| Written accounts of the early history of Singapore are sketchy and many names were used to refer to the country, but by the end of the 14th century, the Sanskrit name, Singapura (Lion City), became commonly used. Singapura rose in importance during this time as a strategic port for trade.
The modern history of Singapore began in 1819 when Singapore was founded as a British colony by Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles. Singapore quickly grew in importance as a centre for trade in Southeast Asia, rapidly becoming a major port city. By WWII Singapore also served as a British defense and the island was referred to as “the Gibraltar of the East”. Unfortunately, all of its defenses pointed out to sea leaving it vulnerable to a surprise Japanese invasion by land. When the war ended, Singapore reverted to British control, but in 1963 Singapore merged with the Federation of Malay to form Malaysia. Social unrest and disputes led to Singapore’s expulsion from the federation and establishment of independence in 1965. |