Singapore ( / ˈ s ɪ ŋ ( ɡ ) ə p ɔːr / ( listen ) ), officially the Republic of Singapore , is an island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia . It is located about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator , off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula , bordering the Strait of Malacca to the west, the Singapore Strait to the south, the South China Sea to the east, and the Straits of Johor to the north. The country's territory is composed of one main island , 63 s
Singapore's history dates back at least a millennium, having been a maritime emporium known as Temasek and subsequently as a major constituent part of several successive thalassocratic empires. Its contemporary era began in 1819 when Stamford Raffles established Singapore as an entrepôt trading post of the British Empire . In 1867, the colonies in Southeast Asia were reorganised and Singapore came under the direct control of Britain as part of the Straits Settlements . During World War II , Singapore was oc
After early years of turbulence and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland , the nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers . With its growth based on international trade and economic globalisation , it integrated itself with the world economy through free trade with minimal-to-no trade barriers or tariffs , export-oriented industrialisation , and the large accumulation of received foreign direct investments , foreign-exchange reserves , and assets held by sovereign wealth f