Friday, June 20, 2008

Singapore!

Matt got his mission call today - he is headed to the Singapore Mission on September 3, 2008. He is speaking English, which got me curious. What do they speak in Singapore? A visit to Wikipedia later, here is what we know:


Singapore is in Malasia, which is located South of Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.

Singapore is a multi-religious country. According to statistics, around 51 percent of resident Singaporeans (excluding significant numbers of visitors and migrant workers) practice Buddhism and Taoism. About 15 percent, mostly Chinese , Eurasians, and Indians, practice Christianity - a broad classification including Catholicism, Protestantism and other denominations. Muslims constitute 14 percent, of whom Malays account for the majority with a substantial number of Indian Muslims and Chinese Muslims. Smaller minorities practice Sikhism, Hinduism, the Bahá'í Faith and others, according to the 2000 census.[66]
Some religious materials and practices are banned in Singapore. The Jehovah Witnesses, for example, are prohibited from distributing religious materials[67] and are sometimes jailed for their pacifist refusals to serve in the Singaporean military.[68]
About 15 percent of the population declared no religious affiliation.

English is the first language learned by half the children by the time they reach preschool age and is the primary medium of instruction in primary school; however mother tongues are taught in the respective languages.

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