Having emerged as one of the world’s most prosperous countries, Singapore is a financial center serving as a model for developing countries with an achievement in urban planning.

Here are 11 interesting facts about Singapore.

• Singapore is one of the only 3 surviving city-states in the world after Monaco & Vatican City.
• On the back of their $1,000 note, Singapore’s national anthem is written in micro-text.
• A prince from Palembang – Sang Nila Utama saw a creature he thought was a lion and named the island “Singapura” which means “Lion City” in Sanskrit. However, there have never been lions outside of captivity in Singapore.
• The nation of Singapore includes 63 additional islands in addition to its main island, most of which are uninhabited.
• Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world, with a total land area of only 682.7 square kilometers. The United States is about 15,000 times bigger.
• In the flag of Singapore, red represents universal brotherhood and equality of man while the white symbolizes purity and virtue. The crescent moon stands for a young nation on the rise and the five stars signify the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
• Singapore’s Bukit Timah Nature Reserve holds more species of trees than the entire North American continent.
• Buildings in Singapore cannot be higher than 280 metres. Currently, there are three buildings of that height – OUB Centre, UOB Plaza and Republic Plaza.
• The Guinness book record for the longest human domino chain was set in Singapore on September 30, 2000. It was formed by 9,234 students and measured 4.2km.
• Singapore has more than 3,000 kilometres of roads. Stretched out end to end, they would cover the distance from Singapore to Hong Kong.
• The national language of Singapore is Malay. The four official languages of the country are English, Chinese, Tamil, and Malay.