Facts about National Day


Singapore declared independence from Britain in August 1963 and gained its own sovereignty on August 9th 1965.

To mark the day, here are 18 interesting facts about National Day.

Singapore is one of three surviving city-states (city, capital and state) in the world. The other two are Monaco and Vatican City. National Day Facts

Buildings in Singapore cannot be taller than 280 metres. National Day Facts

The largest fountain in the world is in Singapore. Located in Suntec City, it is estimated to have cost around US$6 million to build in 1997. National Day Facts

Singapore has four official languages: English, Chinese, Tamil, and Malay. National Day Facts

The Singapore Botanic Gardens contains the largest tropical orchid garden in the world. National Day Facts

Singapore is made up of 63 islands National Day Facts

At 282 metres above ground level atop One Raffles Place, 1-Altitude is the highest outside rooftop bar in the world. National Day Facts

In Singapore you can get fined $150 for not flushing after you use the toilet. National Day Facts

Singapore was named Singapura, which means 'Lion City' in Sanskrit, by Sang Nila Utama, a Sumatran Prince after he thought he saw a lion on the island, though it was more likely to have been a tiger. National Day Facts

When time zones were first used, Singapore was set as 7 hours and 30 mins ahead of GMT. In 1982, this was changed to 8 Hours to bring the country into line with neighbouring regions. National Day Facts

Singaporeans are the fastest pedestrians in the world, walking at a speed of about 6.15 km per hour! National Day Facts

The tallest indoor waterfall in the world is located in Singapore at the Gardens by the Bay, and it stands at a height of 35 meters. National Day Facts

Singapore’s Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has more tree species than all of North America. National Day Facts

The USB memory stick was invented in Singapore. National Day Facts

Singapore is the world's largest exporter of exotic aquarium fish. National Day Facts

One out of every six people in Singapore has assets worth USD1 million or more, higher than anyone else in the world. National Day Facts

You can find the National Anthem of Singapore on the back of the SGD 1000 note, written in micro text. National Day Facts

The signature Singapore Sling, which contains gin, Cointreau, cherry brandy, Dom Benedictine, pineapple juice, Grenadine, Angostura bitters and lime, was first served at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel in the year 1915. National Day Facts
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