Singapore,[e] officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in maritime
Southeast Asia. It is located about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of
the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Strait of Malacca to the
west, the Singapore Strait to the south along with the Riau Islands in Indonesia, the South China
Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor along with the State of Johor in Malaysia to the north.
The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one
outlying islet; the combined area of these has increased by approximately 25% since the
country's independence as a result of extensive land reclamation projects. It has the third
highest population density of any country in the world, although there are numerous green and
recreational spaces as a result of urban planning. With a multicultural population and in
recognition of the cultural identities of the major ethnic groups within the nation, Singapore
has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. English is the common
language, with its exclusive use in numerous public services. Multi-racialism is enshrined in the
constitution and continues to shape national policies in education, housing, and politics.
Singapore's history dates back at least eight hundred years, having been a maritime emporium
known as Temasek and subsequently a major constituent part of several successive
thalassocratic empires. Its contemporary era began in 1819, when Stamford Raffles established
Singapore as an entrepôt trading post of the British Empire. In 1867, the colonies in Southeast
Asia were reorganised, and Singapore came under the direct control of Britain as part of the
Straits Settlements. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942 and
returned to British control as a separate Crown colony following Japan's surrender in 1945.
Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 and, in 1963, became part of the new federation of
Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo, and Sarawak. Ideological differences, most notably
the perceived encroachment of the egalitarian "Malaysian Malaysia" political ideology led by
Lee Kuan Yew into the other constituent entities of Malaysia—at the perceived expense of the
bumiputera and the policies of Ketuanan Melayu—eventually led to Singapore's expulsion from
the federation two years later; Singapore became an independent sovereign country in 1965.
After early years of turbulence and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the
nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers. With its growth based on
international trade and economic globalisation, it integrated itself with the world economy
through free trade with minimal trade barriers and tariffs, export-oriented industrialisation, and
the large accumulation of received foreign direct investments, foreign exchange reserves, and
assets held by sovereign wealth funds. As a highly developed country, it has one of the highest
GDP per capita (PPP) in the world. Identified as a tax haven, Singapore is the only country in
Asia with a AAA sovereign credit rating from all major rating agencies. It is a major aviation,
financial, and maritime shipping hub and has consistently been ranked as one of the most
expensive cities to live in for expatriates and foreign workers. Singapore ranks highly in key
social indicators: education, healthcare, quality of life, personal safety, infrastructure, and
housing, with a home-ownership rate of 88 percent. Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest life
expectancies, fastest Internet connection speeds, lowest infant mortality rates, and lowest
levels of corruption in the world.
Singapore is a unitary parliamentary republic in the Westminster tradition of unicameral
parliamentary government, and its legal system is based on common law. While the country is
de jure a multi-party democracy with free elections, the government under the People's Action
Party (PAP) wields widespread control and dominance over politics and society without much
electoral competition. The PAP has governed the country continuously since full internal self-
government was achieved in 1959, and currently holds a supermajority with 79 out of 93
elected seats in Parliament. One of the five founding members of ASEAN, Singapore is also the
headquarters of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat, the Pacific Economic
Cooperation Council Secretariat, and is the host city of many international conferences and
events. Singapore is also a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the
East Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth of Nations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore
