The Republic of Singapore, located north of the equator, is a state comprising the island of Singapore and 58 more islands. What was once a pirate haunt, a land covered by malaria-infested rainforest and mangrove swamps, is now a busy city-state with the third highest capital income in the region.  Claimed to be the world's busiest port, it has the world's third-largest oil-refining facilities and acts as a clearing house for the surrounding area's raw materials, including tin, rubber, coconut oil, palm oil, rice, timber, jute, spices and coffee. It is also a major financial centre and is becoming a popular tourist stopover.  The climate is hot and humid throughout the year. It is at its wettest and coolest from November to January, when the Northeast Monsoon blows. The hottest months are from March to July.  Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles and a statue of him can be found near the Singapore River, where his ship first landed. The population of Singapore includes Chinese , Malays , Indians , Eurasians, Arabs and Jews, and the four official languages spoken are Chinese, Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil and English. English is the prime language spoken. The southern islands is the place where nearly all dive sites in Singapore are located at. It comprimises of a group of islands clustered together. The marine life here is abundant and that is why many, if not nearly all, the divers come here to dive. The best few dive sites here are located at Pulau Hantu, Raffles Lighthouse and Kusu Island. There are restaurants of all standards and crusines - far too many to state here. Your best idea is to get hold of a tourist directory on arrival; alternatively, invest in a comprehensive guidebook. There are also many fast food chains here, including Mac Donalds, KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Delifrance. Singapore is a cosmopolitan city. Aside from the skyscrapers of the modern city there are Chinese, Indian and Arab areas. Public transport is very good. It has the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit [MRT], Singapore Bus Service or you can also walk if the distance is near.  A wide range of crusines operate along Singapore River, around the harbour and to the nearby Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian Islands.  The main shopping district is in the vicinity of Orchard Road; while here you can visit the famous Raffles Hotel. Other places to visit includes China Town, Little India, Arab Street, St Andrew's Cathedral, National Museum, Singapore Zoo, Jurong Birdpark and the Crocodile Farm. If you want to spend a whole day visiting places, you should go to Sentosa Island. Here, you can visit the Fort Siloso, the Surrender Chambers, the Maritime Museum, Underwater World, Volcano Island and Coralarium. Guided tours to nearby areas in Malaysia and Indonesia can be arranged through your hotel or directly through a travel agent. Lastly, Singapore is reknown as a clean, green city, but this reputation has not been achieved without a number of draconian laws aimed to control personal behavior. These laws apply equally to tourists as well. No Chewing Gum is allowed in Singapore  Anybody caught littering is fined $1000  Anyone caught smoking in public areas is fined $5000  Eating or Drinking is prohibited on the whole MRT system.