Portal:Singapore

Welcome to the Singapore Portal

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-stateinmaritime Southeast Asia. It is located about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south along with the Riau IslandsinIndonesia, the South China Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor along with the State of JohorinMalaysia to the north. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet; the combined area of these has increased by approximately 25% since the country's independence as a result of extensive land reclamation projects. It has the third highest population density of any country in the world, although there are numerous green and recreational spaces as a result of urban planning. With a multicultural population and in recognition of the cultural identities of the major ethnic groups within the nation, Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. English is the common language, with its exclusive use in numerous public services. Multi-racialism is enshrined in the constitution and continues to shape national policies in education, housing, and politics.

Singapore's history dates back at least eight hundred years, having been a maritime emporium known as Temasek and subsequently a major constituent part of several successive thalassocratic empires. Its contemporary era began in 1819, when Stamford Raffles established Singapore as an entrepôt trading post of the British Empire. In 1867, the colonies in Southeast Asia were reorganised, and Singapore came under the direct control of Britain as part of the Straits Settlements. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942 and returned to British control as a separate Crown colony following Japan's surrender in 1945. Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 and, in 1963, became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo, and Sarawak. Ideological differences, most notably the perceived encroachment of the egalitarian "Malaysian Malaysia" political ideology led by Lee Kuan Yew into the other constituent entities of Malaysia—at the perceived expense of the bumiputera and the policies of Ketuanan Melayu—eventually led to Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later; Singapore became an independent sovereign country in 1965.

After early years of turbulence and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers. With its growth based on international trade and economic globalisation, it integrated itself with the world economy through free trade with minimal trade barriers and tariffs, export-oriented industrialisation, and the large accumulation of received foreign direct investments, foreign exchange reserves, and assets held by sovereign wealth funds. As a highly developed country, it has one of the highest GDP per capita (PPP) in the world. Identified as a tax haven, Singapore is the only country in Asia with a AAA sovereign credit rating from all major rating agencies. It is a major aviation, financial, and maritime shipping hub and has consistently been ranked as one of the most expensive cities to live in for expatriates and foreign workers. Singapore ranks highly in key social indicators: education, healthcare, quality of life, personal safety, infrastructure, and housing, with a home-ownership rate of 88 percent. Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest life expectancies, fastest Internet connection speeds, lowest infant mortality rates, and lowest levels of corruption in the world.

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Credit: Yeo Kok Leong (20 February 2009)

Henderson Waves, a 274-metre (900-foot) long pedestrian bridge connecting Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. At 36 metres (120 feet) above Henderson Road, it is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. Read more...

General images

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  Image 1The Thian Hock Keng, completed in 1842, served as a place of worship for early immigrants. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 2The Plan of the Town of Singapore, or more commonly known as the Jackson PlanorRaffles Town Plan. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 3Upper Seletar Reservoir (from Geography of Singapore)
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  Image 41888 German map of Singapore (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 5Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, led by a Japanese officer, marches under a flag of truce to negotiate the capitulation of Allied forces in Singapore, on 15 February 1942. It was the largest surrender of British-led forces in history. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 6A statue of Raffles by Thomas Woolner now stands in Singapore, near Raffles's landing site in 1819. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 7Enlargeable, detailed map of Singapore (from Geography of Singapore)
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  Image 8Hainanese chicken rice (from Singaporeans)
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  Image 9Japanese POWs are taken to work where they were made to clear up the city during the British reoccupation in September 1945
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  Image 10Top view of Bukit Batok West. Large scale public housing development has created high housing ownership among the population. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 11Baedeker map of the city and environs, c. 1914
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  Image 12Sign board with warnings in Singapore's four main languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil (from Culture of Singapore)
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  Image 13The Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay (from Culture of Singapore)
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  Image 14A busy Victoria Dock, Tanjong Pagar, in the 1890s. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 151955 stamp with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 16Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (from Singaporeans)
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  Image 17Restored shophouses running along a street in Chinatown, which reflects the Victorian architecture of buildings built in Singapore during the earlier colonial period, with styles such as the painted ladies. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 18Jurong Industrial Estate, Singapore, with Jurong Island in the background (from Geography of Singapore)
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  Image 19Singapore's urban geography is often characterised by extensive use of HDB flats, which the majority of citizens reside in. (from Geography of Singapore)
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  Image 20The old and the new Singapore as seen from an alley behind Boat Quay (2023) (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 21The Jurong Industrial Estate was developed in the 1960s to industrialise the economy. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 22The country celebrates its National Day on 9 August each year. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 23St Andrew's Cathedral (from Singaporeans)
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  Image 24Quadrilingual sign (from Singaporeans)
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  Image 25Men of various ethnicities - Chinese, Malay, and Indian gather at a street corner in Singapore, circa 1900. (from Singaporeans)
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  Image 26Fireworks over the Marina Bay skyline following the conclusion of the 2015 National Day Parade on 9 August 2015. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 27The Sultan Mosque, built in 1826 in the Kampong Glam district, is the oldest and one of the largest mosque in Singapore. (from Singaporeans)
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  Image 28Afternoon thunderstorms are a frequent occurrence in Singapore, which has an equatorial climate. (from Geography of Singapore)
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  Image 29Centre square of Raffles Place (from Culture of Singapore)
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  Image 30Traffic in Singapore, 1981. Prior to the introduction of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) in 1990, vehicles per capita in Singapore was the highest in ASEAN. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 31The Mao Kun map from Wubei Zhi which is based on the early 15th century maps of Zheng He showing Temasek (淡馬錫) at the top left, and Long Ya Men (龍牙門) on the right panel. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 32Old Supreme Court of Singapore (from Culture of Singapore)
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  Image 33Deepavali decorations in Singapore. (from Culture of Singapore)
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  Image 34A hawker centre in Lavender, Singapore (from Culture of Singapore)
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  Image 35The Marina Bay Sands integrated resort. Opened in 2010, it has become a key feature of Singapore's modern skyline. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 36Chinese community in Singapore carrying the Flag of the Republic of China (written Long live the motherland) to celebrate the victory, also reflected the Chinese identity issues at that time. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 37Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (from Culture of Singapore)
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  Image 38A fragment of the Singapore Stone, inscribed with an Indic script, c. 10th to 13th century. (from History of Singapore)
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  Image 39Engraving of Sir Stamford RafflesbyJames Thomson
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  Image 40Shophouses in Singapore (from Singaporeans)

Did you know (auto-generated)

• ... that RSS Panglima was the first ship of the Republic of Singapore Navy?

In this month

More Anniversaries...

More did you know - show different entries

• ... that the tower of Paul Rudolph's The Concourse (pictured)isoctagonal in plan, as the number "8" is associated with prosperityinChinese culture?

• ... that The Cenotaph is Singapore's first major war memorial built in memory of the people who gave their lives in World War I, and was unveiled by the young Prince Edward of Wales, later King Edward VIII?

• ... that to prepare for future examinations, Singapore students use the ten year series to practice on past years' examination papers, some of which date back to before they were born?

• ... that Cavenagh Bridge, the only suspension bridge in Singapore, was originally designed as a drawbridge but on its completion in 1869 was found to be suitable only as a fixed structure, and is now a pedestrian bridge?

• ... that Singapore's Police Coast Guard is a coast guard and water police service that is also responsible for maintenance of order on most of Singapore's off-shore islands?

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A night time view of Bishan Park after its renovation under the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme.

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