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What Region Is Singapore In?

What Region Is Singapore In

Is it a city, is it a country? Is it in Thailand, or Hong Kong? Is it part of China, or maybe Indonesia? There are certainly lots of different theories on where Singapore is located. People have so many questions about this nation and this can cause great confusion. To the uninitiated, this jewel-shaped island can be quite a mystery. 

Luckily, Byevisa is here to debunk the myths and tell you everything you need to know about where this business and tourist hotspot is located so you can plan your trip accurately. Let’s dive in!

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Singapore on the World Map

If you take a look at a world map, you will spot an island that looks a lot like a diamond close to Malaysia and Indonesia.

Singapore is approximately 85 miles (137 kilometers) north of the equator and has a tropical rainforest climate. It is south of Peninsular Malaysia and east of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. It is situated on the southern end of the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

The country’s island neighbour Borneo, which lies to the east, is one of the wildest’s islands on the planet.

What Continent Is Singapore In?

It is located in the continent of Asia, in the maritime Southeast Asia region and can be a great base for travellers to explore other nearby destinations. It has the largest port in the continent and the second-largest in the world in terms of its TEU (container ship capacity). 

The other parts of maritime or island Southeast Asia are:

  • Malaysia
  • Indonesia
  • The Philippines
  • Brunei
  • East Timor (formerly part of Indonesia).

Wider Southeast Asia also includes the mainland nations of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. 

Although it is the smallest country in the region, it outranks the others when it comes to capital. It has one of the strongest economies in the world and is an important business hub. 

As the most expensive part of the region, make sure you get saving if you’re planning to visit! The price of accommodation, for example, is much higher than in other areas of the continent. They also claim to have the globe’s largest percentage of millionaires per capita and this number is set to increase further in the years to come. Statistics show that 5% of the population belong to the world’s richest 1% of people.

Is Singapore a City or a Country?

If you haven’t travelled to this part of the world yet, you might be confused as to whether Singapore is a country in its own right. The answer is an interesting one. 

The Republic of Singapore is a city-state, which essentially means the city is the country. This makes “the Lion City” rather special, as there are only 2 other agreed-upon city states in the entire world (Monaco and Vatican City). 

A definition of a city-state is a usually small, independent country made up of a single city. The government has full sovereignty over the nation and all territories that fall within its borders. In this case, the country’s governmental structure is modelled on the British parliamentary system. 

Many nationalities can stay in the country visa-free for up to 90 days, while citizens of some countries, including India, Nigeria, China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, do need a visa for Singapore.

Population of Singapore

Wondering how big is Singapore? With a total land area of approximately 280 square miles, it is slightly smaller than the US city of Lexington in Kentucky.

As another point of comparison, it is about 170 times smaller than New York. In European terms, Singapore is about 339 times smaller than the United Kingdom.

The diamond island may be one of the world’s smallest countries, however, it has one of the greatest population densities!

Around 6 million people call it their home and this is increasing year on year. The population density is 8358 people per Km2 (21,646 people per mi2) and the average age of those living here is 42 years.

For a small nation, the Lion City certainly packs a punch. As well as having more than the lion’s share of millionaires, its airport Changi has been decreed the world’s best airport!

Regions of Singapore

The city-state consists of 1 main island, 64 satellite islands and 1 outlying islet, Pedra Branca (which means “white rock” in Portuguese).

The nation is divided into 5 districts and then subdivided into 55 planning areas or DGP zones for administrative purposes.

The 5 regions are:

  • Central Region
  • East Region
  • North Region
  • North-East Region
  • West Region

The biggest is the West Region with a total area of 201.3 km2 (77.7 mi2). The Central Region is arguably the most important though, as it is the commercial hub. It is the most populous area with around 923, 000 inhabitants and it is a thriving global and financial centre.

What Language Do They Speak in Singapore?

There are 4 official languages listed in the nation’s constitution.

These are:

  • English (spoken by approximately 37% of the population)
  • Mandarin (spoken by approximately 35% of the population)
  • Malay (10.7%)
  • Tamil (3.3%)

Other Chinese dialects including Cantonese and Hakka are also commonly spoken. Not to forget the unofficial language of “Singlish” (colloquial Singapore English)!

The country’s schools have a bilingual education policy and all pupils in government institutions are taught English as their first language.

Religions of Singapore

This diverse city-state is home to a mix of ethnic groups. If you’re lucky, you may get to experience one of the religious festivals whilst you are here.

33.2% of the population identify themselves as Buddhist. Here are the other main religions:

  • Christian – 18.8%
  • Muslim – 14%
  • Taoist – 10%
  • Hindu – 5%
  • Other – 0.6%

The remaining 18.5% of the population do not identify themselves with a religion.

What Is the Weather Like Here?

As an island destination, the weather is hot and humid throughout the year. There is also a large amount of rainfall. February is usually the driest month, which is something to bear in mind when planning your trip. The temperature averages between 25 and 31 degrees Celsius (77 and 88 Fahrenheit).

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