Sentosa water park

Prior to the establishment of Singapore as a trading hub of the British in the 19th century, the city we know today as a bustling port and a hectic center of economic activity was once a sleepy fishing village at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Variously known as Puo-luo-Chung (tip-of-the-peninsula in the 3rd century) and Temasek ('Seatown' - 14th century), Singapore came into its own with the spread of British colonialism.

The founder of modern day Singapore was Sir Stamford Raffles, who in his attempt to get a foothold to the major trading routes to the Far East, established the East India Company here in 1919 and declared Singapore to be a free-trade port. In the short span of five years, Singapore saw an influx of Chinese, Malay and Indian immigrants all eager to make their fortune - from a small town of 150 Singapore expanded into a metropolis of 10,000, and was a port of call for traders from all over Asia, the Middle East and even the United States. In 1832, Singapore was declared as the capital of the Straits of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. 1869 saw an increased growth in trade and traffic with a new quicker trading route to the East via the Suez Canal.

World War II saw Singapore being briefly controlled over by the Japanese - a period made infamous by the incarceration of Allied forces in humiliating conditions in the Changi prison camps. After the Allies won the war, Singapore was briefly handed back to the British, but movements towards self-government were growing. The first Prime Minister of Singapore was Lee Kuan Yew of the People's Action Party, who assumed the post in 1959 and subsequently held the reigns for 31 years. Lee engineered a union with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak in 1963 to further Singapore's economic ends which lasted a short 23 months - Lee's ambitions in furthering his own party's political agenda was not acceptable to Malay leadership, and the union disintegrated. Not that this hindered Singapore's economic status - the city-state grew from strength to strength and remains one of the strongest economic centres in the world.

Lee's governance saw a long period of political suppression and rigid social order, factors that only contributed to Singapore's economic growth. However his successor Goh Chok Tong, who became prime minister in 1990 was far more liberal, and a period of one-party rule is slowly coming to a close, with opposition parties beginning to rear their heads in the government.

The economic recession of the 1990's merely dented Singapore's economy, as did the effect of the spread of SARS, a highly virulent form of flu, and the Iraq war of 2003. However, its strong social order and military style working of the government keeps Singapore on its course as the economic power center of South East Asia.

Singapore Tourism

Singapore is a melting pot of four distinct cultures - Chinese, Malay, Indian and European. Although the Singaporean government has actively promoted a distinct Singaporean identity, and most residents think of themselves as Singaporean, rather than Chinese or Malay or Indian, the rich heritage of various cultural influences still remains evident in all facets of life.

Although at first glance, Singapore's cityscape presents an urban uniformity, the traces of the racially segregated areas designated by Sir Stamford Raffles - Chinatown, Arab Street and Little India are still distinguishable by the cultural characteristic of their races. Singapore's colonial heritage is also evident in the architecture in many areas of the city.

English is the common language that binds the various ethic groups together - while Mandarin, Malay and Tamil are also national languages. All children are taught English, and have to also master their mother tongue in schools.

The main religions are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. The major festivals of each ethnic group are celebrated in its own traditional manner.

Singapore can be termed as the food capital of the East - the city abounds swanky specialty restaurants, each mall has eating places, roadside stalls, and food courts dot every corner. Although Chinese, Malay, Indian and Indonesian cuisines dominate, international flavors like Italian, Turkish, Spanish, Japanese and French are available. Nonya cooking is a local blend of Chinese and Malay food. Indian cuisine is distinguished by its spicy flavor, while Chinese cooking is subtler and employs a lot of seafood. Malay cooking is distinguished by a usage of coconut milk.

Chinese opera, a form of art made popular during the era of the Ming dynasty, is highly stylized and dramatic, and enjoyed by the older Singaporeans. Singapore's multifarious culture is best seen during its festivals, when street performances are at their peak. The Lion Dances during the Chinese New Year, the Indian dances during Deepavali are amongst the most popular.

The mainstay of Singaporean culture, is of course shopping. Singapore abounds in malls and shopping plazas displaying the latest international brands of fashion, shoes, jewelry, household and electronic consumer items, watches, optical goods, cosmetics, sports wear, music CDs, tapes and records.