1. United Kingdom (UK)
2. United States of America (USA)
3. United Arab Emirates (UAE)
4. Australia
5. Singapore

United Kingdom (UK)

In the UK, city status is not automatically granted to a community meeting any particular criteria. It can only be obtained by receiving a Royal Charter. However some British cities which predate the historical monarchy have been regarded as cities since "time immemorial".

Until the 1880s, a town was usually granted city status if and only if it had a diocesan cathedral within its limits. Nowadays the government holds competitions for city status, with towns submitting applications to the Lord Chancellor, who makes recommendations to the sovereign. These are usually held to mark special events, such as coronations or royal jubilees.

Some cities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have the further distinction of having a Lord Mayor (as opposed to a Mayor). In Scotland the equivalent are Lord Provosts.

There are currently 66 cities (including thirty Lord Mayoralties or Lord Provost ships) in the UK: 50 cities (23 Lord Mayoralties) in England, 5 cities (2 Lord Mayoralties) in Wales, 6 cities (4 Lord Provost ships) in Scotland and 5 cities (1 Lord Mayoralty) in Northern Ireland. Cities with Lord Mayors or Lord Provosts are shown in bold.

In the United Kingdom a Royal Charter is a charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy Council, which creates or gives special status to an incorporated body. It is an exercise of the Royal Prerogative.

At one time a Royal Charter was the only way in which an incorporated body could be formed, but other means such as the registration of a limited company are now available. Among the historic bodies formed by Royal Charter were the British East India Company and the American colonies.

Among the 400 or so organizations with Royal Charters are cities, the BBC, Livery Companies, Britain's older universities, professional institutions and charities.

A Royal Charter is the manner in which a British town is raised to the rank of city. Most recently Inverness, Brighton & Hove and Wolverhampton were given their charters to celebrate the millennium, and Preston, Sterling, Newport, Lilburn and Newly to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002.

Some of the older British universities operate under Royal Charters, which give them the power to grant degrees. The most recent generation of universities were granted this power by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 instead. Some other universities operate under Acts of Parliament.

The BBC operates under a Royal Charter which lasts for a limited period of ten years, after which it is renewed.

Most Royal Charters are now granted to professional institutions and to charities. A Charter is not necessary for them to operate, but one is often sought as recognition of "pre-eminence, stability and permanence".

United States of America (USA)

A U.S. State is any one of the fifty states which is a member of the federation known as the United States of America. Sovereignty is divided between the individual states and the federal government. Under the United States Constitution, the federal government can legislate only on matters explicitly delegated to it by the Constitution, with the remaining governmental powers belonging to the states.

Upon the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, there were 13 states. States can be admitted to the Union by Congress.

The Constitution is silent on the issue of the secession of a state from the United States. The Civil War was fought to prevent states from leaving the Union. Some people claim that it is still not established whether any state can secede legally.

• Four of the states are called formally commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In these cases, this is merely a name and has no legal impact. However, the United States has non-state areas called commonwealths (Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas) which do have a legal status different from the states.
• "Georgia" is the name of both a U.S. state and an independent country in the Caucasus.
• "New York" is all three: a state, a county in that state, and a city in that state.
• "Washington" is a state, a city corresponding to the District of Columbia (and thus not part of any state), and a number of cities and counties in various states. The state Washington is the only one named after a U.S. President (or after a person born within the U.S., for that matter).
• One state upon joining the United States was granted the right to divide itself into up to five separate states. This was a condition of the statehood of Texas.
• Only two states have state capitals named for the state (however, this is a very common practice with states and provinces in other countries, where the state or province is actually often named after the capital city): Oklahoma, with capital Oklahoma City, and Indiana, with capital Indianapolis (which means Indiana City).
• State names speak to the circumstances of their creation.
  • Southern states on the Atlantic coast were former British colonies named after British monarchs: Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. Some northeastern states, also former British colonies, are named after English counties: New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York.
  • Many later states were named after indigenous Indian tribes: Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Mississippi, and more.
  • Southern states have Spanish names since these territories were originally controlled by Spain or Mexico: California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Texas, and perhaps Arizona.

States may be grouped in regions. There is much debate over which states are included into regions. The only regions that are clearly defined are those used by the U.S. Census Bureau. There are many possible groupings. Here are some of them:

• The West
• The Midwest (in the north, and with respect to east-west direction in the east central)
• The South
• The Northeast

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

• Abu Dhabi
• Ajman
• Alain
• Ar Ruways
• Dubai
• Fujairah
• Khawr Fakkan
• Mina Jabal Ali
• Mina Saqr
• Ras al-Khaimah
• Umm al-Qaiwain
• Qutuf
• Sharjah

• Telephones - main lines in use: 915,223 (1998)
• Telephones - mobile cellular: 1 million (1999)
• Telephone system: modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai Domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
• International: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
• Radio broadcast stations: AM 13, FM 7, shortwave 2 (1998)
• Radios: 820,000 (1997)
• Television broadcast stations: 15 (1997)
• Televisions: 310,000 (1997)
• Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2001)
• Country codes: AE

Foreign relations of the United Arab Emirates
The UAE joined the United Nations and the Arab League and has established diplomatic relations with more than 60 countries, including the United States, Japan, Russia, the People's Republic of China, and most Western European countries. It has played a moderate role in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, the United Nations, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Substantial development assistance has increased the UAE's stature among recipient states. Most of this foreign aid (in excess of $15 billion) has been to Arab and Muslim countries.

Following Iraq's 1990 invasion and attempted annexation of Kuwait, the UAE has sought to rely on the GCC, the United States, and other Western allies for its security. The UAE believes that the Arab League needs to be restructured to become a viable institution and would like to increase strength and interoperability of the GCC defense forces.

The UAE is a member of the following international organizations: UN and several of its specialized agencies (ICAO, ILO, UPU, WHO, WIPO); World Bank, IMF, Arab League, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), OPEC, Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Disputes - international:
Location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final, de facto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north;

Claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran);

Claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island;

The UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in its claims against Iran.

Illicit drugs: growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center due to its proximity to southwest Asian producing countries and the bustling free trade zone in Dubai

Australia

Australia is divided into six states and several territories. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia; the territories, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Australia also has an additional minor internal territory, Jervis Bay Territory (a naval base in New South Wales), several inhabitated external territories (Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and several largely uninhabited external territories: Coral Sea Islands Territory, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The Australian Capital Territory was created at the chosen site of the capital city Canberra. Canberra was founded as a compromise between the two largest cities, Melbourne and Sydney. The name is based on an old Aboriginal word.

Immigration has been a major factor in Australia's development since the beginning of European settlement in 1788. For generations, most settlers came from Britain and Ireland, and the people of Australia are still predominantly of British or Irish origin, with a culture and outlook similar to that of the United Kingdom and the United States. However, since the end of World War II, the population has more than doubled; non-European immigration, mostly from the Middle East and Asia, has increased significantly since 1945 through an extensive, planned immigration program. From 1945 through 1996, nearly 5.5 million immigrants settled in Australia, and about 80% have remained; nearly one of every four Australians is foreign-born. Britain and Ireland have been the largest sources of post-war immigrants, followed by Italy, Greece, New Zealand, and the former Yugoslavia.

The 1970s saw progressive reductions in the size of the annual immigration program due to economic and employment conditions; in 1969-70, 185,000 persons were permitted to settle, but by 1975-76 the number had dropped to 52,700. Immigration has slowly risen since. In 1995-96, Australia accepted more than 99,000 regular immigrants. In 1999-2000, Australia will accept 82,000 new immigrants. In addition, since 1990 about 7,500 New Zealanders have settled in Australia each year.

Australia's refugee admissions of about 12,000 per year are in addition to the normal immigration program. In recent years, the government has given priority to refugees from the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, and Africa. In recent years, refugees from Indochina and the former Yugoslavia have comprised the largest single element in Australia's refugee program.

Although Australia has scarcely more than two persons per square kilometer of total land area, this raw figure is highly misleading: most of the continent is desert or semi-desert and of no agricultural value. In consequence, Australia is one of the world's most urbanized countries: less than 15% of the population live in rural areas.

Much of Australia's culture is derived from European and more recently American roots, but distinctive Australian features have evolved from the environment, aboriginal culture, and the influence of Australia's neighbors. The vigor and originality of the arts in Australia—films, opera, music, painting, theater, dance, and crafts—are achieving international recognition.

Australia has produced a wide variety of popular music. While many musicians and bands (some notable examples include the 1960s successes of The Easybeats and the folk-pop group The Seekers, through the heavy rock of AC/DC, and the slick pop of INXS and more recently Savage Garden) have had considerable international success, there remains some debate over whether Australian popular music really has a distinctive sound. Perhaps the most striking common feature of Australian music, like many other Australian art forms, is the dry, often self-deprecating humor evident in the lyrics.

Australia has had a significant school of painting since the early days of European settlement, and Australians with international reputations include Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale, and Arthur Boyd—not to mention the prized work of many Aboriginal artists. Writers who have achieved world recognition include Thomas Keneally, Colleen McCullough, Nevil Shute, Morris West, Jill Ker Conway, and Nobel Prize winner Patrick White.

Australia has a long history of film production—in fact, it is claimed that the first feature-length film was actually an Australian production. However, during the late 1960s and 1970s in influx of government funding saw the development of a new generation of directors and actors telling distinctively Australian stories. The 1980s is regarded as perhaps a golden age of Australian cinema, with many wildly successful films, from the apocalyptic science fiction of Mad Max to the blatantly commercial Aussie-bloke fantasy of Crocodile Dundee, a film that defined Australia in the eyes of many foreigners despite having remarkably little to do with the lifestyle of most Australians. The indigenous film industry continues to produce a reasonable number of films each year, also many US producers have moved productions to Australian studios as they discover a pool of professional talent well below US costs. Notable productions include The Matrix and the upcoming Star Wars Episode II and III.

• 0-14 years: 21% (male 2,052,095; female 1,954,543)
• 15-64 years: 67% (male 6,458,083; female 6,322,475)
• 65 years and over: 12% (male 1,040,950; female 1,340,937) (2000 est.)

• Australian Capital Territory
• Canberra
• New South Wales
• Albury-Wodonga (NSW-Victoria border)
• Armidale
• Bathurst
• Berry
• Cessnock
• Coffs Harbour
• Bourke
• Dubbo
• Gosford
• Gloucester
• Lake Macquarie
• Morisset
• Newcastle
• Orange
• Sydney
• Tamworth
• Toronto
• Tweed Heads (NSW-Queensland border)
• Wagga Wagga
• Wollongong
• Young
• Northern Territory
• Alice Springs
• Darwin
• Palmerston
• Queensland
• Brisbane
• Bundaberg
• Cairns
• Coolangatta (NSW-QLD border, joined to Tweed Heads)
• Gladstone
• Gold Coast
• Goondiwindi
• Hervey Bay
• Ipswich
• Mackay
• Maryborough
• Rockhampton
• Sunshine Coast
• Toowoomba
• Townsville
• Yungaburra
• South Australia
• Adelaide
• Tasmania
• Burnie
• Devonport
• Hobart
• Launceston
• Swansea
• Victoria
• Main article: List of localities (Victoria)
• Ballarat
• Bendigo
• Geelong
• Mildura
• Melbourne
• Western Australia
• Perth
• Bunbury
• Kalgoorlie

Singapore

Singapore's main territory is a diamond-shaped piece of land that would be an island, if it was not connected to the city of Johor Bahru in the state of Johor (Malaysia) by a man-made causeway to the north. There is also a second link in the form of a bridge to Johor to the west in the Tuas area. Singapore also has dozens of smaller islands, of which Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest. Since Singapore basically consists of only one city, there are no further administrative divisions.

Apart from the much smaller Monaco, Singapore is the most densely populated independent country in the world. 85% of the population stay in public housing. Source: Dept of Statistics

Singapore's population is diverse. Chinese account for 76.8% of the population, Malays 13.9% who were the indigenous or native group of the country. Indians are the third largest ethnic group at 7.9%. Source: Singapore Department of Statistics Census 2000.

The official languages are English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Malay is also Singapore's national language but this is largely symbolic, being the language of the national anthem. The ruling PAP has preferred to promote English as the country's lingua franca, with Malay being confined largely to its native speakers, with relatively few Chinese and Indian Singaporeans speaking it.

Singapore's telecommunications and telephone facilities are state-of-the-art, providing high-quality communications with the rest of the world. Radio and television stations are all government-owned entities. The print media is dominated by a company with close ties to the government. Daily newspapers are published in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil.

Right Hand Drive.

Officially, English used is modelled on British English, though American English is perfectly acceptable. The local version of English, Singlish, a combination of English with Hokkien accents and a smattering of words from other local languages, is popular, but frowned upon in official contexts.

Singapore Chinatown is the traditional Chinese neighborhood that features traditional Chinese culture. It is home to ethnic Chinese population. It is located in the larger district of Outram. Chinese is the largest ethnic group in Singapore that constitutes about 75 per cent of population.

Chinatown in Singapore is also known as Niu Che Shui in Chinese and Kreta Ayer in Malay, both the names mean ‘bullock cart water’, a reference to the carts that used to haul in drinking water. Chinatown is a vibrant mix of different colors. The town is fully painted in its unique traditions and cultures.

Chinatown in Singapore evolved around 1821 when the first Chinese junk arrived from Xiamen, Fujian province in China. All the passengers from China were men, who set up home around the south of the Singapore River. This area, today, is known as Telok Ayer. Singapore Chinatown has retained its old world charm. Many of the area’s major historical and cultural landmarks have been declared as national heritage sites, which are now officially designated for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. There are many places of tourist interest in Chinatown, which include markets, temples, mosques, parks, and shop-houses. Travelers to Chinatown can visit various sites like Heritage Centre, Chinatown Food Street, and Chinatown Night Market.

• Chinatown Heritage Center
• Jamae Mosque
• Sri Mariamman Temple
• Thian Hock Keng Temple

Besides Chinatown is a great place to shop for Chinese goods and other items. Most streets of Chinatown are packed with stalls selling Chinese trinkets. There are various shops on South Bridge Roade selling antiques, Chinese handicrafts, fashion items, home accessories and Chinese medicine.

Even if you may not have been to the East Coast Singapore but the chances are you sure have crossed the area on your way to or from Changi Airport. The East Coast Singapore is predominantly a residential area, which is well known for its 20 kilometers stretch of white sandy beaches.

Though not a hot tourist spot in Singapore, the East Coast is a great place to enjoy the 20-km long stretch of white sandy beaches. Food is another high point of the East Coast. It is home to many of Singapore's famous culinary icons. It is also home to Singapore's Malay community, which is in Geylang Serai. The East Coast is a perfect place to enjoy the rustic flavor of the little island of Pulau Ubin.

The East Coast Singapore has MRT running along the length of the East Coast all the way from the center to Pasir Ris and Changi Airport. The North-East MRT traverses up to Sengkang and Punggol on the northern coast of the island, but doesn't go to many places of interest. The East Coast Singapore is well connected to all parts of the island by the Pan-Island Expressway and Central Expressway.

There are various places of tourist interest in the area. Hotel accommodation in East Coast Singapore is easy to find. Quality Hotel Singapore offers comfortable accommodation to tourists visiting the East Coast. The hotel was earlier known as the Robinson International Hotel and is located at the junction of Moulmein Road and Balestier Road.

• East Coast Lagoon
• East Coast Lagoon Food Centre
• East Coast Seafood Centre
• Like Chinatown, Little India in Singapore is an ethnic Indian neighborhood that is steeped in Indian culture and tradition. It is a vibrant area in Singapore, which is popular for its colorful atmosphere.
• Little India is famous as a shopping arcade. It lies to the east of the Singapore River across from Chinatown, located west of the river and north of Kampong Glam. Little India is subdivided into four parts- Lower Serangoon Road; Central Serangoon Road; Upper Serangoon Road; and the Arab Quarter.
• History of Little India It is believed that the first batch of 120 Indians, who settled in Singapore, came with Sir Stamford in 1819. They resided mainly in the area near Chulia Street in Chinatown, which Raffles had originally designated for the Indian community. At the end of the 19th century, many more Indian migrants came to Singapore to find work.
• There were two main reasons for the influx of Indians into the site where Little India stands today. 1) The introduction of cattle-rearing on the fertile land near Rochor River by the cattle merchants Belilios (a Jewish Indian); and (2) building of the Race Course for the Europeans nearby in 1843. These two activities saw Indian immigrants coming from Calcutta, Madras and Malaya to Singapore. They flocked here, and by the turn of the century, this area had become a flourishing commercial centre for the Indian community.
• How to reach It is very convenient to reach Singapore Little India. One can take the North East MRT and get down at Little India or Farrer Park Station near Serangoon Road. Another easy way to reach the area is to take East-West line and get down and Bugis station.
• Indian food Little India is a great place to have Indian food in Singapore. Travelers who wish to get a taste of Indian cuisine can head to Little India Singapore. Tourists can enjoy both south Indian and north Indian cuisines. The food here is cheap yet excellent. If you are looking for vegetarian fare, Little India is a great place to explore.
• Shopping Little India Singapore is a wonderful place to shop. Travelers can meander through the spice-scented streets and can shop from spices, jewelry, silk saaris, jasmine garlands, to trinkets and brassware.

Located at the southern tip of the city, Marina Bay is Singapore’s downtown district. This area comprises the existing Central Business District at Raffles Place and Shenton Way, the hotel and convention hub at Marina Centre, and the new development area around the Bay.

The district is planned to be more than an international business and financial hub. It is being developed to be a dynamic, 24/7, waterfront ‘Garden City by the Bay’. Marina bay Singapore will reflect Singapore’s position as a dynamic Asian city. It will be a wonderful place to live, work and play and a place to explore, exchange and entertain. Marina Bay is being designed to extend Singapore’s downtown district and further support the city’s extending growth.

Marina Bay hotels Singapore offer comfortable accommodation in Marina Bay Singapore. There are various good hotels in the area, which are well equipped with all the modern facilities. Singapore Marina Bay hotels are convenient and easy to book. Travelers to Marina Bay Singapore can book a hotel room in Marina Bay hotels Singapore online on cheap and discount hotel rates.

Some of the exciting projects underway in Marina Bay include:

• Marina Barrage
• Singapore Flyer
• Marina Bay Sands
• Gardens by the Bay
• Mass Rapid Transit Downtown Line Phase -1
• Marina Bay Sands
• The Sail
• Double Helix Bridge