Singapore, city of the future.
Republic of Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude (137 kilometers or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Straits of Malacca to the west, the Riau Islands (Indonesia) to the south and the Sea of South China to the east. The country’s territory comprises a main island, 63 islands and satellite islets, and an outlying islet, the combined area of which has increased by 25% since the country’s independence as a result of extensive land reclamation projects. It has the second highest population density in the world. With a multicultural population and recognizing the need to respect cultural identities, Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. English is the lingua franca. Multiracialism is enshrined in the constitution and continues to shape national policies in education, housing and politics.
Modern Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles as a trading post for the British Empire. In 1867, colonies in Southeast Asia were reorganized and Singapore came under the direct control of Great Britain as part of the Strait Settlements. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942 and returned to British control as a separate crown colony after Japan’s surrender in 1945. Singapore gained self-government in 1959 and in 1963 became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaysia, North Borneo and Sarawak. Ideological differences led to Singapore being expelled from the federation two years later and becoming an independent country.
After the first few years of turmoil and despite a lack of natural resources and a hinterland, the nation quickly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers based on foreign trade, becoming a highly developed country; it ranks ninth on the UN Human Development Index and has the second highest GDP per capita (PPP) in the world. Singapore is the only country in Asia with a sovereign AAA rating from all major rating agencies. It is a major financial and transportation hub, consistently ranked the most expensive city to live in since 2013, and has been identified as a tax haven. Singapore is well placed in the main social indicators: education, health, quality of life, personal safety and housing, with a 91% ownership rate. Singaporeans enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the world, the fastest internet connection speeds and one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world.
Singapore is a unitary parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. Although elections are generally considered free, the government exerts significant control over politics and society, and the People’s Action Party has ruled continuously since independence. One of the five founding members of ASEAN, Singapore is also home to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) Secretariat, as well as many international conferences and events. Singapore is also a member of the United Nations, World Trade Organization, East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement and Commonwealth of Nations.