The Republic of Singapore (Malay: Republik Singapura), referred to as Singapore, also known as the Lion City, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. Singapore is bordered by Malaysia by the Johor Strait to the north, Indonesia by the Singapore Strait to the south, and adjacent to the southern tip of the Strait of Malacca. In addition to Singapore Island, which accounts for 88.5% of the country's land area, there are also 63 offshore islands surrounding the main island. This city-state occupies an area of 710 square kilometers and is home to about 5 million people in four major ethnic groups: Chinese (majority), Malays, Indians, and Eurasian people. This prosperous metropolis also has world-class infrastructure, a complete transportation system throughout the island, a thriving business environment, vibrant living spaces, and a rich culture that is deeply influenced by the four major ethnic groups in Singapore. Life in Singapore is endowed with different cultural, religious, gastronomic, language, and historical characteristics by each ethnic groups.
Singapore is a developed capitalist country, known as one of the "Four Asian Tigers." At the same time, with its geographical advantages, Singapore has become one of Asia's important financial, service and shipping centers. Its economic model is called "state capitalism". According to the 2018 Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI) report, Singapore was the fourth largest international financial center after London, New York, and Hong Kong, and was ranked as the Alpha city by GaWC. Singapore is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as a member economy of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Commonwealth of Nations (the Commonwealth), and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). In addition, the entire city has significant effects on greening and environmental sanitation, hence it known as the Garden City.