Exciting Singapore - A visual journey by David Blocksidge / Stunning photographs - Engaging & informative text - Singapore travel guide / Periplus Editions HK 2000

Hardcover 2000

PAGES: 64

ISBN: 9780794606459  /  978-0794606459

ISBN-10: 0794606458

PUBLISHER: Periplus Editions HK

LANGUAGE: English

Description:

This Singapore travel pictorial captures the art, culture, and people of the Pacific's leading city.

Located in the heart of Asia, the island republic of Singapore is a dynamic place full of surprises and contrasts. East meets west, with both contradiction and harmony as this city state strives for high productivity and the maintenance of traditional family values. Boasting world class attractions and high tech industries, Singapore lures the visitor with Asia’s best shopping, the world’s finest food and a diverse and friendly population, the country’s prime asset. Reflecting on the past, but striving for a prosperous future, Singaporeans embrace life with optimism. As a pictorial memento of Singapore, this fascinating book reveals all.

Through stunning photographs and engagingly informative text, this book presents a fascinating picture of contemporary Singapore's diversity the Asian culture beneath the western looking exterior, the polar bear bred in a tropical climate, the strongly nationalistic people who are nevertheless proud of their ethnic origins and traditions and the anomaly of one of the world's most densely populated nations having 30 percent of its area as open space. Singapore has many facets. This book will help the visitor appreciate and understand Singapore's captivating complexities.

About the Authors:

David Blocksidge is an Australian writer and editor who has lived in Singapore since 1992 has contributed many articles to travel books and magazine.

Photographers:

Wendy Chan

Alain Evrard

Jill Gocher

Ingo Jezierski

Jean Kugler

Luca Invernizzi Tettoni

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Straits of Malacca to the west, the Riau Islands to the south, and the South China Sea to the east. The country's territory is composed of one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet, the combined area of which has increased by 25% since the country's independence as a result of extensive land reclamation projects. It has the second greatest population density in the world. The country has almost 5.7 million residents, 61% (3.4 million) of whom are Singaporean citizens. There are four official languages of Singapore: English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil; with English being the lingua franca. Multiracialism is enshrined in the constitution, and continues to shape national policies in education, housing, and politics.

Although its history stretches back millennia, modern Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles as a trading post of the British Empire. In 1867, the colonies in East Asia were reorganised and Singapore came under the direct control of Britain as part of the Straits Settlements. During the Second World War, Singapore was occupied by Japan in 1942, but returned to British control as a separate crown colony following Japan's surrender in 1945. Singapore gained self-governance in 1959, and in 1963 became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo, and Sarawak. Ideological differences led to Singapore being expelled from the federation two years later, thereby becoming an independent country.