Singapore 's name means "lion town". The merlion is the national symbol of Singapore .

The national flower of Singapore is the orchid.

In 1877 rubber seeds, originating in Brazil , were sent from Ceylon ( Sri Lanka ) to Singapore . From this grew the great Malayan rubber plantations. This coincided with John Dunlop's invention of the pneumatic tyre.

Singapore 's theme parks include a Tang Dynasty City including a replica of the Tomb of the Valiant Terracotta Warriors. The "Terracotta Army" which was set up to protect the Chinese Emperor Qin in his tomb probably included around eight thousand life-size figures (over a thousand have been excavated so far). All the figures carry real swords, spears or bows and the metal weapons were still sharp when discovered.

Changi airport was the largest airport in Southeast Asia when it opened in 1987. Hong Kong 's Kai Tak airport was replaced by Chek Lap Kok airport which is now the most modern airport in Southeast Asia .

Traveling around the city is fast and cheap using the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) passenger train service.

Singapore is a very clean city: there are high fines for litter, laws forbidding smoking in public places and eating on the underground and similar laws against jay walking.

Chewing gum is not allowed in Singapore because of the difficulty of clearing it from streets and pavements.

Singapore imposes the death penalty for those found guilty of drug trafficking.