module 6 Unit Pacific Asia: Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines BEFORE READING Answer these questions. a. Do you know anything about Singapore? Make notes. Compare your notes with your partner. b. When did Britain hand over Hong Kong to China? c. Do you know which European king gave the Philippines their name? Singapore was originally part of the Sumatran Srivijaya kingdom, but in 1819 it was leased from the Sultan of Johore by Sir Stamford Raffles and became part of the Straits Settlements. Since 1965 it has been an independent state, governed by a President, a Prime Minister, and a unicameral Parliament. The republic has a population of about 4,000,000 people, the Chinese make up 77% of the population, the Malay 15% and Singapore The official name of Singapore is the Republic of Singapore, it is an island located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula in southeast Asia. The republic consists of the island of Singapore and fifty small islands. The main island is linked to Malaysia by a causeway across the Johor Strait. The country is flat, with only one mountain, Bukit Timah (177 m) and one major river, the Selatar River in the north east. The capital is Singapore City. The climate is tropical and the humidity level is very high. There are two distinct monsoon seasons: north-eastern monsoon from December to March and south-western monsoon from June to September. Between the monsoon seasons there are frequent thunderstorms in the afternoon and the early evening. The average annual temperature range is from 21° to 34° centigrade, with an average annual rainfall of 2438 mm. Indians 6%. The Chinese population are mainly Buddhists; the Malay mainly Muslim, but there are also Taoist, Christian and Hindu minorities. Singapore is a major trans-shipment centre, it is one of the world s largest ports, and there are also a number of secondary and tertiary industries such as oil refining, rubber, food processing, chemicals, electronics, ship repair, financial services, fishing and tourism. ACTIVITIES 1 Do you think these statements are true or false? Check your answers with the text. T F T F Singapore is an island. The main product of Singapore is natural rubber. The people of Singapore are Malaysians. Singapore is a British colony. Singapore is a dictatorship. 2 The weather in Singapore is very hot and dry. The capital city is called Rangoon. Fill in the chart with information about Singapore from the reading passage. Official name Location Mountains/rivers Climate Form of government Population Religion Industry/business activities