About Singapore

Singapore was described by a third-century Chinese accountant as "Pu-luo-chung" ("island at the end of a peninsula").  By the 14th century it had earned a new name – “Singa Pura” (“ Lion City”), following a Sumatran prince mistaking an animal he saw for a lion.

Sir Stamford Raffles, a 19th century British civil servant, founded in 1819. Raffles, an official of the British East India Company saw the need for a strategic trading station to feed and protect the fleet of their growing empire and to counter the Dutch influence in the area. Singapore was then established as a trading station and the policy of free trade attracted merchants from all over Asia and from as far a field as the US and the Middle East.

Just five years after the founding of modern Singapore, the population had grown from 150 to 10,000 and in 1832, became the centre of government for the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore.

It's importance as a centre for the expanding trade between East and West was established after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, and the advent of the steamship. The development of rubber planting meant that became the main sorting and export centre in the world of rubber.

During World War II became the scene of significant fighting and the Japanese overran the island in 1942. After the war, became a Crown Colony. The growth of nationalism led to self-government in 1959 and on 9 August 1965, Singapore became an independent republic.

Some Singapore facts 

1. Singapore consists only of one main island and 63 other tiny islands. Most of these islands are uninhabited.
   
2. Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world.
   
3. Symbolism of the National Flag: Red symbolises universal brotherhood and equality of man while white signifies purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young nation on the rise and the five stars signify the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
   
4. The national flower of Singapore, Vanda Miss Joaquim, was first discovered in 1893 by Agnes Joaquim, an Armenian. The orchid is a natural hybrid between V. teres and V. hookeriana.
   
5. The Merlion, a half-fish, half-lion beast, is a fitting symbol of Singapore. The "Singa" or lion represents the animal that a Sumatran prince saw which resembled a lion, and the fish is a tribute to Singapore's history as "Temasek", the ancient sea town.
   
6. Although English is the official working language and the most widely used language in Singapore, the national anthem 'Majulah Singapura' is actually sung in Malay.
   
7. The world's first night zoo, The Night Safari, is located in Singapore.
   
8. The highest natural point in Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, which is only 164 metres high (Singapore has a very flat terrain).
   
9. Buildings in Singapore cannot be higher than 280 metres. There are presently three buildings of that height: OUB Centre, UOB Plaza and Republic Plaza.
   
10. The world's highest man-made waterfall, standing at 30 metres, is located at the Jurong BirdPark.
    
11. The largest fountain in the world is located in Singapore at Suntec City.
    
12. The buildings of Suntec City have been built in the shape of a palm of a hand symbolising good "feng shui".
    
13. The record for the biggest ever game of pass-the-parcel was set in Singapore on 28 February 1998. It involved 3,918 students removing 2,200 wrappers from a 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.5 m parcel.
    
14. The record for the most number of people participating in line dancing was set in Singapore in May 2002 with 11,967 dancers.
    
15. The Great Singapore Duck Race, an annual event that raises funds for charity, set a new world record in 2002 when more than 123,000 toy ducks took to the Singapore River.
    
16. The highest grossing movie of all time in Singapore is Titanic, raking in S$6.65 million in 1997.
    
17. The highest grossing locally made movie of all time is Money No Enough, raking in S$6.02 million in 1998.
    
18. Singapore has more than 3,000 kilometres of roads. Stretched end to end, they can cover the distance from Singapore to Hong Kong.
    
19. The Singapore Sling was first served in 1915 at the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel. The ingredients are gin, Cointreau, cherry brandy, Dom Benedictine, pineapple juice, Grenadine, Angoustura bitters and limes.