Singapore

placed in the category: Cities

The Republic of Singapore is Southeast Asia's smallest nation, only bigger than the other two sovereign city-states namely Vatican City and Monaco. This city-state island is found at the southern point of the Malay Peninsula. The political system of Singapore, as established by the Constitution of Singapore, is representative democracy.

Before Singapore became the famous tourist attraction that it is today, it played different roles throughout history. Once, it was just an island where many indigenous people lived in a fishing village. Then it became the British Empire's military and commercial center, as well as the center of their power in Southeast Asia. During World War II, the Japanese then occupied this British colony.

After gaining independence from the British, the city merged with Sarawak, Sabah, and Malaya to form Malaysia. This merger didn't last very long, since after two years, it seceded from the merger, and started an independent republic.

Nowadays, Singapore is one among the Four Asian Tigers. Its market-based economy is highly developed depending mainly on export. The economy of the country also depends on manufacturing, and refining imported goods. With the world's fourth biggest foreign exchange trading centre, Singapore also has one of the busiest ports in the whole world. The economy of Singapore has been rated one of the world's most business-friendly.

Tourism is a large industry of this Southeast Asian city, being very popular to travelers and tourists. One of its most popular tourist attractions is the shopping district around the Orchard Road. To draw even more attention, and to attract more to people, the government legalized gambling, and allowed a couple of casino-resorts to be developed. Not only does Singapore focus on market and its economy, but the country also provides excellent medical service. With a goal to serve a million patients from outside the country, Singapore aims to generate a revenue of USD 3 billion, and provide at around 13, 000 new jobs.

The culture in the country is a mixture of different cultures, just like its population. Singapore has different races living there, such as Chinese, Arab, Indian, and even Eurasian.