The seasons are defined by the relative incidence of rainfall, which, in turn, is determined by the movements of the monsoon air masses.
Little remains of the original vegetation or animal life, except for a few thousand acres of evergreen rain forest preserved around catchment areas.
The population of Singapore is diverse, the result of considerable past immigration. Chinese predominate, making up some three-fourths of the total.
Singapore, one of the great trading entrepôts of the British empire, has experienced remarkable economic growth and diversification since 1960.