Information about Singapore

1, traffic composition

The public transportation in Singapore is mainly MRT (hybrid of elevated light rail train and underground railway)/bus/taxi/,as well as ferries and cable cars for sightseeing.

2. Overview of passenger cars

Singapore's public transport basically covers the whole island, and the MRT connects all the towns in Singapore, and every big station at the town level will have a big bus transfer station.

(1) Singapore bus

Buses in Singapore are composed of two companies, but the routes are basically divided into three types: cross-town/town/town. That is, long distance/midway and short distance. One-way running time of some long-distance buses exceeds 1.5 hours. Most models are Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, which are very fast, and sometimes even exceed ordinary cars on bus lanes. The car is basically in good condition. Long-distance and midway buses are equipped with air conditioning, which is very cold.

Drivers are also quite savage, because I often see drivers driving too fast and shaking guests down when turning or braking. (I have written to the car company and the General Transport Bureau of Singapore, but I got a computer-printed reply, which means that they thanked me and tried to avoid it. But until I left there, the guests still fell as fast as possible, but there were really few accidents, which is probably the characteristic of a high-paced city. )

The name of the bus stop is not well designed (I still think I am a foreigner). They are all named after nearby house numbers, such as Bedok 322/Enous 411and so on. It is difficult for newcomers to Singapore to know exactly where to get off. However, every bus has some brochures indicating the station name and cost of the shuttle bus, which can be read with the map. It is basically difficult to ask the driver.

The bus payment system uses coins and magnetic cards, generally starting from S $60. (It may have gone up now. ) According to the length of the route, it may be around 2 yuan at most. After getting on the bus, insert the magnetic card, and then automatically print the ticket according to the amount of the ticket you want to buy. The ticket and card come out from below. Of course, the corresponding amount will be deducted from the card.

The ticket should be kept until after getting off the bus, because someone will check it. Although there is only one crew member in each car, the driver does not check the tickets. The ticket inspector is specialized in the company and wears a uniform. The ticket has been printed with the purchase time, station name, car number, etc. He will see if you have missed your stop. If the amount on the ticket is not enough, he just asks you to make up the ticket. (Actually, every time I see someone.

The amount of the car card can't be added until Singapore subway station. There are two kinds of manual and automatic.

Experience of Singapore's "Garden City"

Singapore is located at north latitude 1 degree, with a land area of 646 square kilometers and a population of 3.2 million, which is equivalent to the population size of a megacity in China and similar to many tropical cities in China. In March this year, the author had the honor to participate in the technical training of "Building and Managing Garden City" sponsored by Singapore National Park Administration, witnessed the practice of garden city construction in Singapore, and systematically learned about the history, present situation and development trend of its garden city construction from its colleagues in Singapore.

The most attractive place in Singapore is the good green environment, which has become one of its important tourist attractions. But this is not a natural coincidence, but the result of careful planning. Its urban planning has a special chapter "green and blue planning", which is equivalent to the urban green space system planning in China. The plan aims to ensure that Singapore still has a green and clean environment under the condition of rapid urbanization, and make full use of water bodies and green spaces to improve the quality of life of Singaporeans. Pay special attention to building more parks and open spaces in planning and construction; Connect the main parks with green corridors; Attach importance to protecting the natural environment; Make full use of the coastline to make the water system on the island suitable for leisure needs. In 1980s, urban construction in Singapore developed rapidly under the guidance of planning. While focusing on the future, the government departments realized the importance of protecting valuable historical buildings and cultural heritage, so they delineated the buildings and related areas that needed to be protected, and set up the National Protection Bureau to take charge of this work. In this booming city, plants create a cool and cool environment, weaken the rigid lines of reinforced concrete frames and glass curtain walls, and increase the color of the city. The goal of urban construction in Singapore is to make people feel like they are in a garden-like city when they leave their offices, homes or schools. Therefore, Singapore has achieved the following indicators: in apartment-style real estate development projects, the construction land should be less than 40% of the total land; Each township should have a 10 hectare park, which will be built by the Housing and Construction Bureau; There should be 1.5 hectares of parks within 500 meters of residential areas of buildings built by various housing and construction bureaus; Real estate projects should have 0.4 hectares of open space per thousand people.

Economy:

Singapore's traditional economy is dominated by commerce, including entrepot trade, processing and export, and shipping. After independence, the government adhered to a free economic policy, vigorously attracted foreign investment and developed a diversified economy. Since the early 1980s, we have accelerated the development of capital-intensive and high value-added emerging industries, invested heavily in infrastructure construction, and strived to attract foreign investment with the best business environment. Manufacturing and service industries have become the twin engines of economic growth, and the industrial structure has been continuously optimized. In the 1990s, the information industry was particularly valued, and the "Singapore Integrated Network" has been put into use all over the island. In order to further promote economic growth, we will vigorously promote the "regional economic development strategy", accelerate overseas investment and actively carry out foreign economic activities. The economy is dominated by five sectors: commerce, manufacturing, construction, finance, transportation and communication. Industry mainly includes manufacturing and construction. Manufacturing products mainly include electronic products, chemicals and chemical products, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, petroleum products, oil refining and other departments. It is the third largest oil refining center in the world. Agriculture accounts for less than 1% of the national economy, mainly including poultry breeding and aquaculture. All the food is imported, only 5% of the vegetables are produced by ourselves, and most of them are imported from Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Australia. Service industry is the leading industry of economic growth. Including retail and wholesale trade, hotel tourism, transportation and telecommunications, financial services, business services and so on. Tourism is one of the main sources of foreign exchange income. The main attractions are Sentosa Island, Botanical Garden and Night Zoo. Currency name: Singapore dollar (SGD for short)

Country name: Republic of Singapore.

Origin of country name: Singapore is a city country, which originally meant lion city. According to Malay historical records, around 1 150, the Sri Lankan prince who died in Sumatra arrived at the island by boat and saw a black beast, which was called a lion by the locals, hence the name "Lion City". Singapore is the homonym of the Sanskrit "Lion City". Because local residents are deeply influenced by Indian culture, they like to use Sanskrit as their place names. The lion is brave and vigorous, so it is natural to use it as a place name. In the past, many overseas Chinese called it "Silla", which means "Strait" in Malay, and some people called it "Sin Chau" and "Sing Tao" because of its small area.

Independence Day: August 9th (1965)

National flag: It consists of two equal horizontal rectangles, with red on the top and white on the bottom, and the length-width ratio is 3: 2. There is a white crescent moon and five white five-pointed stars in the upper left corner. Red represents human equality, and white symbolizes purity and virtue; The new moon symbolizes the country, and the five stars represent the idea of building democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality in the country. The combination of the new moon and the five stars is close and orderly, symbolizing the spirit of unity and mutual assistance of the Singaporean people.

National emblem: It is composed of shield emblem, lion, tiger and other patterns. The red shield is inlaid with a white crescent moon and a five-pointed star, which has the same meaning as the national flag. On the left of the Red Shield is a lion, which is a symbol of Singapore, and Malay means "Lion City". On the right is a tiger, which symbolizes the historical ties between Singapore and Malaysia. Below the red shield are golden palm branches and leaves, and the blue ribbon at the bottom says "Go ahead, Singapore!" " In Malay.

National anthem: "Go ahead, Singapore"

National Flower: Hu Jihua's national flower is Jin Zhuo Vandylan. Southeast Asia generally calls orchids Hu Jihua. Jin Zhuo Bandailan is cultivated by Ms. Jin Zhuo, with beautiful and dignified flowers and strong vitality, which symbolizes the temperament of Singaporeans and the spirit of hard work and brave struggle.

State dignitaries: President S.R. Nathan, 1 September 19991took office for a term of six years; Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was sworn in in August 2004, re-elected in May 2006 and sworn in on May 30. 1965 Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who served as Prime Minister for a long time after Singapore's independence, resigned as Prime Minister in 1990+0 1 and was appointed Senior Minister of the Cabinet.

Important festivals: Lunar New Year: Lunar 65438+ every year 10 or February; Mid-Autumn Festival: August of the lunar calendar15; Eid al-Fitr: 10 When the new moon of Ramadan appears; Tamil New Year: April and May; Grand Paulsen Festival: 1 and February of Tamil calendar; Fire sacrifice: 10, 1 1. Vesak Day: the full moon in May; Christmas: 65438+February 25th; Easter: the Sunday after the full moon on March 26th, February1year.

Capital: Singapore City.

Physical geography: Located in Southeast Asia, it is the southernmost tropical island city of Malay Peninsula. Covering an area of 682.7 square kilometers (Singapore Yearbook 2002), it is adjacent to Malaysia across the Johor Strait in the north, connected to Johor Bahru in Malaysia across a long dike, and facing Indonesia across the Singapore Strait in the south. Located at the entrance and exit of Malacca Strait, the shipping artery in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, it consists of Singapore Island and 63 nearby islands, of which Singapore Island accounts for 965,438+0.6% of the national area. It has a tropical maritime climate with high temperature and rainy all the year round, with an average annual temperature of 24-27℃.

Population: about 4 million people, of whom 76.7% are Chinese; Malays account for13.9%; Indians account for 7.9%, and other races account for 1.5%. Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil are the official languages. The national language is Malay. English is the administrative language. The main religions are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism.

A brief history: Temasek in ancient times. Founded in the 8th century, it belongs to the late Sri Lankan dynasty in Indonesia. From18th century to19th century, it was a part of the kingdom of Johor in Malaya. 18 19, an Englishman, Stanford Raffles, arrived in Singapore and signed a contract with Johor, Sudan, to set up a trading post. 1824 became a British colony, a British entrepot in the Far East and a major military base in Southeast Asia. 1942 was occupied by the Japanese army. 1945 After Japan surrendered, Britain resumed colonial rule and was designated as a direct colony the following year. 1946 Britain designated it as a British colony. 1June, 959, Singapore implemented internal autonomy and became an autonomous country. Britain retains the power of national defense, foreign affairs, amending the Constitution and issuing "emergency decrees". 1963 September 16 merged into Malaysia. 1On August 9th, 965, it broke away from Malaysia and established the Republic of Singapore. In September of the same year, it became a member of the United Nations and joined the Commonwealth in June+10, 5438.

Politics: The Constitution provides for a parliamentary system. The president is the head of state and is elected by the whole people for a term of six years. The president appointed the leader of the parliamentary majority as prime minister. The president has the right to veto government budgets and public sector appointments; It can examine the government's exercise of the powers conferred by the Internal Security Law and the Religious Harmony Law and investigate corruption cases. The Presidential Advisory Council is entrusted with providing advice and suggestions to the President. When the president exercises certain powers, such as appointing principal civil servants, he must first seek the opinions of the President's Advisory Council. The President and Parliament exercise legislative power. The parliament is called the National Assembly and has a unicameral system. Members of parliament are elected by referendum for a term of five years, and the political party with the majority of seats in the National Assembly forms the government.

Singapore financial district

Economy: Singapore's traditional economy is dominated by commerce, including entrepot trade, processing and export, and shipping. After independence, the government adhered to a free economic policy, vigorously attracted foreign investment and developed a diversified economy. Since the early 1980s, we have accelerated the development of capital-intensive and high value-added emerging industries, invested heavily in infrastructure construction, and strived to attract foreign investment with the best business environment. Manufacturing and service industries have become the twin engines of economic growth, and the industrial structure has been continuously optimized. In the 1990s, the information industry was particularly valued, and the "Singapore Integrated Network" has been put into use all over the island. In order to further promote economic growth, we will vigorously promote the "regional economic development strategy", accelerate overseas investment and actively carry out foreign economic activities. The economy is dominated by five sectors: commerce, manufacturing, construction, finance, transportation and communication. Industry mainly includes manufacturing and construction. Manufacturing products mainly include electronic products, chemicals and chemical products, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, petroleum products, oil refining and other departments. It is the third largest oil refining center in the world. Agriculture accounts for less than 1% of the national economy, mainly including poultry breeding and aquaculture. All the food is imported, only 5% of the vegetables are produced by ourselves, and most of them are imported from Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Australia. Service industry is the leading industry of economic growth. Including retail and wholesale trade, hotel tourism, transportation and telecommunications, financial services, business services and so on. Tourism is one of the main sources of foreign exchange income. The main attractions are Sentosa Island, Botanical Garden and Night Zoo. Currency name: Singapore dollar (SGD for short)

Singapore lion head and fish tail

Press and publication: English newspapers include Straits Times, Business Times and New Newspaper; Chinese newspapers include Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Evening News and Xinmin Daily. Malay newspapers have daily news; In addition, there is a Tamil newspaper, Tamil Daily. The radio station started broadcasting on 1936, and 1959 to 1 started broadcasting in Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil. Radio Singapore owns and operates 12 domestic radio stations and 3 international radio stations. Singapore TV organizations own and operate two channels, one broadcasts Chinese programs 24 hours a day, and the other broadcasts English programs 24 hours a day. 12 TV private company operates two channels, one of which mainly serves Malays and Indians, and the other mainly broadcasts sports and cultural programs. The cable TV network was opened on 1995, and users can receive TV programs from more than 30 channels and 10 countries. 1995 launched satellite TV.

Wu Jie Road, a famous commercial shopping area.

Diplomacy: based on ASEAN, maintaining ASEAN unity and cooperation and promoting ASEAN to play a greater role in regional affairs are placed in an important position in diplomatic work; Facing Asia, pay attention to developing cooperative relations with Asian countries, especially China, Japanese, Korean, Indian and other countries; Pursue the policy of "great power balance" and actively carry out economic diplomacy.

Relations with China: 1980 On June 4, 1980, the government of China and the government of Singapore signed an agreement on setting up business representative offices in Beijing, and the business representative offices of the two countries were officially opened in September of the following year. 1990101On October 3rd, China and New Zealand established diplomatic relations. In May 2005, Chairman the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) Wu Bangguo paid a goodwill visit to Singapore. From June 5, 2005 to 10, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid an official visit to China.