Destination Spotlight

11 Interesting Facts About Singapore

Singapore has emerged as one of the world’s most prosperous countries. It’s a financial center, an achievement in urban planning, and serves as a model for developing nations. It’s also one of our most popular travel destinations!

Here are 11 interesting facts about Singapore.

• Singapore’s national anthem is in micro-text on the back of their $1,000 note.
• Singapore is one of only three surviving city-states in the world. The other two are Monaco and the Vatican City.
• Sang Nila Utama, a prince from Palembang, saw a creature he thought was a lion and named the island “Singapura” which means “Lion City” in Sanskrit. However, there have never been lions outside of captivity in Singapore.
• In addition to its main island, the nation of Singapore includes 63 additional islands, most of which are uninhabited.
• Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world, with a total land area of only 682.7 square kilometers. The United States is about 15,000 times bigger.
• The red of Singapore’s flag represents universal brotherhood and equality of man while the white symbolizes purity and virtue. The crescent moon stands for a young nation on the rise and the five stars signify the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
• Singapore’s Bukit Timah Nature Reserve holds more species of trees than the entire North American continent.
• Buildings in Singapore cannot be higher than 280 metres. Currently, there are three buildings of that height – OUB Centre, UOB Plaza and Republic Plaza.
• The Guinness book record for the longest human domino chain was set in Singapore on September 30, 2000. It was formed by 9,234 students and measured 4.2km. 27.
• Singapore has more than 3,000 kilometres of roads. Stretched out end to end, they would cover the distance from Singapore to Hong Kong.
• The national language of Singapore is Malay. The four official languages of the country are English, Chinese, Tamil, and Malay.

MBA candidate Alexa Liberson recently wrote about her experience in Singapore as part of an international business class program. Read her firsthand account here.

Learn more about educational travel programs to Singapore.