General

• The national anthem of Singapore, "Majulah Singapura", is sung in Malay.

• The Singapore Sling, a cocktail, was first served at Raffles Hotel's Long Bar in 1915.

• The national flower of Singapore, Vanda Miss Joaquim, is an orchid that was first discovered in 1893.

Work

• Singapore is the highest-ranked Asian state in the 2009 global index of wealth and social resilience.

• Singapore is the 3rd most competitive economy in the world, after Switzerland and the US, according to the World Economic Forum.

• The Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) masterplan helps businesses and individuals to collaborate on innovative ICT products.

Live

• Singapore has an average daily maximum temperature of 31-34°C and a minimum of 23-26°C.

• Get directions to almost anywhere in Singapore with www.gothere.sg.

• The first Singapore Mass Rapid Transit train line was launched in 1988. The network will cover 278km by 2020.

Play

• The Esplanade, Singapore's thriving arts centre, is affectionately called the “durian” because of its spiky cladding.

• The Asian Civilisations Museum holds more than 1,300 artefacts that showcase Singapore’s rich ancestral cultures.

• Singapore Art Museum houses the largest collection of 20th-century Southeast Asian art in the region.

Move

• All dogs imported into Singapore must be implanted with a microchip which matches their veterinary papers.

• Singapore has been voted the best Asian country to live, work and play in.

• From year 2003 to 2007, the number of foreigners granted citizenship jumped from 6,800 to 16,000.