Singapore – from trading port to independent city-state
Long before the modern city arose, the island at the tip of the Malay Peninsula was part of regional trade networks. In the 14th century a port known as Temasek flourished here, and later the island came under the influence of Malay sultanates, including Johor.
Modern Singapore began in 1819, when Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company established a trading post. As a free port on the route between India and China it grew rapidly, attracting migrants from China, the Malay world, India and beyond. From 1826 it formed part of the Straits Settlements and in 1867 became a British crown colony. During the Second World War Japan captured Singapore in February 1942 – one of Britain's heaviest defeats – and the occupation until 1945 brought great hardship, including the killing of many Chinese residents.
After the war the push for self-government grew, and Singapore gained internal self-rule in 1959. In 1963 it joined the new federation of Malaysia, but political and ethnic tensions led to its separation, and on 9 August 1965 Singapore became an independent republic. Under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew and his successors, the young state built public housing, schools and industry and developed into a global financial and trading hub.
Today Singapore is shaped by its multicultural society, its port and its reputation as a green, highly developed city-state.
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