Singapore · Asia

Overview

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To arrive in Singapore is to step into a world where the call to prayer competes with the bustle of capitalism; where old men play mah-jongg in the streets and white-clad bowlers send the ball flying down well-tended cricket pitches; where Chinese fortune-tellers and high-priced management consultants advise the same entrepreneur. This great diversity of lifestyles, cultures, and religions thrives within the framework of a well-ordered society. Singapore is a spotlessly clean -- some say sterile -- modern metropolis surrounded by green, groomed parks and populated by 4 million orderly and well-regulated people, including many foreigners.

Although the Malays, Chinese, and Indians account for 98% of Singapore's population, other ethnic groups -- from Eurasians to Filipinos and Thais -- contribute significantly to the cultural mix. Understandably, the heritage of the British colonial stay is profoundly felt even though Singapore became fully independent in 1965.