HISTORY OF SINGAPORE

A Srivijayan Prince Named Sang Nila Utama Found Temasek. He Saw A Singa [Lion] And Renamed The Island As Singapura. Temasek ('Sea Town' in Old Javanese, spelt Tumasik) was the name of an early city on the site of modern Singapore. From the 14th century, the island has also been known as Singapura, which is derived from Sanskrit and means "Lion City". Legend has it that the name was given by Sang Nila Utama when he visited the island in 1299 and saw an unknown creature, which he mistook as a lion.

FOUNDING OF SINGAPORE Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Malay Archipelago was gradually taken over by the European colonial powers, beginning with the arrival of the Portuguese at Malacca in The early dominance of the Portuguese was challenged during the 17th century by the Dutch, who came to control most of the ports in the region. The Dutch established a monopoly over trade within the archipelago, particularly in spices, then the region's most important product. Other colonial powers, including the British, were limited to a relatively minor presence.

 The Dutch had been stifling British trade in the region by prohibiting the British from operating in Dutch-controlled ports or by subjecting them to a high tariff. Raffles hoped to challenge the Dutch by establishing a new port along the Straits of Malacca, the main ship passageway for the India-China trade. SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES  In 1818, Sir Stamford Raffles was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of the British colony at Bencoolen. He was determined that Great Britain should replace the Netherlands as the dominant power in the archipelago, since the trade route between China and British India, which had become vitally important with the institution of the opium trade with China, passed through the archipelago.

FOUNDING OF SINGAPORE  Raffles arrived in Singapore on 28 January 1819 and soon recognized the island as a natural choice for the new port. It lay at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, near the Straits of Malacca, and possessed a natural deep harbor, fresh water supplies, and timber for repairing ships. Raffles found a small Malay settlement, with a population of a few hundred, at the mouth of the Singapore River,  Before Raffles arrived, there were around 1,000 people living in Singapore, mostly Malays and a few dozen Chinese.By 1869, due to migration from Malaya and other parts of Asia, Singapore's population had reached 100,000. Many Chinese and Indians immigrants came to Singapore to work in the rubber plantations and tin mines, and their descendents later formed the bulk of Singapore's population.

 This trading port is situated along busy shipping routes that connect Europe to China. The Port of Singapore is the world's busiest and very popular port as it is in the centre of the main trading route. SINGAPORE AS A TRADING PORT

LEGENDS OF THE NAME TEMASEK Temasek is `Sea Town’ in old Javanese. It was the name of an early city now known as Singapore. From the 14th century, the island has also been known as Singapura which means `Lion City’.

 The Merlion is a statue with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot to identify Singapore. Its name combines `mer’ meaning the sea and `lion’. The fish body represents MERLION

INDEPENDENCE OF SINGAPORE  The history of the Republic of Singapore began when Singapore gained its independence and became a republic following an ejection from Malaysia on 9 August After the separation, the fledgling nation had to become self-sufficient, and faced problems including mass unemployment, housing shortages and lack of land and natural resources such as petroleum. During Lee Kuan Yew's term as prime minister from 1959 to 1990, his administration curbed unemployment, raised the standard of living and implemented a large-scale public housing programme. The country's economic infrastructure was developed, racial tension was eliminated and an independent national defence system was created. Singapore evolved from a developing nation to first world status towards the end of the 20th century.  In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister. During his tenure, the country tackled the economic impacts of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2003 SARS outbreak, as well as terrorist threats posed by the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) post–11 September and the Bali bombings. In 2004 Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the third prime minister.