[AccessD] Geography revisited

On 19 Mar 2005 at 20:41, Arthur Fuller wrote:

> 
> 3. Not immediately relevant, but is Singapore a city-state or part of 
> China or what?
> 

Singapore is a long way from China and has never been part of it.

Geographically, it is part of the Malay Peninsula, forming the southern tip 
of the peninsula and bordering on Indonesia to the south.  

Colonised in early the 1800s by Britain; Singapore, along with Penang and 
Malacca were part of the "Straits Settlements"  and were governed from 
India. In the 1860s, the Straits Settlements became a separate Crown 
Colony. 

Throughout the 1800s there was a large influx of of Chinese and Indians 
which has resulted in today's mix of ethnic groups - today it is about 75% 
Chinese, 15% Malay and 7% Indian. (It has four "official languages", 
Chinese, Malay, Tamil and English with Malay being designated the "national 
language")

After WW2, Singapore became a British Colony in its own right in 1946, it 
became self governing in 1959. In 1963 it merged with Malaya, Sarawak and 
Sabah to become part of Malaysia but later split away and  became an 
independent nation in 1965.

-- 
Stuart