A Look Into the Region

The modern city-state of Singapore featured on our cover is situated just north of the equator at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, adjacent to the Strait of Malacca, arguably the busiest and most dangerous shipping lanes in Asia/Pacific. The tiny 616 sq. km tropical island is a center for manufacturing, R&D, and finance in the region and is home to the world's busiest port. The Lion City (or "Singapura") as it is commonly called has a population of around 3 million, predominantly Chinese, with significant and integrated Indian, Malay, and expatriate communities. Singapore is widely recognized as one of the safest, cleanest, and most well-run countries in the world today. Originally a British Colony until federated with Malaya in 1963, Singapore finally became a Republic in 1965 and with an honest, creative, and consistent leadership the country, economy, and its people have prospered since that time.