There are four official languages:

1. Malay: Mostly restricted to the Malay community.

2. Tamil: Tamil is the main Indian language, though Malayalam and Hindi are also spoken.

3. English: English is widespread. Children are taught in English at school but also learn their mother tongue to make sure they don't lose contact with their traditions. The only communication problem English-speakers are likely to have in Singapore is with older Singaporeans who did not learn English at school, though trying to understand the unique patois called Singlish - which uses a clipped form of English mixed with Malay and Hokkien words - can be taxing.

4. C hinese (Mandarin): C hinese dialects, such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainanese and Hakka, are still widely spoken. The government's long-standing campaign to promote Mandarin has been very successful and increasing numbers of C hinese now speak Mandarin at home.

Buddhist - 42%
Muslim -15%
Christian - 14%
Taoist - 9%
Hindu - 4%