Singapore is a city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsular, about 137 kilometres north of the equator. It comprises one main island and some sixty islets, with a combined area of 622 square kilometers. Owing to its focal position, Singapore has become the largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the busiest in the world. Once a British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth and ASEAN, Singapore achieved independence in 1965.

Singapore has a diverse population of four million being the result of considerable past immigration. The Chinese predominate, followed by the Malays and Indians. It has a growing expatriate community, which presently constitutes 19% of the population.

Singapore is a parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster model and corporate and trust law follow modern English law principles. Currently, tax on corporate profits is 17% with certain exemptions. It is a signatory to a number of double taxation and investment protection treaties that can provide tax planning and security advantages.

Singapore has developed financial services which are highly sophisticated and are available through a wide variety of institutions. The Monetary Authority of Singapore performs all the functions of a central bank except issuing currency. The Singapore stock exchange is an important component of the financial activity of the region.

Singapore is eight hours ahead of GMT. It has an excellent airport, with connections to all other key financial centres. Well known for its outstanding infrastructure, Singapore is considered to have one of the best regulatory and telecommunications environments in the world.