Founded
as a British trading colony in 1819, Singapore joined Malaysia in 1963, but
withdrew two years later and became independent. It subsequently became one
of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong international trading
links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and with per capita GDP equal
to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
Location: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons -
Northeastern monsoon from December to March and Southwestern monsoon from
June to September; inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening
thunderstorms
Population: 4,452,732 (July 2002 est.)
Religions: Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu,
Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist
Languages: Chinese (official), Malay (official and national), Tamil
(official), English (official)
Capital: Singapore
Currency: Singapore dollar (SGD)
Malaysia was formed in 1963 through a merging of the former British
colonies of Malaya and Singapore, including the East Malaysian states of
Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo. The first several years
of the country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control
Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession in 1965.
Location: Southeastern Asia, peninsula and northern one-third of the
island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia and the South China Sea, south of
Vietnam
Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast
(October to February) monsoons
Population: 22,662,365 (July 2002 est.)
Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects
(Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu,
Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; note - in addition, in East Malaysia several
indigenous languages are spoken, the largest of which are Iban and Kadazan
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Currency: ringgit (MYR)
A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as
Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have
been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a
constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II,
Thailand became a US ally following the conflict.
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf
of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to
September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern
isthmus always hot and humid
Population: 62,354,402
Languages: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic
and regional dialects
Capital: Bangkok
Currency: baht (THB)
Welcome to China
Lying
in the eastern part of the Asian continent and on the western coast of the
Pacific, China abounds in rich resources with an area of 9.6 million square
kilometers and a coastline of 18,000 kilometers. And there are more than
5,000 large and small islands in its vast sea area.
Besides beautiful rivers there are mountains which extend over thousands of
kilometers. More than 2,000 large and small natural lakes stud the vast
Landscape like shining pearls.
Well developed tourist facilities, high standards of service and
hospitality have made China a favored destination for tourists all over the
world to come to enjoy its mountain and river scenery, colorful customs and
ancient civilization.
Temperature & Clothing
Spring : 10 -220 C, suits, jackets , sports wears, thick woolen
sweaters, long sleeve shirts and travel shoes.
Summer : 220 C, and above, T-shirts, short sleeves shirts, skirts,
sandals, caps, rain gear.
Autumn : 10 - 220 C, suits, jackets, sports wears, light woolen
sweaters, rain gear and travel shoes.
Winter : 100 C, or lower, overcoat, cotton-padded jackets, duck-down
jackets. In severe cold areas, a cap, gloves and fur-lined boots are
required.
