Singapore is an island nation in Southeast Asia. Founded as a
British trading colony in 1819, after independence it became one of
the most prosperous countries, with the world's leading trading
port. Combining the skyscrapers and subways of a modern affluent
city with a mixed mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay influences, a
luscious tropical climate, delicious food, great shopping and
vibrant nightlife, this garden city is a great stopover or launch
pad in the region.
Singapore is a microcosm of Asia populated
by Chinese, Malays, Indians and a large number of workers and
emigrants from all over the globe (here they are called expatriates
or ex-pats, ex-pats). A notoriously authoritarian state, with
unexpected fines such as not flushing a toilet, Singapore has partly
earned its reputation for sterile predictability, which has
attracted cynically derisive descriptions like William Gibson's
"Disneyland with the death penalty" or "the world's only shopping
mall that is a member of the United Nations" . In fact, this Asian
Switzerland is for many a joyful relief from the poverty, chaos and
crime of much of the Asian continent. And times are changing, strict
orders develop into soft cultural norms. In general, if you dig into
a squeaky clean surface, you will reveal much more than meets the
eye.
Singapore's food and shops are legendary, part of the
national character. You can try to talk to a Singaporean about
politics, the weather, sports, but nothing will engage them as
vividly as your story about a new stall selling $2.50 (SGD)
vermicelli soup around the corner from the third alley of the
district bazaar. After listening carefully to you, finding out the
smallest details of the plot along the way, your interlocutor will
then definitely and in detail share the secret of the location of
the real best soup tray, cheaper by 10 cents and with less unhealthy
soy sauce. And no wonder if you, too, fall prey to the pulsating
hawker centres, 24-hour cheap food cafes from all parts of Asia, and
over-luggage by shopping in the shopping paradise of Orchard Road.
In recent years, some social restrictions have been relaxed, and
you can now garter jump from heights or dance on a bar all night
long, although alcohol is still very expensive and chewing gum can
only be bought at a pharmacy. The first casino opened in 2009 as
part of Singapore's new Fun and Entertainment program aimed at
doubling the number of tourists and extending their stay in the
country. Get ready for more indulgences in the future!
The first mention of Singapore is found in the Chinese chronicles of
the III century. The island was a stronghold of the Srivijaya Empire,
centered on Sumatra, and bore the Javanese name Tumasik. Tumasik was an
important shopping center for a while, but then it fell into disrepair.
Very little evidence has been preserved about him, except for some
archaeological finds.
In the XV—XVI centuries. Singapore was part
of the Sultanate of Johor. During the Dutch-Portuguese War of 1617,
Singapore was attacked by Portuguese troops.
The British Governor-General of Bencoolen, Stamford Raffles, arrived
in Singapore on January 28, 1819 and soon saw the potential for the
construction of a new port on the island. Formally, at that time the
island was owned by the Sultanate of Johor, which was controlled by the
Dutch and Bugians and did not want to have ties with the British.
Nevertheless, his officials were more loyal to the sultan's elder
brother, who claimed his throne. Raffles knew this and, having no
authority to do so, declared him the legitimate sultan and offered a
salary of $3,000-5,000. In return, the new sultan granted the British a
trading platform in Singapore and the right to rule the island. The
formal agreement was signed on February 6, 1819. This is how modern
Singapore was born.
Before Raffles arrived, the island was
inhabited by only about 1,000 local Malays and a small community of
Chinese. By 1860, Singapore's population had grown rapidly to 80,000
under the dominance of the Chinese community. Many of the early settlers
came to work on the pepper and gambier plantations. Later, in the 1890s,
when the rubber industry was established, the island became a center for
the production and export of rubber and tin.
In 1867, Singapore
became a colony of Great Britain, the British attached great importance
to Singapore as an important stronghold on the way to China.
During World War II, the Japanese Empire occupied Malaya and won the
Battle of Singapore, despite the significant superiority of the British
in manpower (this was the result of a strategic miscalculation — the
British expected the Japanese to attack from the sea, and they marched
through Malaya by land and attacked Singapore from a less fortified
side). On February 15, 1942, Singapore was occupied by Japan until its
defeat in September 1945.
Since 1951, Singapore has become a
self-governing state within the British Empire, and after the 1959
elections, Lee Kuan Yew took over the post of Prime Minister.
In 1963, as a result of a referendum, Singapore joined the Federation
of Malaysia, along with the State of the Federation of Malaya and the
former British colonies of North Borneo and Sarawak.
On August 7,
1965, as a result of the conflict, Singapore seceded from the Federation
of Malaysia and declared independence on August 9, 1965. Singapore's
exit turned out to be relatively painless, since the Federation's
leadership believed that its stay in Malaysia severely disrupted the
ethnic balance in favor of the Chinese population.
At the time of independence, Singapore was a small, poor country that
had to import even fresh water and construction sand. Neighboring
countries were unfriendly, and a third of the population sympathized
with the Communists. Lee Kuan Yew described himself and his associates
as "a group of bourgeois, English-educated leaders."
The economic
development strategy of Lee Kuan Yew's government was based on the
transformation of Singapore into a financial and trade center of
Southeast Asia, as well as on attracting foreign investors. "We welcomed
every investor… We just went out of our way to help him start
production," Lee Kuan Yew wrote. The country's leadership attached great
importance to gaining the trust of investors. For example, during the
1973 oil crisis, Lee Kuan Yew personally notified representatives of oil
corporations that Singapore (unlike many other countries) would not
limit the turnover of oil and fuel in warehouses in any way, much less
expropriate them. Each large company that showed interest in Singapore
was assigned a special government official who "worked with them day and
night, immediately providing any information they needed, and did not
lag behind them until they finally agreed to visit Singapore." As a
result of a targeted policy, "American multinational corporations have
laid the foundation for Singapore's large-scale high-tech industry," and
this small state has become, in particular, a major electronics
manufacturer. At the same time, "American electronics companies created
so many jobs that unemployment was no longer a problem."
At the
same time, customs tariffs were abolished, which led to the bankruptcy
of inefficient enterprises producing cars, refrigerators and
televisions. When Lee Kuan Yew asked Mercedes' CFO how long Singapore
would have to maintain a protectionist tariff to support a local car
assembly plant, he received the answer "always." "We did not hesitate to
cancel tariffs and let the plant go bankrupt," Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his
memoirs.
Upon gaining independence, Singapore suffered from high
corruption. Lee Kuan Yew described the situation in this way:
"Corruption is one of the features of the Asian lifestyle. People openly
accepted the reward, it was a part of their lives." The fight against
corruption began "by simplifying decision-making procedures and removing
any ambiguity in the laws as a result of issuing clear and simple rules,
up to the abolition of permits and licensing." Judges' salaries were
sharply raised, and "the best private lawyers" were recruited to
judicial positions. The salary of a Singaporean judge reached several
hundred thousand dollars a year (in the 1990s — over $ 1 million).
Triads (organized criminal groups) were severely suppressed. Police
personnel were replaced from predominantly Malays to predominantly
Chinese (this process was accompanied by excesses, and Lee Kuan Yew
personally came to the location of the rebellious Malay policemen to
negotiate). Civil servants in positions of responsibility have had their
salaries raised to the level typical for top managers of private
corporations. An independent body was established to combat corruption
in the highest echelons of government (investigations were initiated
even against Lee Kuan Yew's close relatives). A number of ministers and
senior officials convicted of corruption were either sentenced to
various terms of imprisonment, committed suicide, or fled the country.
Among them were long-time associates of Lee Kuan Yew, for example,
Minister of Environmental Protection Wee Tung Boon. As a result,
Singapore (according to international ratings) has become one of the
least corrupt countries in the world.
Lee Kuan Yew emphasized in
his memoirs that he constantly enforced the principle of the rule of law
and equality of all before the law, including senior officials and his
relatives. The country's legislative system was inherited from English
colonial rule.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the education system was
reformed. There were many different national schools in Singapore that
received uniform minimum standards. English has become compulsory in all
schools, universities have been transferred to teaching in English. The
government spent large sums on educating Singaporean students at the
best universities in the world.
The Government attached great
importance to making the majority of the population homeowners. In the
1960s, a mortgage lending system was created, housing construction
increased dramatically, and by 1996 only 9% of apartments were rented
out, and the rest were occupied by owners. This is also helped by the
real estate tax, which is 3.7% of the potential rental price for the
resident owner and 10% for real estate for rent.
From 1965 to
1990, the per capita GDP in the country increased from 400 to 12.2
thousand. In the next decade, Singapore became one of the ten richest
countries in the world. The changes that took place went down in history
as the "Singapore economic miracle."
In 1990, Lee Kuan Yew resigned as Prime Minister. The country's
economy continued to develop at an accelerated pace, and the value of
GDP per capita in the early 2000s exceeded the corresponding indicator
of the United States.
On August 10, 2004, the 63-year-old Prime
Minister of Singapore, Goh Chok Tong, who held this post for 14 years,
submitted an official resignation to the President of the Republic, S.
R. Nathan. The government was headed by 52-year—old Li Xianlong, the
eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, who also took the post of finance minister.
The 80-year-old Lee Kuan Yew himself, who held the position of senior
minister after his departure from power, received the status of an
adviser to the government (he held it until 2011).
In 2004, Li
Xianlong's wife Ho Chin took the position of executive director of the
largest state-owned holding Temasek, which was repeatedly criticized.
She retired in 2021.
The ruling People's Action Party (HDP) won
61% of the vote in the 1991 elections, which was the worst result in its
history. But in 2006, 67% of voters voted for her, in 2015 — 70%. In
2020, the party gained 61% after several senior members left it, saying
that the HDP had "lost its way" in terms of transparency, independence
and accountability, deviating from the fundamental principles of its
founding fathers.
In April 2022, Li Xianlong announced that
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong would be the next Prime Minister of
Singapore, as he was chosen to succeed other members of the government.
Only one and a half degrees north of the equator,
there are no seasons, and the weather is usually sunny. It usually
rains almost every day in the form of sudden heavy showers that
rarely last more than an hour. However, most precipitation occurs
during the northeast monsoon (November to January), sometimes with
long periods of continuous rain. Spectacular thunderstorms happen
regularly, usually in the afternoon, so it makes sense to carry an
umbrella all the time, both for shade from the sun and as shelter
from the rain.
Between May and October, forest fires on the
neighboring Indonesian island. Sumatra can cause a thick haze, but
it is unpredictable and comes and goes quickly. See the National
Environment Agency website for current data.
Average monthly
temperatures:
26 °C during the day - 24 °C at night in
December-January
31°C during the day - 26°C at night during the
rest of the year.
High temperatures and humidity, combined
with a lack of wind and almost equally hot nights, can take their
toll on tourists from the colder parts of the planet. Keep in mind
that spending more than 1 hour outdoors can be very exhausting,
especially when combined with extra exercise. Singaporeans
themselves are shying away from the heat, and for good reason. Many
live in air-conditioned apartments, work in air-conditioned
institutions, ride air-conditioned subways to air-conditioned malls
connected by underground passages, and exercise in air-conditioned
fitness clubs.
Follow their lead to avoid discomfort.
Districts
Singapore is a small country on a small island, but
with four million people, it is a densely populated city. Consisting
roughly of Orchard, Riverside and a chunk of Chinatown, the city
center in cut-throat Singapore is called CBD (CBC), Central Business
District, Central Business District.
Balestier, Newton, Novena
and Toa Payoh are inexpensive accommodations and Burmese temples not
far from the center.
Bugis and Kampong Glam is Singapore's old
Malay district, now mostly filled with large department stores,
although Arab Street within Kampong Glam is well worth a visit for
its eclectic mix of quirky shops and restaurants.
Chinatown
(China-city) - the area originally set aside for the Chinese
settlement by Stamford Raffles.
East Coast (east coast) - in the
predominantly bedroom eastern part of the island is the Changi
airport and many famous zucchini. Katong is famous for its Peranakan
dishes such as laksa. Joo Chiat has several well-restored Peranakan
houses with characteristically elegant architecture.
Little India
(little India) - a piece of India north of the center.
North and
West - also known as Woodlands and Jurong respectively, make up the
residential and industrial areas of Singapore.
Orchard Road -
Kilometers upon kilometers of shops, department stores and malls
Riverside - Museums, statues, theaters, not to mention restaurants,
bars and clubs
Sentosa is a separate island, systematically
developed into a resort, the Singapore cousin of Disneyland.
Singapore has 4 official languages: English, Chinese (Putonghua), Malay and Tamil. Residents of the country, in addition to their native language, almost always speak English and sometimes in addition another language.
Singapore Airlines flies daily on the
Moscow-Singapore route (just over 10 hours).
In addition, you can
take advantage of the regular flights of Emirates Airlines (daily, via
Dubai), Qatar Airways (three times a week, via Doha), Thai Airways
(three times a week, via Bangkok), Etihad Airways (three times a week,
via Abu- Dabi).
It is also possible to fly via Frankfurt
(Lufthansa plus Singapore Airlines), Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam
Airlines), Seoul (Korean Airlines), Shanghai (China Eastern) or Tokyo
(Japan Airlines).
Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines, Etihad
Airways and China Eastern also fly from Belarus and Ukraine to
Singapore.
Singapore has very strict laws against drugs:
illegal trafficking is punishable by death, which also applies to
foreigners. As elsewhere, travelers should be vigilant about their
luggage. Paranoids should also note that in Singapore it is a crime to
have any drugs in the body, even if they were consumed outside the
country.
The duty-free allowance for alcohol is 1 liter of
spirits, 1 liter of wine and 1 liter of beer per person. Cigarettes
cannot be imported duty-free at all, apart from one open pack.
Foreigners can choose to either pay the fee or leave it to customs for
safekeeping until departure; locals have only a choice between paying
for or witnessing the destruction of cigarettes.
Getting around Singapore is easy: the transport system is one of the
best in the world. The main types of metro are MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)
and LRT (Light Rail Transit). Inexpensive and reliable, their network
covers almost all points of interest for tourists. Pay only with a smart
card, which can be bought from machines or at the cashier, the price
depends on the distance and varies from 0.80 to 2.00 Singaporean
dollars. Transfers are free. Please note that in Singapore "subway"
means "underpass".
By bus
Buses connect various corners of
Singapore. You can pay in cash, but you need to change, so it's easiest
to use a card. When boarding, in front of the bus, you need to touch the
card to the counter, and the maximum fare will be charged from it. When
exiting, you need to touch again, and then the price difference will be
returned. Controllers sometimes work on the lines.
By taxi
Taxis are relatively inexpensive, but with a complex system of
surcharges for calling by phone, at night, driving through the center,
holidays, rush hours, etc. - they all show on the meter. Credit cards
are not always accepted and the service costs an additional 15%.
Tricycles with a cart (traishaw, trishaw) are designed mainly for
tourists, and hunt them in Kitay-gorod and along the river. You won’t
bargain here much: a short trip costs 10-20 Singapore dollars, and an
hour of a city tour is all 50. It is not recommended for targeted
movements.
By steamboat
Tourist bumboats glide along the
river, with good views of the city center. Ferries take you to the
uninhabited southern islands for picnicking and swimming in the
backwaters.
On foot
Singapore is the most walkable city in
Southeast Asia. Classic walks include trails along the river from the
Merlion Sea Lion statue to Quays Piers, and Chinatown, Little India and
Bugis. The only inevitable obstacle is the tropical heat and humidity.
Carry handkerchiefs to wipe off sweat, and be sure to drink water. Break
up your walk with air-conditioned cafes, shops and museums. Avoid the
peak of the daytime heat by walking in the morning and afternoon.
Crossing the street in the wrong place can be punished by imprisonment.
Addresses
In the center of Singapore, the address system is
familiar, for example, 17 Orchard Road (Sadovaya Street, 17), but in new
residential developments on the outskirts, it can be taken aback at
first: a typical address looks like “Blk 505 Jurong West St 51 #01-186”.
Here “Blk 505” is the number of the apartment block, “Jurong West St 51”
is the name of the street, and “#01-186” means the first floor,
apartment or trading place 186. .) The first digit of the number of both
the block and the street is the number of the subdistrict (in this case,
5), which simplifies the search. A six-digit postal code, given the size
of the island, usually corresponds to exactly one building. For example,
"Blk 9 Bedok South Ave 2" is "Singapore 460009" or "S460009". A useful
way to look up addresses is the free Singapore Street Directory on the
web. Most taxis have a street directory for the unlikely event that the
driver doesn't know how to take you.
Due to its diverse population, Singapore celebrates
Chinese, Muslim, Indian and Christian holidays. The year kicks off with
a bang with the European New Year and is celebrated, as in the West,
with fireworks and parties at every holiday spot in the city. The
frenzied fun with wet foam on the beaches of the resort island of
Sentosa is especially famous - at least in those years when the
authorities condescendingly allow such relative debauchery.
However, thanks to the influence of the Chinese majority, the biggest
event is by far the Chinese New Year (or, politically correct, Lunar New
Year), usually held in February. The festival lasts for at least 42
days, but the wild anticipation of the climax occurs on the eve of the
night of the new moon, with exclamations of "gon zi fa cai"
("congratulations and prosperity"), red tinsel, tangerines, oranges,
ubiquitous pictures of the zodiac animal and crowds of buyers in queues
of Kitay-gorod. The next two days are spent with the family, and most of
the island dies out, and then life returns to normal ... except for the
final splash of Chingay (Chingey) - a colorful parade along Sadovaya
Street ten days later.
In 2007, the parade is held on February 24
at 19:00, starting from Sadovaya Orhcard Road. Like last year, there
will also be a preview on February 23 at 7:30 pm – in fact, giving away
two parades. After the parade on the 24th, Orchard Road will be divided
into three festive zones. Between Paragon and Ng Ann City there will be
samba and belly dancers. Between Heeren and Meritus Mandarin is hip-top.
Between Faber House/Somerset MRT and Orchard Plaza/Killiney Road is a
children's carnival. These zones will be open from 21:30 to 23:30.
Prices
Singapore uses the Singapore dollar (SGD).
Sometimes Brunei dollars can also be found in circulation, they,
according to interstate agreements, go in Singapore on a par with their
own Singaporean money at the denomination indicated on the banknote,
without exchange.
In January 2013, 1 US dollar ($) was equal to
approximately 1.22 Singapore dollars (S$).
Chinese
cuisine, seafood dishes, sushi are popular in the country. Popular
national dishes: nasi lemak (coconut pulp, scrambled eggs, anchovies,
cucumber wedges and some chili paste wrapped in wrapping paper or a
banana leaf), eh tarik (clove milk tea), chendol (coconut milk drink
with brown sugar , pieces of green starch and red beans). For an example
of prices, 400 ml of beer in restaurants along the riverfront costs 7-8
S$, one omelette is 3 S$,
Leaving a "tip" in Singapore is
optional. However, no one will refuse them. Most hotels and restaurants,
not relying on the awareness of customers, themselves include an
additional 10-15% "for service" in the bill.
Indian and Malay
food should only be eaten with the right hand. Chopsticks are never left
in a plate of food, but placed on a special stand or on a table near the
plate. If the serving includes two spoons, you need to eat with a
porcelain spoon, and with a silver one - only serve food.
There are no bad hotels in Singapore, even 2-3☆ are quite up to par. City-type hotels: without territory, multi-storey, with conference rooms equipped with the latest technology. All the world's hotel chains are represented in the country, plus the Chinese chain Oriental and the southeastern Shangri La. But in the China Town area (Chinese City, a few blocks from the center) you can find a series of small hotels with very "modest" amenities. For example, the G Hotel has double rooms with an area of about 9 square meters. meters completely without windows. The room has a double bed, a bedside table, a shelf-table on the wall, air conditioning and a TV (5 channels of local TV of medium quality), there may be a stool-chair. There is a shower with toilet and washbasin. There is no food, in the morning you can make tea or coffee in the Internet room. The cost of such a room in December 2011 is 120 USD (160 S$)!
The moon is visible from the equator in the
supine position. On the coat of arms of Singapore, he is depicted like
this: see paper money and coins.
Singapore has the nickname “fine
city”, which means both “beautiful city” and “city of fines”: the word
“fine” has two meanings. The city has strict laws regarding even minor
offenses that usually get away with it in other countries. For example,
it is forbidden to cross the street not on the transition or at a red
light, to eat and drink in public transport, to spit, to litter. This
has made Singapore as clean and safe, even at night, as it is, although
in recent times the indulgence is also felt in the field of law
enforcement.
Toilets usually have at least one "Asian" toilet -
flush with the floor. It is believed to be healthier.
Driving is
on the left, be careful when crossing the streets: cars turn from an
unexpected direction!
Bringing drugs into Singapore is punishable
by death. In addition, the import of chewing gum into the country is
prohibited: violation of this ban can result in a fine or even
imprisonment for up to a year. It is forbidden to chew gum on the
street, and especially spit it out on the sidewalk. This can result in a
huge fine. Since the beginning of 2009, a customs duty of about SGD 7
per pack has been levied on the import of cigarettes, the receipt of
payment must be kept until the end of the trip. At Singapore's Changi
Airport, the rule is strictly observed: one person - one piece of hand
luggage. Gambling and chewing gum are prohibited in the country. For
garbage thrown on the street, a fine of 500 SGD is due, and for a second
violation, they may well be sent to prison. Smoking in closed public
places, buses, elevators, cinemas, theaters, government offices,
restaurants and shops is prohibited by law, the fine is even steeper -
1000 SGD. And on the street, smoking is allowed only in specially
designated places, usually either where it is written, or near green
bins with an ashtray in its upper part. Smoking on the go is prohibited.
The fine for crossing the road in the wrong place is 500 SGD, the same
amount will have to be paid for driving in a car without a seat belt
fastened.
electricity – 230V/50Hz (English socket)
phone code - +65
time zone — UTC +8, Moscow +4h
Embassy of the
Russian Federation in Singapore: Postal address: 51 Nassim Road,
Singapore 258439
Phones: (65) 6235 1832; (65) 6235 1834 - on duty
(24 hours) (65) 6737 0048 - Consular Section (working days, from 10:00
to 12:00 h.h.)
Fax: (65) 6733 4780