Singapore: 50 interesting facts

Some interesting facts I've learned about Singapore during my time here.

#1 They love acronyms here. OTP, EP, ERP, IC, MBS... and I'm not sure what ANY of them mean 

#2 Singapore is an Island/Country/City  all in one

#3 Singaporeans are in the top longest life expectancy which is 84.8 years  

#4 The Singaporean passport is one of the strongest in the world

#5 Singaporeans sing its national anthem in Malay

#6 Singapore is the world's second-largest gambling hub 

#7 Singapore has more tourists than local citizens

#8 Singapore's train system is one of the world's best

#9 You can find the National Anthem of Singapore on the back of the SGD 1000 note, written in micro text

#10 Slinglish (Singaporean English) can be looked up in the Oxford dictionary 

#11 No gum allowed. Ever. Anywhere.

#12 The government made an anti-hippie move in the 60's banning men from growing long hair

#13 Spitting on the ground is a jailable offense

#14 Jaywalking is the most cited offence in the country 

#15 Singapore has a population of 5.68 million

#16 It’s a city of not just one island, but 64

#17 Singapore pioneered the first F1 night race

#18 It’s one of the world’s greenest cities

#19 Singapore is one of the 20 smallest countries in the world

#20 There is an actual law against not flushing the public toilet after using it in Singapore

#21 Durian is banned on all public transport. And for good reason, it's very very smelly

#22 Singapore is the least corrupt city in Asia and the fifth least corrupt in the world.

#23 One out of every six people in Singapore has assets worth USD1 million or more, higher than anyone else in the world.

#24 Singapore is the fifth largest arms importer in the entire world

#25 Singapore has the biggest retractable dome in the world, with a diameter of 312 meters, and the ability to easily shelter 55,000 spectators from sun and rain

#26 Every day, two new restaurants open up in Singapore; which is huge, given its small size

#27 There was no war or battle to help Singapore gain independence from Malaysia. In fact, Malaysia democratically voted to throw out Singapore!

#28 Certain topics are out of bounds for discussion in the public, and you will land in trouble if you choose to speak about them. Criticizing the government is one such topic

#29 There are over 3000 kilometres of roads in Singapore, which when stretched from end to end, can cover the distance between Singapore and Hong Kong

#30 Littering is a huge offence in Singapore. If found littering small items, you will have to pay SGD 300 as fine. On the other hand, littering larger items like cans and bottles can earn you a Corrective Work Order, wherein you will have to wear a bright green glowing vest and clean up a certain specified area, to shame you publicly and make you realize how tough it is for the sweepers and cleaners!

#31 The entire economy of Singapore is based on shipping, and everything from sand to freshwater is imported. At the same time, the state exports a lot as well.

#32 The Singapore government heavily discourages using private vehicles, and car owners in Singapore have to pay 1.5 times the car price to get their vehicles certified.

#33 Caning (Yes, being beat with a cane) is still a legal form of punishment in Singapore.

#34  The tallest indoor waterfall in the world is located in Singapore at the Gardens by the Bay, and it stands at a height of 35 meters.

#35 Since 1905, Singapore has changed its time zones 6 times! Presently its time zone is GMT+8 (just to be in synch with Malaysia), but it is technically still incorrect. Singapore should be in the GMT +7.5 time zone.

#36 With over 260 food stalls, the Complex Food Centre in Chinatown is the largest hawker centre in all of Singapore.

#37 Collectively, Singaporeans are the fastest pedestrians in the world, walking at a speed of about 6.15 kilometres per hour

#38 The national flower of Singapore, Vanda Miss Joaquim, was first discovered in 1893 by Agnes Joaquim, an Armenian

#39 The world’s first night zoo, The Night Safari, is located in Singapore.

#40 Despite the relative lack of farmland and agriculture, Singapore is the largest exporter of ornamental fish (contributing to 25% of the world market)

#41 The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in Singapore contains more species of trees than the entire North American continent

#42 The towers in Suntec City have been built in the shape of a palm of a hand symbolising good “feng shui”

#43 In May 2002, the record for the most number of people participating in line dancing was set in Singapore – with 11,967 dancers

#44 More Singaporeans are born in the month of October than any other month of the year

#45 The most common Chinese surnames in Singapore are Tan, Lim and Lee

#46 Singapore is one of the world’s leaders in the number of death sentences meted out (mostly to drug dealers)

#47 Nearly 9 out of 10 Singaporeans live in public housing

#48 The newly-opened National Stadium has a retractable roof that not only keeps out the rain, but also doubles up as a giant projector screen. It covers 95% of the seats, takes about 20 minutes to open or close, and is made of a cutting-edge weather-resistant material that blocks out the sun’s rays as well as raindrops.

#49 The Guinness book record for the longest human domino chain was set in Singapore on 30th September 2000. Formed by 9,234 students, it measured 4.2km

#50 The largest fountain in the world is right here in Singapore at the heart of Suntec City. It cost an estimated US$6 million to build in 1997.