Crossword Dictionary

SINGAPORE 

Singapore, city, capital of the Republic of Singapore. It occupies the southern part of Singapore Island. Its strategic position on the strait between the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, complemented by its deepwater harbour, has made it the largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the world’s greatest commercial centres. The city, once a distinct entity, so came to dominate the island that the Republic of Singapore essentially became a city-state.

Singapore—known variously as the “Lion City” or “Garden City,” the latter for its many parks and tree-lined streets—has also been called “instant Asia” because it offers the tourist an expeditious glimpse into the cultures brought to it by immigrants from all parts of Asia. While predominantly Chinese, it has substantial minorities of Malays and Indians.

According to Malay tradition, the island was visited by a prince who came from the Sumatran empire of Åšrivijaya and founded and named the city of Singapura. Portuguese records also have it that the city was founded by a Åšrivijayan prince from Palembang. 

Sacked by the Majapahit Javanese during the 14th century, it was supplanted by Malacca (Melaka) but remained a port of call. Its modern history began with the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company, who, in searching for a trading site, landed there on January 29, 1819. The port’s growth was steady, and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of steamships increased its importance as a bunkering station. Its growth was assured by the demand for the tin and rubber of the Malay Peninsula, for which the port was a natural shipping outlet.