Ever Wondered What Singapore is Famous For? Well, Here is a List

Singapore is a tiny country that is smaller than many major cities around the world, but this city state has managed to make its mark on the world with some top notch accolades despite its diminutive size and relatively young age. Here are 5 things that Singapore is best known for.

* Being super clean

Singapore is renowned for having some of the cleanest streets in the world, largely due to a 50,000-strong cleaning workforce employed to keep the streets clean. Singapore is also known for its strict laws on littering, spitting on the streets, vandalism and public urination that can result in heavy fines and/or a punishment called Corrective Work Order, where offenders are required to pick up litter in public wearing a bright vest.

* Greenery amidst the city

Singapore has a reputation as the Garden City, evident in how well manicured and lush the public spaces and even the roads are. While much of the agricultural and wild landscapes were cleared to make way for the growing population, efforts have been made to introduce some greenery into the concrete jungle – besides public parks amidst the tall buildings, you will often seen flowers and bushes lining the overhead bridges, or tall shady trees planed along the central divider of the expressways.

* That ban on chewing gum

Many people remember Singapore as that place you can’t chew gum in, a rule implemented in 1992 to combat the disruptions gum was causing on the then-newly launched subway system, and involved heavy fines to anyone caught sticking their gum in unwanted places. While rules are generally more relaxed today and you can bring in gum for your own consumption, you still will not find gum sold anywhere around the island unless you visit the pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription for nicotine or dental gum.

* The Marina Bay Skyline

Singapore’s skyline has changed dramatically in the last 10 years with the introduction of Marina Bay Sands – can you believe that this entire Marina Bay area used to be an empty plot of reclaimed land and sea water? The view is especially beautiful at night where you can find other iconic structures like the Esplanade, Helix Bridge, Merlion and the numerous skyscrapers of the Central Business and Marina Bay Financial Districts all lit up, the temperature perfect for an after-dinner stroll.

* Fines and corporal punishment

Tourist t-shirts often call Singapore a ‘fine city’ thanks to the number of laws and regulations that can result in a hefty fine if flouted, these can range from smoking in no-smoking areas, jaywalking or even eating and drinking on the MRT. More serious infractions like robbery, vandalism or drug trafficking in Singapore can result in jail sentences, but also corporal punishment like caning or even a death sentence.