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People
Population
The place name "Singapore" is derived from the fourteenth century term, "Singa-pura," meaning "City of the Lion." A heavily urbanized country, Singapore has one of the world's highest population densities with the total population totaling approximately five million. Singapore is known as the city-state of Southeast Asia. It consists of the main island of Singapore and some 60 offshore islands. The port of Singapore is the largest in Southeast Asia and one of the busiest in the world.
Overall, cosmopolitan Singapore is known as being a multicultural country and is touted as being home to a tolerant society that respects the cultural diversity of its inhabitants. Perhaps this high level of respect for cultural diversity is due to the fact that various cultural groups have lived side by side in a small country for a long time, requiring constant interaction across ethnic, religious and linguistic lines.
Ethnicity
The total population of Singapore is around 5.5 million. The population composition of Singapore is diverse. The predominant ethnic group is Chinese, which make up nearly 80 percent of the total population in cosmopolitan Singapore. The second-largest ethnic group is Malays, followed by Indians. There are also small numbers of other ethnic groups that together form only 1.4 percent of the population. Of these, there are several Europeans.
As noted above, Singapore is known as being a multicultural country and home to a tolerant society that respects the cultural diversity of its inhabitants. That cultural diversity is evident in the influence of Malay, Chinese, Indians, and Europeans on the streets of Singapore -- from older Chinatown to "Arab Street," and Little India along Serangoon Road, all the way through to the British colonial architecture is some areas. It also goes without saying that the food and festivals of Singapore reflect this rich and varied cultural milieu.
Languages
The ethnic diversity gives rise to linguistic diversity. There are four official languages in Singapore: Chinese, Malay, English and Tamil. Malay is the national language. English is the main medium for administration and business, and it is the primary language of instruction in schools. Indeed, English is the language that unites the different ethnic groups in multicultural Singapore. Nevertheless, a desire to retain cultural roots and traditions means that the various ethnic groups do still speak their own respective languages at home.
It should be noted that that English-speaking foreigners and expatriates in Singapore may well encounter language problems even with the offical use of the English language in this country. This is due to the gratuitous use of what is called "Singlish" in communication. A mixture of English and other languages, "Singlish" is a nonstandard language variant akin to "patois" in the Caribbean that blends languages for a particularized local version of the spoken tongue. The addition of terms such as "leh" and "mah" to phrases can be confusing to newcomers to Singapore.
Religion
Religious freedom is guaranteed by the Singapore Constitution, and the federal government generally allows people the freedom to practice and propagate their religion. Religious groups in Singapore also reflect ethnic patterns. Almost all Malays and some Indians are Muslim. About two-thirds of Chinese practice Buddhism or Taoism, and Shenism. At the same time, some Chinese are Christians. Ethnic Indians of Singapore follow Hinduism, Islam (as noted above), and Sikhism. There are also a significant number of people in Singapore who do not adhere to any major religions, while there is also room for minority Jewish, Zoroastrian and Jain populations within Singapore.
Indeed, Singapore prides itself as being a country of religious tolerance, which by its very nature, translates into ethnic and cultural tolerance as well. Major festivals and rituals associated with the main religions of Singapore are celebrated and practiced in this country. Meanwhile, the architecture in Singapore boasts a mix of modern buildings along with older Chinese and Hindu temples and exotic Islamic mosques. At the same time, churches of all Christian denominations can be found in Singapore along with synagogues for the small Jewish population and temples for Sikhs.
Identity
Today, Singapore has its own singular identity, albeit one that rests on its multicultural ethos as a country heavily influenced by Malay, Indian, Chinese, and British cultural traditions. The local salad, known as "rojak,' encompasses varied ingredients; symbolically, they represent the varied ethnic, linguistic and religious traditions of Singapore. But the salad is also served with peanut sauce, which can be metaphorically interpreted as the essential Singaporean quality that binds the culinary offering (representing the country or nation) together.
While political stability and business freedom have come to be defining characteristics of Singapore, another less discussed -- but equally vital -- aspect of Singaporean identity has been the national pride in efficiency and excellence, particularly on the world stage. To that end, the concept of "kiasu" must be mentioned. The direct translation or "kiasu" is fear of losing. It therefore references the Singaporean desire to "win" or do well in competition, in negotiations, and indeed, on the world stage. The conclusion of many has been that "kiasu" has contributed to the Singaporean penchant for high standards, manifest in the country's high standard of living, its reputation for efficiency, and its image as a world class city state on the global scene.
Health, Welfare and Standard of Living
Singapore has the lowest birth and population growth rates in Southeast Asia. The birth rate is 8.99 births per 1,000 of the population, while the growth rate is 1.135 percent. Enjoying high living standards, Singapore's population has a high average life expectancy and low infant-mortality rate. The population has a healthy life expectancy at birth of about 81.89 years of age -- 79.29 for males and 84.68 for females, according to recent estimates. The infant mortality rate is 2.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Literacy in Singapore is also comparatively high, with 92.5 percent of the population aged 15 and over being able to read and write -- 96.6 percent for males and 88.6 percent for females. Education in Singapore is highly regarded and the authorities have made a concerted effort to both prioritize education in the national interests, and to pursue economic development that relies on emerging science and technology.
Human Development
About three percent of GDP is spent on educational expenditures in this country; about 3.9 percent of GDP is spent on health expenditures. Access to water and sanitation is excellent. One notable measure used to determine a country's quality of life is the Human Development Index (HDI), which has been compiled annually since 1990 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The HDI is a composite of several indicators, which measure a country's achievements in three main arenas of human development: longevity, knowledge and education, as well as economic standard of living. In a recent ranking of 169 countries, the HDI placed Singapore in the high human development category, at 27th place. Note: Although the concept of human development is complicated and cannot be properly captured by values and indices, the HDI, which is calculated and updated annually, offers a wide-ranging assessment of human development in certain countries, not based solely upon traditional economic and financial indicators. Written by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor in Chief, www.countrywatch.com . See Bibliography for list of research sources.
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