Singapore is, in an economic sense, one of the so-called “Asian Tigers”, and is located on a location of great strategic significance. It was once so important for the British colonial empire that it earned the nickname “The Gibraltar of the East”.
On this day in 1819 the well-known British colonial functionary Stamford Raffles docked at the coast of the island of Singapore. Today, Raffles is considered the “Father of Singapore” because it was precisely he who founded the first British colony on that island. Singapore was once so important for the British colonial empire that it earned the nickname “The Gibraltar of the East”. Namely, Singapore is located at one of the strategically most important points in the entire world, because the sea route that connects the Far East with Europe, Africa, and the rest of Asia goes directly through it. Singapore remained under British rule until 1963.
Stamford Raffles was one of the most famous expanders of the British colonial empire. He was also one of the few people in history to be born on a ship, specifically the British ship Ann near the coast of Jamaica. During his career he held the high position of Governor-General, but his greatest accomplishment from a historical perspective was precisely the founding of Singapore as a British colony of strategic significance.
Singapore is today an independent state, for the most part located on the island of Singapore (Pulau Ujong), which covers an area of around 710 square kilometers. The island is inhabited by around 5 million people. The remaining 60 or so islands that belong to the state of Singapore are significantly smaller than the main island. Singapore is, in an economic sense, one of the so-called “Asian Tigers” (together with Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong), and still has a great significance in the world economy, despite its small land area.
