Portal:Singapore

Welcome to the Singapore Portal

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. Its territory comprises a main island, over 60 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. The country is about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south along with the Riau Islands in Indonesia, the South China Sea to the east and the Straits of Johor along with the State of Johor in Malaysia to the north.

In its early history, Singapore was a maritime emporium known as Temasek; subsequently, it was a major constituent of several successive thalassocratic empires. Its contemporary era began in 1819, when Stamford Raffles established Singapore as an entrepôt trading post of the British Empire. In 1867, Singapore came under direct British control as part of the Straits Settlements. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942 and returned to Britain as a Crown colony following Japan's surrender in 1945. Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 and in 1963 became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak. Ideological differences led to Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later; it became an independent sovereign country in 1965. After early years of turbulence and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers.

As a highly developed country, Singapore has the highest PPP-adjusted GDP per capita in the world and is the only country in Asia with an AAA sovereign credit rating from all major rating agencies. Identified as a tax haven, it is a major aviation, financial and maritime shipping hub and has consistently been ranked as one of the most expensive cities for expatriates and foreign workers. Singapore ranks highly in key social indicators: education, healthcare, housing, peacefulness, passport strength, personal safety and infrastructure, with a high home-ownership rate. Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest life expectancies, fastest Internet connection speeds, lowest infant mortality rates and lowest levels of corruption in the world. Singapore is organised into five regions, 55 planning areas and hundreds of subzones. It has the second highest population density of any country, although there are numerous green and recreational spaces as a result of urban planning. With a multicultural population and in recognition of the cultural identities of the country's major ethnic groups, Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. English is the common language, with exclusive use in numerous public services. Multi-racialism is enshrined in the constitution and continues to shape national policies.

Singapore is a parliamentary republic and its legal system is based on common law. While it is constitutionally a multi-party democracy where free elections are regularly held, it functions as a de facto one-party dominant state, with the People's Action Party (PAP) maintaining continuous political dominance since 1959. The PAP's longstanding control has resulted in limited political pluralism and a highly centralised governance structure over national institutions. One of the five founding members of ASEAN, Singapore is also the headquarters of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council Secretariat and is the host city of many international conferences and events. Singapore is also a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the East Asia Summit, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Commonwealth of Nations. (Full article...)

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The Marine Parade Community Building in 2007

Marine Parade Community Building (Chinese: 马林百列社区综合大厦; pinyin: Mǎlín Bǎiliè shèqū zōnghé dàshà) was a community centre located at 278 Marine Parade Road, Singapore. Opened on 6 March 2000, it housed the formerly separate Marine Parade Community Centre and Marine Parade Public Library, as well as a performing arts group, The Necessary Stage. Designed by William Lim Associates, one of the distinguishing features of the postmodern building was the mural cladding called Texturefulness of Life, which was the largest piece of installation art in Singapore. The building was demolished in 2023 and is being rebuilt. (Full article...)

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Credit: Yeo Kok Leong (20 February 2009)

Henderson Waves, a 274-metre (900-foot) long pedestrian bridge connecting Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park. At 36 metres (120 feet) above Henderson Road, it is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. Read more...

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General images

The following are images from various Singapore-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Singapore's urban geography is often characterised by extensive use of HDB flats, which the majority of citizens reside in. (from Geography of Singapore)
Image 2Shophouses in Singapore (from Singaporeans)
Image 3Japanese POWs are taken to work where they were made to clear up the city during the British reoccupation in September 1945
Image 4Old Supreme Court of Singapore (from Culture of Singapore)
Image 5A fragment of the Singapore Stone, inscribed with an Indic script, c. 10th to 13th century. (from History of Singapore)
Image 6The Marina Bay Sands integrated resort. Opened in 2010, it has become a key feature of Singapore's modern skyline. (from History of Singapore)
Image 7View of Bukit Batok Estate. Large scale public housing development has created high housing ownership among the population. (from History of Singapore)
Image 8The Plan of the Town of Singapore, or more commonly known as the Jackson Plan or Raffles Town Plan. (from History of Singapore)
Image 9Centre square of Raffles Place (from Culture of Singapore)
Image 10Fireworks over the Marina Bay skyline following the conclusion of the 2015 National Day Parade on 9 August 2015. (from History of Singapore)
Image 11Hainanese chicken rice (from Singaporeans)
Image 12Afternoon thunderstorms are a frequent occurrence in Singapore, which has an equatorial climate. (from Geography of Singapore)
Image 13Chinese community in Singapore carrying the Flag of the Republic of China (written Long live the motherland) to celebrate the victory, also reflected the Chinese identity issues at that time. (from History of Singapore)
Image 14Jurong Industrial Estate, Singapore, with Jurong Island in the background (from Geography of Singapore)
Image 15Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (from Singaporeans)
Image 16St Andrew's Cathedral (from Singaporeans)
Image 17A busy Victoria Dock, Tanjong Pagar, in the 1890s. (from History of Singapore)
Image 18A hawker centre in Lavender, Singapore (from Culture of Singapore)
Image 19Upper Seletar Reservoir (from Geography of Singapore)
Image 20The Mao Kun map from Wubei Zhi which is based on the early 15th century maps of Zheng He showing Temasek (淡馬錫) at the top left, and Long Ya Men (龍牙門) on the right panel. (from History of Singapore)
Image 21Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, led by a Japanese officer, marches under a flag of truce to negotiate the capitulation of Allied forces in Singapore, on 15 February 1942. It was the largest surrender of British-led forces in history. (from History of Singapore)
Image 22Enlargeable, detailed map of Singapore (from Geography of Singapore)
Image 231955 stamp with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (from History of Singapore)
Image 24Deepavali decorations in Singapore. (from Culture of Singapore)
Image 25Sign board with warnings in Singapore's four main languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil (from Culture of Singapore)
Image 26Traffic in Singapore, 1981. Prior to the introduction of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) in 1990, vehicles per capita in Singapore was the highest in ASEAN. (from History of Singapore)
Image 27Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (from Singaporeans)
Image 28A statue of Raffles by Thomas Woolner now stands in Singapore, near Raffles's landing site in 1819. (from History of Singapore)
Image 29The Thian Hock Keng, completed in 1842, served as a place of worship for early immigrants. (from History of Singapore)
Image 30Baedeker map of the city and environs, c. 1914
Image 311890 German map of Singapore (from History of Singapore)
Image 32The Jurong Industrial Estate was developed in the 1960s to industrialise the economy. (from History of Singapore)
Image 33Mass Rapid Transit (from History of Singapore)
Image 34The Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay (from Culture of Singapore)
Image 35The country celebrates its National Day on 9 August each year. (from History of Singapore)
Image 36Restored shophouses running along a street in Chinatown, which reflects the Victorian architecture of buildings built in Singapore during the earlier colonial period, with styles such as the painted ladies. (from History of Singapore)
Image 37The Sultan Mosque, built in 1826 in the Kampong Glam district, is the oldest and one of the largest mosque in Singapore. (from Singaporeans)
Image 38Quadrilingual sign for Parliament House (from Singaporeans)
Image 39Men of Chinese, Malay, and Indian ethnicities gather at a street corner in Singapore, circa 1900. (from Singaporeans)
Image 40The Singaporean delegation at the 1956 constitutional talks in London. Lim Yew Hock and David Marshall are sat first and second from the left, respectively. (from History of Singapore)
Image 41The old and the new Singapore as seen from an alley behind Boat Quay (2023) (from History of Singapore)
Image 42Portrait of Stamford Raffles by George Francis Joseph, 1817 (from History of Singapore)
Image 43Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (from Culture of Singapore)

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Glenn Jeyasingam Knight (13 November 1944 – 19 February 2025) was a Singaporean lawyer. He was the first Director of the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) when it was founded in 1984. He lost his post in 1991 after being convicted of corruption in a much-publicised trial. In 1998, he was again tried and convicted for misappropriating money while in office. Knight was allowed to return to practice as a lawyer in 2007. (Full article...)

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Did you know (auto-generated)

... that during his tenure as Indonesia's deputy ambassador to Singapore, Andradjati spent most of his time in Changi Airport?
... that S. Iswaran was the first Singaporean cabinet minister to be investigated by the country's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau since 1986?
... that Singaporean banker Chew Hock Leong sold a camera device patent to Kodak in 1930?
... that the construction of the Downtown Line required diverting the Singapore River?
... that Singaporean former lawyer David Yong learned Korean and moved to South Korea to become a K-pop singer?
... that Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann declined a request from Lee Kuan Yew to help design Singapore?

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In this month

7 November 1987: The first section of Singapore's MRT system on the North South MRT Line opens.
22 November 1990: Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 begins operation.
28 November 1990: Goh Chok Tong becomes the second Prime Minister of Singapore, marking the first handover of power since Singapore's independence.

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... that people making speeches at Speakers' Corner in Singapore (pictured) must use one of Singapore's four official languages – English, Malay, Mandarin or Tamil – or a related dialect?

... that the Bukit Timah Monkey Man is a Singapore cryptid said to inhabit the centrally forested Bukit Timah area?

... that under the Vandalism Act of Singapore, a person convicted for the first time of vandalism by defacing property using an indelible substance such as paint must be sentenced to caning?

... that Runme Shaw, philanthropist and founder of the Shaw Organisation, started his Singapore movie business in a makeshift timber cinema known as The Empire in 1927?

... that The Float@Marina Bay, a venue of the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, hosts the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games as the world's largest floating stage?

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Selected panorama

Credit: sgbooks

A panoramic view of the roads and harbour in Singapore in the 1870s

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Southeast Asia

Other Countries

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Things you can do

Check for latest announcements and updates at the WikiProject Singapore
Make yourself known as a Singaporean Wikipedian
Create or improve on the articles listed in the to do list
Share with us your level of proficiency in Singlish by putting one of the 4 Singlish Babel tags (1 2 3 4) onto your user page
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