Geography and Climate
Singapore is located just off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula where the Indian Ocean meets the South China Sea, 85 miles north of the equator. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straights of Johor to its north and Indonesia by the Riau Islands and Singapore Straight to its south.
Highly urbanized, the city-state of Singapore is over three times larger than Washington DC and consists of one small main island and over 60 small islands (islets).
Most of the country is no more than 50 feet above sea level, with the highest point topping out at 538 feet. Hills and valleys dominate the northwest of the island while the eastern region is mainly flat and sandy. Singapore is drained by a large number of narrow and short streams, some of which flow into the sea through mangrove swamps or estuaries. Water reservoirs cover parts of the central area, but there are no significant lakes or rivers.
Singapore Time is 15 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Standard Time. No Daylight Saving Time is observed.
If you like hot and humid weather pretty much all year long, Singapore is the place for you. With its proximity to the equator, the country has no distinct seasons. Weather is characterized by uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity and lots of rain, an average of 92 inches each year.
The temperature hovers within an average range of 73 F minimum to a maximum of nearly 90 F. May is the hottest month and January the coolest.
Relative humidity ranges from the high 90s in the early morning to around 60 percent in the mid-afternoon with the average around 80 percent. However, during heavy rain periods, humidity often reaches 100 percent.
Rain falls more heavily on the western side of the island because of a rain shadow effect. Eastern Singapore is drier and hotter than the western portion of the island. The Northeast Monsoon occurs from December to early March and the Southwest Monsoon from June to September. Cloudy conditions prevail in December and January with frequent afternoon showers. January and February also bring windy conditions with wind speeds often reaching up to 30 miles per hour. The Southwest Monsoon brings scattered showers in the late morning and early afternoon.
Singapore is fortunate in that it has not experienced significant natural disasters. With Borneo on one side of the island and Malaysia on the other, Singapore usually is buffered from major typhoons or tsunamis. And, although feeling the effects of earthquakes from other areas, Singapore has never experienced an earthquake.
People and Culture
With a population density of over 7,200 people per square kilometer, Singapore is the third most densely populated country in the world. The city-state’s population is more than 5.4 million and is growing at a rate just above 2 percent a year. Because of its declining birthrate and other factors, the country has opened its doors wider to foreigners who can support its still growing economy. More than 25 percent of Singapore’s population comes from another country.
With its colonial past, geographic location and regional business center status, Singapore has become a thriving country diverse in culture and people. The majority population is Chinese, representing nearly 75 percent of all Singaporeans. The Malays and Indians make up the second and third largest ethnic groups in the country.
English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil are the four official languages spoken in Singapore. English is the language of instruction for the public school system and business. Mandarin Chinese is the second most used language in the country.
Although Singapore’s history dates from the 11th century, the island was little known to the West until the 19th century. In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived as an agent of the British East India Company. In 1824, the British purchased Singapore Island, and by 1825, the city of Singapore had become a major port. In 1826, Singapore, Penang and Malacca were combined as the Straits Settlements to form an outlying residency of the British East India Company. In 1867, the Straits Settlements were made a British Crown Colony, an arrangement that continued until 1946.
In 1946, the Straits Settlements was dissolved and Penang and Malacca became part of the Malayan Union and Singapore became a separate British Crown Colony. In 1959, Singapore became self-governing and in 1963 it joined the newly independent Federation of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak - the latter two former British Borneo territories - to form Malaysia. After a period of friction between Singapore and the central government in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore separated from Malaysia on August 9, 1965 and became an independent republic.
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