General information Location - Singapore is an island republic between the countries Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore is approximately 137 km North of the equator, and about 1 degree North of the equator with a land area of 647.8 km2 Climate - Tropical climate, where it's warm and wet most of the year. December is the coolest month of the year while May is the warmest. Normal temperature ranges between 22¡Æ - 33¡Æ C, or from 59¡Æ to 88.6¡Æ F. There are two rainy seasons -from December to March, and from June to September. Languages - English is the language of administration, business, and technology. Malay is the national language. The official languages are Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil and English. Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, and Foochow are widely used. Religion - Freedom of religious practice is enshrined in the Constitution. Major religions include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism. Government - Singapore is a republic with a parlimentary system of Government based on the Westminister model. The three executive branches of the Government are the Executive, Legislative, and the Judiciary. The Singapore legislature is made up of the Parliament and President. Education - The strength of the Singapore Education system lies in its bilingual policy, a broad based curriculum where emphasises creativity and recreation through extra-curricular activities. There are 193 primary schools, 147 secondary schools, two pre-university centres, 14 junior colleges, 4 polytechnics, 12 vocational institutes, and 2 universities in Singapore. Transport: Forms of public transport - Mass Rapid Transit service : 48 stations and 85 trains serving 998,110 passengers daily Major attractions Boat Quay and Clarke Quay Sentosa Singapore Zoological Gardens Night Safari Jurong Bird Park Singapore Science Centre Singapore Discovery Centre