campaign was on campus at the National University of Singapore.
- The World Toilet Organization
In 2001, this toilet-passionate city-state of Singapore proposed making ‘World Toilet Day’ on November 19. At that time, 122 countries supported the idea, and the WTO or World Toilet Organization started. This aimed to solve a serious world sanitation crisis by offering safe, clean toilets for everybody.
- The best place to enjoy mouth-watering food
Eating at a Hawker stand is a perfect thing to do on any Singapore itinerary. Regional Chinese dishes, such as lor mee and Hainanese chicken, Malay favorites like nasi goreng, Indian thali sets, and a bunch of other tantalizing delights, can be enjoyed at Singapore’s hawker centers.
The hawker centers have dedicated stall outlets, each with plenty of tables, benches, chairs, and a health rating. The largest one is the Chinatown Complex Food Center, with 260 food stalls.
- Here littering is a serious crime
In Singapore, littering is a serious offense. If found littering tine items, one must pay SGD 300 as a fine. In contrast, littering larger things like bottles and cans can bring you Corrective Work Order, wherein you must wear a bright green glowing vest and clean up a particular area. This is planned to shame you publicly and make you realize how difficult it is for the cleaners and sweepers.
So, Singapore has some colorful and interesting traits and facts that can attract many tourists and visitors.
At the end of this article, we have learned 22 fascinating facts about Singapore. These facts offer us a clear picture of this alluring and unique country. To get some additional amazing facts, you can see our website.
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)
