Little is know of Singapores ancient history and what is is often referred to as legend. For example the Islands present name comes from Sanskrit Singapura, meaning ‘Lion City’ a result of a legend where a Sumatran prince encountered a lion - considered a good omen - on Temasek, prompting him to found Singapura, or Lion City. Never mind that lions had never inhabited Singapore (more likely the prince had seen a tiger)! However this led to the establishment of the region as a minor trading post for the powerful Sumatran Srivijaya empire and as a subsequent vassal state of the Javanese Majapahit empire in the mid-13th century

Sir Stamford Raffles, a British civil servant, brought the ‘Lion City’ to world prominence after searching for a trading station to counter the Dutch influence in the Straits of Malacca, and trade has remained the island’s mainstay. Until Sir Stamford Raffles aquired Singapore in 1819 it was virtually abandoned and had the reputation of a disease ridden city. After Raffles arrival Singapore took advantage of its strategic positioning at the foot of the straits and expansion was inevitable. Migrants attracted by a tariff-free port poured in by the thousands, and a flourishing colony with a military and naval base was established.

By 1860 the population had reached eighty thousand and along with this expansion came the vast array of cultures prominent in Singapore today. Singapore's inexorable growth continued into the 20th century until 1941 when the Japanese invaded. After three and a half years the Japanese surrendered to the British but Britains right to rule was no longer assured. Singaporeans wanted a say in the governing of their country and by the 1950s the formation of a number of political parties occured Singapore moved slowly towards self-government. In 1959 The People's Action Party, headed by Lee Kuan Yew, was elected. Lee became prime minister, a position he was to hold for the next 31 years. In 1963, Singapore joined the Federation of Malaysia, but later broke away in 1965 to become fully Independent and once again, with the help of Lee, the economic success story of the region. Lee Kuan Yew resigned as prime minister in 1990 and was replaced by Goh Chok Tong, a leader more inclined towards consultation and liberalism

Along with most of South East Asia Singapore suffered economically following the 1997/98 Asian Financial crisis - in one three-month period in late 1998, unemployment in the country doubled. Today Singapore is fighting back and it is now known for its clean, modern attitude.