SINGAPORE
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HISTORY Singapore is a small island nation in southeast Asia, situated off the southern tip of the Malay peninsula. Its neighbors are Malaysia to the north and east and Indonesia to the south, west and east. Although small in size, Singapore is a prosperous nation. The heart of the country is its capital city and port of Singapore. Located at the crossroads of international trade, Singapore's port is one of the busiest in the world. Singapore came under British rule in the 19th century and was long a key outpost of the British Empire. It won full independence in 1963 as a member of the Federation of Malaysia. It left the federation in 1965, becoming the independent Republic of Singapore. |
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PEOPLE Singapore was only lightly populated at the time of its founding as a British trading settlement in the early 19th century. Today it is a multi-ethnic society - one composed of variety people - as well as one of the world's most densely populated countries. Much of Singapore's growth came about as a result of immigration. Slightly more than 75 percent of its people are of Chinese origin. Malays, the original inhabitants of the region, are the second largest ethnic group, making up to 15 percent of the population. The other major ethnic groups are Indians and Pakistanis. A small number of Europeans, mainly of British background, also live in the island. Each of Singapore's ethnic groups has maintained its traditional custom and pattern of living. At the same time, because of the diversity of the population, toleration for others have become a way of life. This has been encourage by the government, which seeks to create from its varied peoples a distinct Singaporean national identity |
| SARI
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| BAJU
KURUNG AND BAJU MELAYU The baju kurung looks quite like men’s wear. It is a simple knee-length blouse worn over a long skirt pleated at the side. The outfit is completed with a selendang or tudung around the shoulders or on the head . Baju kurung too can be matched with "kain songket", "batik" or even "pelikat". The baju kurung is more liked by people because it covers the whole body except for the palms and the face which is considered to be polite. The baju kurung is more suitable with the teachings of Islam as it is not exposing the whole body except for the palms and the face. Nowadays, baju kurung can be found in different styles. These clothes are being tailored so that they suit the person wearing it. Among the baju kurungs that have been tailored are "baju kurung labuh", "baju kurung moden", "baju kurung cekak", "baju kurung Kedah" and others
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| CHEONGSAM Easy to slip on and comfortable to wear, the cheongsam fits well the female Chinese figure. Its neck is high, collar closed, and its sleeves may be either short, medium or full length, depending on season and taste. The dress is buttoned on the right side, with a loose chest, a fitting waist, and slits up from the sides, all of which combine to set off the beauty of the female shape. |
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Brunei | Cambodia | Laos | Indonesia | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam
Sari is not just attire but it embodies the warp and weft of life itself.
The essential simplicity of the sari—an untailored length of cloth
measuring between four and nine meters long by approximately one meter
wide—is set against a wonderful variety of fabrics, colors, patterns, and
draping styles. It displays the rich diverse regional traditions of color,
pattern, and weave. The etymology (origin) of the word sari is from the
Sanskrit word 'sati', which means strip of cloth. This evolved into the
Prakrit 'sadi' and was later anglicized into sari.