SINGAPORE:

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SINGAPORE AT A GLANCE:

Singapura, meaning “Lion City” was named long ago by a Sumatra prince visiting the island and upon sighting a lion, he was inspired to find a city on the spot …or so goes the Malay legend. More recent history records Sir Stamford Raffles as the father of Singapore where he came to establish the British East India trading company and while there reshaped the history of Singapore forever.   Today, the city-state is an independent republic. The location at the tip of the Malay Peninsula gives her strategic advantages in business, culture and tourism. Lacking natural resources, its economy base is commerce, finance, electronics and shipping. A closer look offers a glimpse to the blending of such fascinating cultures as Chinese, Malay, and Indian into the Colonial period under British rule and into her role in the war against Japan.

LOCATION:

Located between Malaysia and Indonesia, the total area is only 630 sq.km, which is extremely small by any standards.  People have remarked that not only is it really just a large city with extensive suburbs, but that it is governed in the same way as a chief executive might control a major corporation.  Indeed many people refer to Singapore as a city-state. Singapore has an undramatic scenery, with lowlands and a gently undulating central plateau.  The highest point is Bukit Timah at only 175m.  Only 10% of the land can be described as arable, and even then soils are not good. However intensive and modern agricultural techniques have made the most out of this restricted resource, creating highly productive farms of both fruit and vegetables. 

HISTORY:

The earliest known record of Singapore was an ancient Chinese account referring to "Pu-luo-chung" ("island at the end of a peninsula").  In the 14th century, Singapore was founded as part of the Srivijaya empire, named after the lion.  During the second half of the 18 th century the British were expanding their trade flows beyond India to the Far East all the way to China.  It was therefore necessary to control a port of call in the route between India and China.  Besides protecting their merchant fleet, the port would serve as a British colony to forestall any advance by the Dutch in the East Indies.  The British first set up a trading post in Penang (1786) and then captured Malacca from the Dutch (1795).  Because of its strategic geographical location of being on the exact route between India and China, the British set up an outpost in Singapore in 1819.  In 1818, Lord Hastings, Governor-General of India, gave approval to Sir Stamford Raffles, Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen, to establish a trading station at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.  On 29 January 1819, Raffles landed on the island of Singapore after having surveyed other nearby islands. The next day, he concluded a preliminary treaty with Temenggong Abdu'r Rahman to set up a trading post here.  On 6 February 1819, a formal treaty was concluded with Sultan Hussein of Johor and the Temenggong, the de jure and de facto rulers of Singapore respectively.  Singapore proved to be a prized settlement.  By 1820, it was earning revenue, and three years later, its trade surpassed that of Penang.  In 1824, Singapore's status as a British possession was formalised by two new treaties.  The first was the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of March 1824, by which the Dutch withdrew all objections to the British occupation of Singapore.  The second treaty was made with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong Abdu'r Rahman in August, by which the two owners ceded the island outright to the British in return for increased cash payments and pensions.

ATTRACTIONS:

Chinatown is home to generations of Chinese merchants engaged in business from the preserved historical shop-house buildings. Here century-old beliefs are still practiced and intertwine with the spirit of New Asia-Singapore.  Little India, established mainly around the Serangoon Road area, is home to the Indian population engaged in such trades as spices to electronic goods.  Experience the fragrant smells of incense surrounding colorful Hindu temples. Visit shops of glittering silk saris, temple garlands, and gold jewelry.  In Arab Street, the little streets in this area formed the historical focal point of Muslim life in Singapore.  Nothing beats the surroundings for bazaar-style shopping with true ethnic character.  Arab traders here still fill their shops with various Islamic pilgrimage items.  Discover the best textiles and renowned genuine handmade batiks from Indonesia and Malaysia.  Free time suggestions include shoping the world famous Orchard Road, home of exquisite boutiques; visiting the Peranakan area.  Showcase Museum for a look at this unique culture; relaxing in the Botanical Gardens or nature reserve parks, indulging in the local gastronomical offerings at the local “hawkers” food centers, or enjoying a Singapore Sling drink at the Raffles Hotel, an institution in Singapore, visiting Pulau Ubin Island, a window into Singapore 30 years ago, where one still finds the last of Kampong villages/communities and interesting wildlife and, for the kids, a day trip to “fun park” Sentosa Island that offers a variety of attraction in addition to beaches, Orchid Garden, Japanese Teahouse, Butterfly Park, and historical Fort Siloso.

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