Portal:Singapore

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Singapore,officially theRepublic of Singapore,is anisland countryandcity-stateinmaritime Southeast Asia.It is about onedegree of latitude(137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of theequator,off the southern tip of theMalay Peninsula,bordering theStrait of Malaccato the west, theSingapore Straitto the south along with theRiau IslandsinIndonesia,theSouth China Seato the east, and theStraits of Johoralong with theState of JohorinMalaysiato the north. The country's territory comprises onemain island,63 satellite islands and islets,andone outlying islet;the combined area of these has increased by approximately 25% since the country's independence as a result of extensiveland reclamationprojects. It has thethird highest population density of any country in the world,although there are numerous green and recreational spaces as a result ofurban planning.With a multicultural population and in recognition of the cultural identities of the major ethnic groups within the nation, Singapore has fourofficial languages:English,Malay,Mandarin,andTamil.English is thecommon language,with exclusive use in numerouspublic services.Multi-racialismis enshrined in the constitution and continues to shapenational policiesin education, housing, and politics.

Singapore'shistorydates back at least eight hundred years, having been a maritimeemporiumknown asTemasekand subsequently a major constituent part of several successivethalassocraticempires. Its contemporary era began in 1819, whenStamford Rafflesestablished Singapore as anentrepôttrading post of theBritish Empire.In 1867, Singapore came under the direct control of Britain as part of theStraits Settlements.DuringWorld War II,Singapore wasoccupied by Japanin 1942 and returned to British control as a separateCrown colonyfollowingJapan's surrenderin 1945. Singapore gainedself-governancein 1959 and, in 1963, became part of the new federation ofMalaysia,alongsideMalaya,North Borneo,andSarawak.Ideological differencesled to Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later; Singapore became an independentsovereign countryin 1965.

After early years ofturbulenceand despite lacking natural resources and ahinterland,the nation rapidly developed to become one of theFour Asian Tigers.With its growth based oninternational tradeandeconomic globalisation,it integrated itself with theworld economythroughfree tradewith minimaltrade barriersandtariffs,export-oriented industrialisation,and the large accumulation ofreceived foreign direct investments,foreign exchange reserves,andassets held by sovereign wealth funds.As a highlydeveloped country,it has one of thehighest GDP per capita (PPP)in the world. Identified as atax haven,Singapore is the only country in Asia with a AAAsovereign credit ratingfromall major rating agencies.It is a majoraviation,financial,andmaritime shippinghub and has consistently been ranked as one of themost expensive citiesto live in forexpatriatesandforeign workers.Singapore ranks highly in key social indicators:education,healthcare,quality of life,personal safety,infrastructure,andhousing,with ahome-ownership rateof 88 percent.Singaporeansenjoy one of thelongest life expectancies,fastest Internet connection speeds,lowest infant mortality rates,andlowest levels of corruptionin the world.

Singapore is aparliamentary republicin theWestminster traditionofunicameralparliamentary government, and its legal system is based oncommon law.While the country isde jureamulti-party democracywithfree elections,thegovernmentunder thePeople's Action Party(PAP) wields widespread control andpolitical dominance.The PAP has governed the country continuously since full internalself-governmentwas achieved in 1959, and holds asupermajorityinParliament.One of the five founding members ofASEAN,Singapore is also the headquarters of theAsia-Pacific Economic CooperationSecretariat, thePacific Economic Cooperation CouncilSecretariat, and is the host city of manyinternational conferences and events.Singapore is also a member of theUnited Nations,theWorld Trade Organization,theEast Asia Summit,theNon-Aligned Movement,and theCommonwealth of Nations.(Full article...)

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Kent Ridge Parkis a 47-hectarepublic park located inKent Ridge,Singapore,between theNational University of Singaporeand theSingapore Science Park.Due to its undisturbedhabitatand abundant plant life, it is a popular venue forbird-watchersandeco-tourists.

During theSecond World War,a hill in the park was the site of one of the last and fiercest battles fought by theMalay Regimentagainst the invadingJapanesearmy, theBattle of Bukit Chandu(also known as theBattle of Pasir Panjang), 12–14 February 1942. (Full article...)

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Singapore National Day Parade

Photograph credit:Chensiyuan

TheSingapore National Day Paradeis a nationalceremonyin Singapore that takes place each year on 9 August tocommemorate the country's independence.The firework display seen here was part of the festivities in 2011, held atThe Float @ Marina Bay,the world's largest floating stage and football stadium, located on the waters of theMarina Reservoir.In the foreground on the right is thelotus-flower-shapedArtScience Museum,situated withinMarina Bay Sands,anintegrated resortthat opened in the same year.

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General images

The following are images from various Singapore-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Fireworks over the Marina Bay skyline following the conclusion of the 2015 National Day Parade on 9 August 2015. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 2Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum(fromSingaporeans)
Image 3TheJurongIndustrial Estate was developed in the 1960s to industrialise the economy. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 4Quadrilingual sign (fromSingaporeans)
Image 5The country celebrates itsNational Dayon 9 August each year. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 6Lieutenant-GeneralArthur 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. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 71955 stamp with the portrait ofQueen Elizabeth II(fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 8Sign board with warnings in Singapore's four main languages: English, Chinese,MalayandTamil(fromCulture of Singapore)
Image 9Mass Rapid Transit (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 10Shophouses in Singapore (fromSingaporeans)
Image 11TheMao Kun mapfromWubei Zhiwhich is based on the early 15th century maps ofZheng Heshowing Temasek ( đạm mã tích ) at the top left, and Long Ya Men ( long nha môn ) on the right panel. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 12Top view of Bukit Batok West. Large scale public housing development has created high housing ownership among the population. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 13The old and the new Singapore as seen from an alley behind Boat Quay (2023) (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 14A hawker centre inLavender,Singapore (fromCulture of Singapore)
Image 15Japanese POWs are taken to work where they were made to clear up the city during the British reoccupation in September 1945
Image 16Deepavalidecorations in Singapore. (fromCulture of Singapore)
Image 17St Andrew's Cathedral(fromSingaporeans)
Image 18Upper Seletar Reservoir (fromGeography of Singapore)
Image 19A busy Victoria Dock, Tanjong Pagar, in the 1890s. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 20A fragment of theSingapore Stone,inscribed with anIndic script,c. 10th to 13th century. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 21Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum(fromCulture of Singapore)
Image 22A statue of Raffles byThomas Woolnernow stands in Singapore, near Raffles's landing site in 1819. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 23Traffic in Singapore, 1981. Prior to the introduction of theCertificate of Entitlement (COE)in 1990, vehicles per capita in Singapore was the highest inASEAN.(fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 24Enlargeable, detailed map of Singapore (fromGeography of Singapore)
Image 25Singapore's urban geography is often characterised by extensive use ofHDB flats,which the majority of citizens reside in. (fromGeography of Singapore)
Image 26Afternoonthunderstormsare a frequent occurrence in Singapore, which has anequatorial climate.(fromGeography of Singapore)
Image 27Jurong Industrial Estate, Singapore, with Jurong Island in the background (fromGeography of Singapore)
Image 28The Marina Bay Sands integrated resort. Opened in 2010, it has become a key feature of Singapore's modern skyline. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 291888 German map of Singapore (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 30Engraving of SirStamford RafflesbyJames Thomson
Image 31TheSultan Mosque,built in 1826 in theKampong Glamdistrict, is the oldest and one of the largest mosque in Singapore. (fromSingaporeans)
Image 32TheThian Hock Keng,completed in 1842, served as a place of worship for early immigrants. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 33The Supertree Grove atGardens by the Bay(fromCulture of Singapore)
Image 34Chinese community in Singapore carrying theFlag of the Republic of China(writtenLong live the motherland) to celebrate the victory, also reflected the Chinese identity issues at that time. (fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 35Men of various ethnicities -Chinese,Malay,andIndiangather at a street corner in Singapore, circa 1900. (fromSingaporeans)
Image 36Hainanese chicken rice (fromSingaporeans)
Image 37ThePlan of the Town of Singapore,or more commonly known as theJackson PlanorRaffles Town Plan.(fromHistory of Singapore)
Image 38Old Supreme Court of Singapore (fromCulture of Singapore)
Image 39Baedekermap of the city and environs, c. 1914
Image 40Centre square of Raffles Place (fromCulture of Singapore)
Image 41Restoredshophousesrunning along a street in Chinatown, which reflects theVictorian architectureof buildings built in Singapore during the earlier colonial period, with styles such as thepainted ladies.(fromHistory of Singapore)

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Glenn Jeyasingam Knight(born 1945) is a Singaporean lawyer. He was the first Director of theCommercial Affairs Department(CAD) when it was founded in 1984. He lost his post in 1991 after being convicted of corruption in a much-publicised trial. In 1998, he was again tried and convicted formisappropriatingmoney while in office. (Full article...)

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Ho Yuen Hoe Gan Eng Seng Hugh Hickling Zubir Said Tang Da Wu Edwin Thumboo Teresa Hsu Fandi Ahmad Denise Phua Li Jiawei Laurentia Tan Tao Li Yip Pin Xiu Neila Sathyalingam Walter Woon Han Sai Por Rex Shelley Feng Tianwei Lee Choon Seng Balaji Sadasivan Choor Singh Kelvin Tan Xiaxue

Did you know(auto-generated)

... that Singaporean activistThum Ping Tjincalled theForeign Interference (Countermeasures) Actan attemptedcoup?
... that theUnited Ukrainian Ballet Company,consisting of exiled dancers based inThe Hague,has toured the UK, Singapore, Australia and the US?
... that a number of bus drivers who participated ina strikewere unaware that it was illegally held?
... that artwork atShenton Way MRT stationdepicts everyday people running afteran old banknote?
... that Singaporean zoologistBernard Harrisonwas disliked by anorangutan?
... that Singapore'sUpper Thomson MRT stationis decorated with 88 animal figures, most of which arecrab-eating macaques?

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In this month

8 August 1967: TheAssociation of Southeast Asian Nationswas founded with Singapore as one of its founding members.
9 August 1965: Singapore becomes an independent country after its separation fromMalaysia.
9 August 2015: The"Singapore50"initiative is launched in Singapore to celebrate 50 years of independence from Malaysia.National Day Paradeceremonies for that year are themedMajulah Singapura - Onward Singapore.
14 August 1945: Japan surrenders, marking the end of theJapanese occupation of Singaporeduring World War II.

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More did you know -show different entries

... that thearchitectureof theSingapore Power Building(pictured)was influenced by Gerhad M. Kallmann'sBoston City HallandLe Corbusier'sSainte Marie de La Tourette?

... thatLiang Wern Fook,a pioneer of Singapore'sxinyaomovement, hascomposedover 200 songs?

... thatSingaporean citizenshipwas first granted in1957when Singapore was aself-governing colonyof theUnited Kingdom?

... that the first Director of Singapore'sCommercial Affairs Department,Glenn Knight,was also the first legal officer in the country to be charged forcorruption?

... thatDragon's Teeth Gate,an ancient navigational landmark, was documented in one of the earliest historic records of Singapore?

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Selected panorama

Credit:Chensiyuan

The skyline of Singapore'sCentral Business Districtin daytime. Notable landmarks in the picture includes the new and oldSupreme Court of Singaporeand theskyscrapersin theMarina Bay area.

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