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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 20 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Singapore
Sir Stamford Raffles. I can't find any source that says 18th c. British explorer Capt. Cook ever visited the island. Lee can be said to have established modern Singapore when he led it to independence in 1963. Codrington was the last colonial Governor. Raffles established a British trading post on the island in 1819. He is remembered for little else.
Malays. Singapore is now a Chinese dominated country, but the island was originally inhabited by a few hundred Malays, now the second largest ethnic group. The remainder are descended from settlers from the Indian subcontinent.
The Lion City. Singapore is an anglicised version of the Sanskrit for Lion City, and the latter name is still in use. The island was known as Temasek in medieval times but is no longer current. The Japanese conquerors briefly renamed Singapore Syonan (Light of the South) in WWII. Tiger Island would be appropriate, since tigers could be found there until the 1920s and lions are only found in Africa.
| In the 1990s a venerable British merchant bank was brought to its knees by something that happened in Singapore. What was that event? | Singapore: Random Trivia
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Unauthorised trading in financial futures. The bank was Barings, which was so stricken that it was bought by another bank for $1.50. The trader at Barings Singapore was Nick Leeson, who spent some years as a guest of the Singapore government in jail as a result.
More than 40,000. Yes, it's wise to be careful in this notoriously over-regulated state. Among things that can get you into trouble are dropping litter, leaving still water lying around in your house or workplace, and failing to lock your bicycle when not in use.
| When the British defenders surrendered Singapore to a Japanese force half its size in 1941, what was their principal reason? | Singapore: Random Trivia
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Concern about the water supply being cut off. In fact it was the Japanese who were out of ammunition and would not have been able to beat off a counter attack. Then, as now, Singapore relied on water piped from Malaya, and the British commanders thought (or said they thought) that if this was cut off it would endanger the civilian population.
| Where does Singapore rank in the global corruption table? (The lower the number the less corrupt) | Singapore: Random Trivia
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5th, equal with Sweden. Yep, you can be arrested for jay walking but it's no use trying to bribe the police officer! In case you're wondering, Finland is top and Nigeria bottom. Source:Transparency International http://www.transparency.org/cpi/2002/cpi2002.en.html
| Singapore has won one Olympic Medal since it started to send athletes to the games. In which sport was this honour gained? | Singapore: Random Trivia
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Weight Lifting, Rome 1964. Tan Howe Liang won silver for weightlifting in the 1964 Rome Olympics, the first year Singapore sent athletes to the games. It remains the only medal won by a Singaporean to date, although a table tennis player came close by being fourth at the last games in Sydney.
People's Action Party (PAP). PAP has been in power since independence, usually with more than 90% of the vote. Since none of the real opposition parties seem likely to win power any time soon I made the other choices up. Sentosa is a small island off the coast dedicated entirely to tourist attractions.
| The name "Singapore" is derived from Sanskrit. What is the meaning? | Singapore
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lion city. Malay legend has it that a Sumatran prince saw a lion when visiting the island where Singapore now stands. He took this as a good omen and decided to build a city.
| What is the name of Singapore's international airport? | Singapore
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Changi International Airport. Changi International Airport is an ultra-modern aviation facility and the hub city for Singapore's national carrier Singapore Airlines. In case you're wondering, Suntec City is a enormous quad tower shopping center!
| Who founded the first British colony in Singapore? | Singapore
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Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Nowadays the 'Raffles' name can be seen everywhere in Singapore - from shopping centers to streets to the famous Raffles Hotel. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles first arrived in Singapore in 1819.
'The Long Bar', which is found in Raffles Hotel, is well known as the place where the first 'Singapore Sling' (a cocktail) was mixed. Rudyard Kipling allegedly penned a few lines here also!
| What language is the medium of instruction in Singaporean schools? | Singapore
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English. Virtually everyone in Singapore is at least bilingual, and many people speak three or four languages. Although around 70% of Singaporeans are of Chinese descent, there is no dominant mother tongue in Singapore. An amazing seven languages are spoken as a mother tongue by more than five per cent of the population.
| If you are in Singapore and you decide to 'go across the causeway', what are you planning to do? | Singapore
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go to Malaysia. 'The Causeway' is a huge structure which links the main island of Singapore to the southern tip of Malaysia. Going across the causeway, there are numerous signs warning motorists against buying cheap Malaysian fuel. Fines have been imposed on offending drivers. This has been done to protect Singapore's gasoline retailers.
| What is the name of the famous street that runs through Singapore's main commercial district? | Singapore
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Orchard Road. Orchard Road is a true commercial utopia! It includes a four kilometer stretch of bustling shops and glitzy air conditioned shopping malls.
| Singapore's most popular tourist attraction is an island which is completely covered in amusement parks and museums. What is the name of this island? | Singapore
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Sentosa Island. Sentosa Island has over a dozen separate attractions, including a water theme park, a replica Mayan city, an aquarium, an old fort, a butterfly park and more.
| Does Singapore have a subway system? | Singapore
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Yes. The MRT, or Mass Rapid Transit subway system links central Singapore with the city's suburbs and also other parts of the island. Some of the MRT is above ground.
| What nickname has the city unofficially been referred to as since the 1980s? | Singapore
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The 'fine' city. Many different kinds of behavior are frowned upon in Singapore. The strategy the government has used is to impose fines on offenders. Singapore is clean and almost crime free. There are fines on thousands of offences, such as smoking in a public place, jaywalking, not flushing a public toilet, littering, eating on public transport and even possessing chewing gum. Singapore truly is a fine city!
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