Singapore is a small island nation in Southeast Asia, known for its history as a trading post and its current prosperity. It has a vibrant tourism industry and offers a range of activities, including parks, museums, and island exploration. It has a strong infrastructure and can be reached by air, train, bus, or car.
Singapore is a small island nation in Southeast Asia. It covers 270 square miles (700 square km), making it about one-fifth the size of Rhode Island. It is just south of Malaysia and north of Indonesia’s Riau Islands.
The island has been inhabited for thousands of years and first appears conclusively in written records circa the 2nd century, when it was described as a key trading stop. The Greeks were aware of a port city at the location of Singapore as far back as the 2nd century. It was controlled by several kingdoms and empires, including the Javanese and Siam, which is today’s Thailand.
By the 14th century Singapore had become a very influential port, facilitating trade between Eastern cultures such as Chinese and Malay and Western cultures. In the late 14th century it had come under the control of a prince of Srivijaya, a Malay kingdom in Sumatra, after being forced to flee his kingdom. This prince eventually founded the Malacca Sultanate and incorporated the island into that kingdom. Later, the Sultanate of Johor would take over the island and continue to thrive as a trading centre.
In the early 17th century, the Portuguese burned down the entire settlement of Singapore, and for the next two hundred years the island remained virtually undiscovered. In the early 19th century, however, the British built a trading post on the island, which laid the foundation for the modern state. The island was seen as an ideal base from which to challenge Dutch commercial supremacy in Southeast Asia, and the British invested heavily in making sure it flourished.
The island soon grew beyond its historical importance as a trading post, serving as one of the cornerstones of trade with Asia. When the Suez Canal was opened in the mid-19th century, its already lucrative commercial activity increased further. The island was eventually made a crown colony in 1911, to help facilitate leaner government and stricter order.
In 1939 the British built a huge naval base on Singapore, mainly as a defense against the Japanese Empire should it expand into the British sphere. In 1941 the Japanese did indeed invade, but they did so from the land to the north, and by 1942 the British had surrendered the island.
After the war, the British regained control of the island and began rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure and economy. By the end of the 1940s the economy had recovered and growing nationalist sentiment had begun to spread among the population as well. In the mid-1950s the British relinquished some control over politics, but retained a fairly tight grip on the management of internal affairs, due to fears that the Communists would take over the government. By the late 1950s the government had achieved full self-government and, despite pro-Communist leanings, promoted a campaign that encouraged foreign investment and intense economic development.
In 1963 Singapore merged with a number of other countries in the region to form the Federation of Malaysia. Although the leaders of both Singapore and Britain had high hopes for the merger, it quickly escalated into race riots and intense violence. In 1965 it was expelled from the Federation and became an independent republic.
Though many powers were skeptical that it would succeed as such a small nation in such a tough political and economic environment, the small country quickly set to work strengthening its economy and forging alliances for protection. By focusing on trade and technology, the country has become extremely prosperous, successfully weathering the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The country now has the 22nd highest GDP per capita and was ranked 11th in the world for quality of life.
There is a wide range of activities available in Singapore and the country has a vibrant tourism economy and strong infrastructure. A wide variety of gardens and parks are found throughout the region, from the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to the Mandai Orchid Garden to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. There are also a number of museums preserving the natural and cultural history of the region. The various islands in the area offer the opportunity to get out of the city itself and explore some of the untouched regions of Kusu Island, Sentosa, Saint John’s Island or Pulau Ubin.
Singapore is a major international air hub and flights arrive daily from most major cities around the world. It can also be reached by land by train, bus or car from Malaysia and Thailand.
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