By Hannah Rollmaker
Singapore is remarkable in that it is one of the few city-states left in the world. This is an indication of how old Singapore is, since most city-states, like Athens, date back to thousands of years before Christ. There are only two existing city-states in the world other than Singapore: Monaco and Vatican City. Singapore is also widely known as a microstate, which is the perfect description for the city considering how small its dominion is. Though bigger than its other two city-state brethren, Singapore is easily the smallest nation in Southeastern Asia.
Singapore wasnt always an Asian nation, though. For a long time, in the 1800s, Singapore was part of the British Empire and thus a British nation by default. This was during the time of the United Kingdoms immense grandeur, before places like Egypt and the Falkland Islands threw off their royal oppressors. Singapore remained under British rule all the way up until World War Two, when Japan defeated England inside the city and took over. As soon as the war was over, though, Singapore went back to Britain and continued business as usual until the 1960s. This period of time was particularly strange because Singapore essentially stopped existing from 1963 to 1965 and was absorbed with its surrounding nations into the land known as Malaysia. This short two year tenure was clearly ill-fated and Singapore quickly became its own nation again in 1966.
Though it is a small nation in a somewhat poor area, few people realize how costly and lucrative Singapore is. Most studies cite Singapore as the tenth most expensive city to live in throughout the entire world! Around Asia, only Osaka and Tokyo rank higher than Singapore when it comes to cost of living. Despite this, Singapore maintains a healthy population of five million people threatening to burst the little country apart from the seams. Of these five million people, Chinese descent makes up the majority with several other Indo-pacific peoples filling the remaining void.
Though Singapore has a formidably productive economy, Tourism is a large part of the countrys income and, upon looking at the grandeur and beauty of the city of Singapore, it is easy to see why. Over ten million people visit Singapore each year to see such amazing sights as the famed Orchard Road, one of the most famous shopping districts in the world. Legalized gambling is also a huge draw and Singapore boasts some of the most luxurious casinos in Asia, like Marina South and Sentosa. Curiously, many tourists who visit Singapore each year dont go for such sights, though. The citys medical reputation is unparalleled in its surrounding area and over half a million people go each year to Singapore for medical operations, thanks to the advanced care and quick service. This kind of pioneering mindset is indicative of Singapores consistent dedication to its citizens. The diverse groups of Asians and English people who populate the city are among the happiest and most satisfied anywhere and it is a testament to what can be achieved when the ruling parties actually listen to the people who they oversee. If you are one of the many people planning a visit to Singapore this year, you are in for the time of your life.
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