Located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula with a land area of 685.4 km2, Singapore is an island state with a population of 4.2 million. It consists of a main island and 63 islets, some of the best known are: Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin, San Juan Island, Kusu Island, Pulau Hantu, Jurong Island. Pulau means “island” in Malay.
Modern Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 when it was little more than a swamp. Only until the “rightful” Johorean heir agreed to sell the island to the British did it become a colony. Widely known and recorded by many travelers as Temasek – Sea Town: In the 14th century, Singapore was a prosperous vassal state of the Sri Vijayan empire.
Legend has it that a prince of Palembang named Sang Nila Utama was responsible for the current name, Singapore What does Lion City mean? In Sanskrit and Malay, Singapore = Lion + Pure = City. It was while she was seeking shelter from a storm with her entourage that Sang Nila Utama saw a mouse-deer, which she was told was a lion. But the natural habitat of lions is grassy plains or savannah, not jungles.
As the British ruled Singapore for some 140 years until 1963, one of the legacies is the English legal system. As well as English, which is the language of administration, business, and instruction in schools from kindergarten onwards. In addition to Malay, Mandarin and Tamil that make up the official languages of the country.
Furthermore, Malay is the national language enshrined in the Constitution. This is partly due to the recognition of the indigenous status of the Malays. The national coat of arms depicts a lion and a tiger, the latter indicating Singapore’s historical links with Malaysia. This is a visual reminder to Singaporeans that they cannot sever their ties with Malaysia. Even many Malaysian Malays still view Singapore as Malay territory to this day.
What is more interesting is a Dutch economist who developed the Singapore economic model; help the country achieve success. The late Dr. Albert Winsemius, who passed away in 1996, was appointed Chief Economic Advisor to the country from 1961 to 1984.
There you have it, the history of Singapore in a nutshell.