THE LAND

Singapore consists of the main, low-lying Singapore Island and 58 smaller islands within its territorial waters. Urban areas comprise almost 50% of the land area, while parkland, reservoirs, plantations and open military areas occupy 40%. Singapore Island measures approximately 42 km (26 miles) east to west and 23 km (14 miles) north to south at its widest points. While there are built-up, high density areas all around the island, the main city area is in the south, built on the shores of the Singapore River.

The Republic of Singapore is a parliamentary democracy that has been ruled by one party since the nation achieved independence from Malaysia in 1965. The leaders of Singapore are fond of saying that their island's only resources are the wit, industry, and inventiveness of the Singaporean people. They have successfully turned a developing nation into a center of capitalism. Singapore has a unicameral 87-seat parliament. The Prime Minister is the head of government. The chief of state is the president.

Singapore Standard Time is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. This means that if it is 12 noon in Singapore it is 9.30 am in India.

THE PEOPLE

The customs and festivals of the different ethnic groups in Singapore highlight the nation's rich cultural heritage. Singapore's people are largely descendants of immigrants from the Malay Peninsula, China, the Indian sub-continent and Sri Lanka. They have gradually acquired a distinct identity as Singaporeans while still retaining their traditional practices, customs and festivals.

Since Singapore is such a cultural melting pot, the population consists of people of many different religions. Muslims account for over 15% of the population. Similarly, several different ethnic groups follow Christianity (totaling almost 13%). Those Singaporeans who trace their roots to the Indian subcontinent come from many different ethnic groups; they may be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Zoroastrian, Sikh, or other religions. The majority of the population which is Chinese may follow Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, none of these, or several of them simultaneously. Wisely, Singapore has no official religion.

Also, this cultural diversity leads to differences within the social and business structure of Singapore, some of which are listed below.

SOCIAL PSYCHE

Singaporeans see themselves as a cosmopolitan people in touch with new ideas and technologies, well on their way to forging a "city of excellence". To some extent, success is taken for granted and the constraints of the past forgotten. The modern nation has shaped a new forward looking society which still preserves it's traditional values.

• The family is the most important unit of social organization.
• Political power, wealth, and education are the criteria for social status.
• Singapore is a secular state where freedom of worship is offered to everyone. Religion and race are closely bound and people of different faiths respect and tolerate each other's beliefs.
• Although this is a multiracial society with strong national identity, they social structure continues to change, and this leads to uncertainty. Multiracial housing has fostered feelings of insecurity, not community.
• Arranged marriages are still common particularly among Indians and Malays. The usual practice for couples in Singapore is to take part in a civil ceremony at the Registry of Marriages.
• There are clearly differentiated sex roles in society, but Western style equality is creeping in. However, men still dominate in all public situations.

BUSINESS PSYCHE

Singapore's progress owes much to it's work ethic, a striving for excellence with money as motivation and personal success as the goal. Singaporeans work long hours, driven hard by a Government and education system that expects them to excel. Today's workers are better educated, better trained and self-developed and are therefore more assertive than their predecessors. The growing competitive environment among employers have created even better conditions for local workers.

• There is a very strong authoritative structure that demands impartiality and obedience. One must build a relationship with the participants of a group before one can conduct business.
• Strong loyalties to companies and groups. Individuals work within the consensus of the group and forgo personal triumphs.
• Emphasis is on competence, merit, and team play. Performance, progress, excellence, and achievement are highly prized for the group.
• There is a very strong work ethic in which emotional restraint is prized and aggressive behavior is frowned upon.
• The person with the highest ethos in the group (usually the oldest member) is the de facto leader.
• One must not lose face or cause another to lose face, so Singaporeans would rather use polite vagaries than say an out right "no".
• Punctuality is very important.
• Business cards are exchanged at the beginning of meetings with both hands.

CUSTOMS

There are certain social customs and norms unique to the Singaporeans. When you meet people, or are introduced to people, there are some things you should keep in mind:

GREETING

• With younger or foreign-educated Singaporeans, a handshake is the most common form of greeting.
• In business situations, you shake hands firmly, and you wait for a woman to offer you her hand before shaking it.
• Among Singaporean Chinese, the traditional greeting was a bow. However, most now shake hands or combine a bow with a handshake.
• Singaporean Malay are generally Muslim and traditionally, there is no physical contact between Muslim men and women. If a religious Muslim male is touched by a woman, he must ritually cleanse himself before he prays again. Because of this, women should not offer to shake hands with Malay men nor should men offer to shake hands with Malay women.
• Traditional Malay greeting is called the salaam, which is akin to a handshake without the grip. Both parties stretch out one or both hands, touch each other's hand(s) lightly, then bring their hand(s) back to rest over their heart. This greeting is done only between people of the same sex. However, if cloth such as a scarf or shawl prevents actual contact, then Malay men and women may engage in the salaam.
• Many, but not all, Singaporean Indians are Hindu. They avoid public contact between men and women, although not as vehemently as most Muslims. Men may shake hands with men, and women with women, but only Westernized Hindus will shake hands with the opposite sex. The traditional India greeting involves a slight bow with the palms of the hand together (as if praying). This greeting, called the namaste, will generally be use only by older, traditional Hindus. However, it is also an acceptable alternative to a handshake when a Western businesswoman greets an Indian man.

FORMS OF ADDRESS

How you address a person when introduced is important, and you must remember a few things:

• Do not use first names unless you are invited to.
• The order of most names is first name, middle name and last name.
• Be respectful and use a title such as Dr., Ms., Miss, Mrs., or Mr. with the last name.
• If you are not sure of a woman's marital status use Ms. (pronounced `Miz').
• When meeting someone for the first time, use a title and their last name until you are told to do otherwise.
• Introduce yourself as you want to be called.

In Singapore, because of the many cultures that exist, there are different ways in which to address people from different ethnic backgrounds. Each of the three major ethnic groups in Singapore has different naming patterns:

Chinese

• Chinese names generally consist of a family name followed by two (some times one) personal names. In the name Chang Wu Jiang, Chang is the surname (or clan name). He would be addressed with his title plus Chang (Mr. Chang, Dr. Chang).
• Chinese wives do not generally take their husband's surnames, but instead maintain their maiden names.
• Thankfully, many Chinese adopt an English first name so that English speakers can have a familiar sounding name to identify them by.

Malay

• Malays do not have family names. Each Muslim is known by a given name plus bin (son of) plus their father's name. For example, Osman bin Ali is "Osman, son of Ali". He would properly be called Mr. Osman.
• A Malay woman is known by her given name plus binti (daughter of) plus her father's name.
• Some Westernized Malays drop the bin or binti from their name.
• For business purposes, some Malay women attach their husband's name.

With so many complexities, it is best to ask a Singaporean what you should call him or her. Repeat it to make sure you have it correct. Be forward in explaining what they should call you (they may be equally unsure as to which is your surname), but choose the same degree of formality. Don't tell a Singaporean to "just call me Bob" when you are calling him Dr. Gupta.

GIFTS

Singapore has strict laws against bribery. Government employees may not accept any gift at all. Gifts are given between friends. These are a few do's and don'ts of gift giving:

• Do not give a gift to anyone before you have established a personal relationship with that person, otherwise, the gift may have the appearance of a bribe.
• It is not the custom to unwrap a gift in the presence of the giver.
• The Chinese traditionally decline a gift three times before accepting; but they will accept the gift in the end.
• Candy or fruit baskets are good choices.
• At Chinese New Year, it is customary to give a gift of money in a red envelope to children and to the non-governmental service personnel you deal with on a regular basis.
• Give only new bills in even numbers and even amounts.
• Since pork and alcohol are prohibited to observing Muslims, do not give them as gifts to Malays, including pig-skin products or perfumes with and alcohol content.
• Malays consider dogs unclean. Do not give toy dogs or gifts that picture dogs.
• Should you give money to an Indian, make sure it is an odd number (just the opposite of Chinese tradition). Usually this is done by adding a single dollar; for example, give $11 instead of $10.
• Observant Hindus do not eat beef or use cattle products. This eliminates most leather products as gifts.

Other things to remember:

• It is common courtesy to ask permission to take pictures of people, mosques or temples.
• When entering a Singaporean's house or a mosque, remember to take off your shoes.
• Do not eat or offer anything with your left hand when with Muslims.