Culture of Singapore:

From humble roots as a fishing village under the British Empire, the island state of Singapore boasts a diverse array of cultures that amalgamate into a unique and exotic cultural blend. The country carries a diverse heritage from Malaysia, China, India and Europe and the result is a wondrous concoction of traditions and customs that mark out Singapore as one of the most appealing tourist spots in the Asia Pacific.

Singapore had many distinct ethnic identities, which have spilled across the boundaries over the years. The rich, ethnic background, nevertheless, is still one of the greatest cultural attractions of Singapore. Kampong Glam, Little India, and Chinatown are a few of the notable neighbourhoods that are a testament to Singapore's variegated cultural background. The locals prefer to look at their patchwork culture as close-knitted parts of a whole.

The local favourite is a salad dish named Rojak. Different elements - stemming from various cultural backgrounds - are covered with a typical Singaporean peanut sauce. Other top contenders are Bak kut teh, Nasi lemak and Satay. Overall, Singaporean cuisine offers Indian, Chinese, French, Thai, Spanish, Indonesian, Italian and Fusion food with a high influence of seafood.

Singaporean nationals practice a variety of religions based on their ethnic linkage. Muslims, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists along with a number of free-thinkers/atheists coexist peacefully. No official religion is named but the values and ethical standards of Confucianism are upheld overall.

Singapore's culture - that has also achieved the status of one of the richest world cultures - boasts peace, justice, and social and religious harmony at its core. Cleanliness is greatly emphasized, along with high quality life for all.