Singapore

Fact Sheet :

- Area : 692 sq km

- Population : 4,553,009 (July 2007 est.)

- Capital : Singapore

- Languages : Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil (official), English (official)

- Currency : Singapore dollar (SGD)

- Government type : parliamentary republic

- Elements of History :

Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.

- Climate :

tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon from December to March and Southwestern monsoon from June to September; inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunderstorms