Singapore
The Republic of Singapore, a garden city where east meets west, is an independent city-state and one of the most important commercial centers of Southeast Asia.
Population: 4.5 million; Density: 6,580 per sq km; The population is ethnically diverse and consists of Chinese [76.8%], Malay [13.9%], Indian [7.9%] and other [1.4%] peoples.
The majority of the population is concentrated on the southern part of the island. Most people live in public-housing tower blocks.
Religions: Buddhist 42.5%; Muslim 14.9%; Non-religious 14.8%; Christian 14.6%; Taoist 8.5%; Hindu 4%; Other 0.7%
Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution. There are Religious Harmony laws which ensure that each of the main religions are treated equally [each has two public holidays, for example] and that members of one religion don’t try to convert members of another.
