Fast Facts:
- Named for: Siṃhapura, Sanskrit for “lion city”
- Capital: It’s a “city-state,” i.e., Singapore is its own capital.
- Long/Lat: 1.17 N/103.5 E, 17 hours and 8500 miles west of Castro Valley.
- Population: 6.1 million or 100 Castro Valleys. Third most densely populated region in the world, after Macau and Monaco.
- Size: 287 sq mi or 16 Castro Valleys
- Avg temp in April: 90 F/30 C, close to the equator
- Median income: $150,000, close to Castro Valley
- Ethnicity: 74% Chinese, 14% Malay, 9% Industries
- Main industries: Trade. Trade. Trade. Their economy is “free, innovative, dynamic, and business-friend.” Surprisingly, not especially corrupt.
One of the key architects of what Singapore has become was Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles. I know, the name sounds made up. That, too, is a metaphor for Singapore, a place of such contrast that it’s hard to believe.
Singapore is tiny, but huge in population. The 3rd most densely populated in the world, the 176th smallest land base for a country. It’s both island and city, near the sweltering jungles at the equator, but a futuristic high-tech sparkling megalopolis. It’s surrounded by Malaysia, also islands and cities, both rural and urban simultaneously. Singapore means “Lion City” though apparently there’s never been a lion, other than in a zoo. Its symbol is the Merlion, half-fish and half-lion. Perhaps Singapore’s success has been in taking on multiple identities.
Encyclopedias on Singapore begin its history with the 14th century, though surely there were people before that. The Malay people who predated the Kingdom of Singapore called it Pulau Ujong, meaning “island at the end of the peninsula.” But that’s a geographic description and not great for creating the image of a city-state. It was called Temasek, a trading port, a mix of Malay, Indian, South Asian, and Chinese people. Lion City seems a more intriguing name even if there never were lions. A Palembang prince in the 14th century reportedly spotted what he believed was a lion but it was really a tiger. Yet, he gets credit for suggesting its name, Siṃhapura.
Continue reading “S is for Singapore”
