Why go
Singapore is more legible when its riverfront, neighbourhoods and public housing are seen as parts of one story. This overview connects the island’s position between Malaysia and Indonesia with the port, its multilingual population and the changes after independence in 1965.
The full story
Singapore sits at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, near the shipping routes between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Its main island, Pulau Ujong, is accompanied by smaller islands. The port’s position helped draw merchants and migrants from the Malay Archipelago, China, India and farther afield. British colonial rule began with a trading post in 1819, but the island already had a history as a regional port. Japanese occupation during the Second World War, self-government, a short period within Malaysia and independence in 1965 each changed its direction. After independence, industrial growth, public housing and extensive planning transformed daily life and the physical city. English became a common language alongside Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. These layers are useful to keep in mind as you move between older trading districts, housing estates, waterfronts and nature reserves.