Singapore is both an island and a country, located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Singapore City, known as the Lion City, the name of the city is derived from the Malay words singa which means 'lion' and pura which means 'city'. The city ranked first in Asia and eleventh in the world for quality of life by the economists. Singapore has something for everyone, from families to business travelers.
Sir Stamford Raffles who was an official of the British East India Company founded Singapore in 1819. In 19th century, Singapore was a Malay fishing village and was later occupied by the Japanese Empire during World War II. Singapore became an independent Republic in 1965 and the country began celebrating August 9, 1965 as its National Day.