Singapore Night Skyline

Available – Singapore is an island country in the southern Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. To the north is separated from Malaysia via Johor isthmus and south – of the Indonesian Riau Islands by Singapore isthmus.

The borders of Singapore fall 63 islands, including the principal – Singapore. Administrative country is divided into 5 separate counties. Other large islands are Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa. The terrain is mostly flat with the highest point peak Bukit Timan (166 m), located in the homonymous nature reserve.

About 23% of the territory of Singapore is occupied by forests and natural reserves as well as many public parks and botanical gardens of Singapore (an area of ​​64 hectares and only the world’s working hours from 05:00 to midnight). To help their cultivation as high humidity and nearly 90 rivers throughout the country, among which the most important historical significance is Singapore River (there was the old port).

History

It is assumed that occurs around Singapore, II century BC as a suburb of Buddhist Kingdom Srivijaya . To XI century the town was known under the name Temasek (“Sea Town”), but after it was noticed monster resembling a lion, the name was changed to “Singapore”, which translated means “Lion City” (“singles” – lion “cigar” – city). That is why today the symbol of the city is considered the statue “Merlion” (a mythological creature with a lion’s head and body of a fish), copies of which you can see a few places in Singapore (the original is in the park “Merlion in Marina Bay in the Central Bay district of the capital of Singapore).

At the end of the XIII century the town already has the outline and characteristics of the city. Singapore successively passed into the hands of the Indonesian empire Madzhapahit, Kingdom of Thailand (then Siam) and the Sultanate of Johor. Between the XVI and XIX century Singapore twice falls under the shelling of the Europeans – the Portuguese in 1613 incinerated village at the mouth of the river and occupied the island of Singapore, followed by claims brought by the Dutch.

On January 29, 1819 British explorer – explorer Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles first set foot on the island of Singapore. Noticing its potential strategic commercial port to Southeast Asia, he concluded a treaty with the sultan in the interest of the British East India Company, whose representative he is. On August 2, 1824 a second contract between the second resident of Singapore – Scotsman John Crawford, the entire island became a British owned, and two years later made the call is connected to a riparian communities. In 1867 was declared a separate British colony, and in 1869 the population numbered 100 000.

During World War II until 1945 Singapore is the possession of Japan. In 1959 he became self-governing colony of the British Empire with the first prime minister Lee Kwan Yu in 1963 became part of the Malay Federation and on August 9, 1965 was officially proclaimed an independent republic.

Attractions – a major tourist attraction, financial and commercial center of Singapore is the only central region and main town of the same name – Singapore. It is divided into 11 urban zones, and to them belongs Marina Bay estuary in Singapore.