The English name Singapore comes from the Malay name Singapura which is believed to have been derived from Sanskrit meaning "Lion City". Singa comes from the Sanskrit word siṃha (सिंह), which means "lion", and pūra (पुर) means "city" in Sanskrit and is a common suffix in many Indian place names.
However, the original legend was that a long time ago, a 14th century Sumatran prince spotted an auspicious beast upon landing on the island after a thunderstorm, which he was told was a 'lion'. Thus, the name Singapore comes from the Malay words “Singa” for lion and “Pura” for city.
On 9 August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state. The separation was the result of deep political and economic differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia, which created communal tensions that resulted in racial riots in July and September 1964.
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.
In English sources, Sincapore, Sincapure, Singahpura and other variants of Singapore were used in the 17th to 19th century, and although a few variants such as Singapoor and Singapure continued to appear for some time, Singapore would become the standard form in English in the 19th century.
The area around serangoon part of singapore is called Little India because you will find many shops and restaurants of Indian origin are located here. You will find many Indian temples and Deepavali (hindu festival of lights) is celebrated on a grand scale every year here.
Singapore declared independence from Britain in 1963 and became part of Malaysia. It was a short-lived move however, and in 1965, Singapore became an independent and sovereign state. Its inaugural National Day was held on August 9, 1966, with a parade held at the Padang.
Singapore became a very rich country by implementing measures such as mandatory allocation of 10% of Singaporeans' salary to a pension fund, creating strategic state-owned companies, limiting the growth of the public service, privatizing loss-making companies, and maintaining a strong currency.
In 1824 an Anglo-Dutch treaty left Malaya and Singapore in the British sphere, and in August the whole of Singapore Island was ceded to the British for a monetary payment. Two years later Singapore, Penang, and Malacca (Melaka) were combined as the Straits Settlements to form an outlying residency of India.
On 6 February 1819, Stamford Raffles, Temenggong Abdu'r Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor signed a treaty that gave the British East India Company (EIC) the right to set up a trading post in Singapore.
Singapore previously had been under the sovereignty of the British Empire since the early 19th century. After gaining its independence from the British Empire in 1963, Singapore briefly joined the Federation of Malaysia, before breaking away for independent sovereignty in 1965.
Singapore is one of the most expensive countries to live in the world. As an expat, your monthly expenses in Singapore are likely to be much higher than elsewhere in the world.
What is Singapore mostly known for? Aside from its postcard-worthy attractions, Singapore is famous for its melting pot of food hubs, tidiness, and shopping centres. Dazzling skyscrapers decorate the skyline, which can be enjoyed by upscale restaurants and bars overlooking the city.
How big is Singapore? Half the size of London (278 sq miles), How many nature trails does it plan to build? 400 MILES worth. These 'park connectors' will gradually link up all of its considerable areas of parkland and rainforest to walkers and cyclists.
S'PORE HAS SECOND HIGHEST PROPORTION OF MILLIONAIRES IN REGION. The report said that currently, Singapore has the second-highest (7.5 per cent) number of millionaire adults based on the percentage share of its population, just after Australia (8 per cent) and ahead of Taiwan (5.9 per cent).
Singapore is a city-state in Southeast Asia, where it remains the only one in the region to have recognition as a developed country. It has a high GDP per capita and ranks high on the human development index (HDI). Despite these facts, at least 10% of households in Singapore are low-income and thus in poverty.
Singapore has several measures to keep the country clean, from slapping heavier fines on litterbugs to mobilising volunteers to prevent them. On 1st October 1968, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew launched the first 'Keep Singapore Clean' programme with fines for littering.
Thanks to their advanced tactics and training, the Japanese advanced with incredible speed pushing the unprepared British back to Singapore in a so-called 'bicycle blitzkrieg'. When they crossed the Johore straights and captured the Bukit Timah heights above Singapore itself, Percival was forced to surrender.
Singapore was known in the 13th to 14th century as Temasek, a name also recorded in Chinese sources as Dan Ma Xi, a country recorded as having two distinct settlements – Long Ya Men and Ban Zu. It changed its name to Singapura perhaps towards the end of 14th century.
Do you tip in Singapore? Tipping in Singapore is not expected. Instead, a service charge will normally be added to your bill. The service charge will usually be declared on the menu if you're in a cafe or restaurant, for example, and is paid directly to the company rather than to an individual member of staff.
Indeed, in 2022 the Global Peace Index (GPI) ranked Singapore *the* safest and most peaceful country in Asia, and ninth overall globally, beaten only by famously peace-loving destinations like Iceland, Denmark and New Zealand.
Why does Singapore have a large Indian population?
Because of Singapore initially being ruled by British colonial authorities from Calcutta, and because of its relative geographic proximity to Malaya, the largest groups of Indian migrants until the mid-1900s were from South India, and in particular the Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam minorities.
