SINGAPORE, a town and island situated at the southern extremity of the Malay peninsula in I° 20' N., 503° 50' E. Singa pore is the most important part of the crown colony of the Straits Settlements, which consists with it of Penang (including Province Wellesley) and Malacca (qq.v.). The Dindings, retroceded to the Sultan of Perak in 1935, were formerly included with Penang. Sin gapore, midway between India; and China, forms the most important halting-place on the trade-route to the Far East. It is being strongly fortified as a naval base at the cost of the imperial gov ernment, aided by an annual military contribution payable by the colony and fixed at 20% of its gross revenue. Its geographical position gives it strategic value; and as a commercial centre it is without a rival in this part of Asia. Its prosperity has been greatly enhanced by the rapid development of the Malay States on the mainland. It possesses a good harbour with docks and ex tensive coaling-wharves, which were acquired by government from the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company. It is also resorted to by native craft from all parts of the Malay archipelago. On the island of Pulau Brani stand the largest tin-smelting works in existence, which for many years have annually passed through their furnaces more than half the total tin output of the world. Singapore has also establishments for tinning pineapples, a rubber factory, a tannery, a shoe factory and a biscuit factory. Notable are a few large commercial buildings, government house, the law courts, a magnificent hospital, a new lunatic asylum, Raffles col lege, Raffles museum and the cathedral of St. Andrew. There are several Roman Catholic churches, a Free Kirk, an American mis sion, and chapels belonging to Nonconformist sects. The mosques and Chinese and Hindu temples are numerous. There are military barracks at Tanglin. There is a good race-course and polo-ground, a fine cricket-ground on the esplanade, four golf courses, and yachting, swimming and social clubs.
The island is 27 m. long by 14 m. broad, and is joined to the state of Johore, situated on the mainland of the Malay Peninsula, by a cause-way. A railway runs from the town of Singapore through Johore Bharu up to Penang and on to Bangkok. The
strait which divides the island from the Dutch islands of Bintang, Rhio, etc., bears the name of the Singapore strait. The surface of the island is undulating and diversified by low hills, the highest point being Bukit Timah, on the north-west of the town, which is a little over 500 ft. Geologically, the core of the island consists of crystalline rocks ; but in the west there are shale and sandstone. All round the island the valleys are filled with alluvial deposits on a more extensive scale than could have been formed by the existing rivers : they suggest that the island was once united to Johore. The south-west shores are fringed with coral reefs, and living coral fields are found in many parts of the straits. Composed largely of red clays and laterite, the soil is not rich, and calls for the patient cultivation of the Chinese gardener to make it produc tive. The forest is of a mean type. The humid climate causes the foliage here, as in other parts of Malaya, to be luxuriant, and the contrast presented by the bright green and the rich red laterite of the cliffs is striking. When first occupied by Sir Stamford Raffles, on behalf of the East India Company, the island was covered by jungle, but now all the land not reserved by government has been taken up, principally by Chinese, who plant rubber, vegetables and other products. There are fine botanical gardens at Tanglin.
The climate of Singapore is humid and hot. There is hardly any seasonal change, and the dampness causes the heat to be more oppressive than are higher temperatures in drier climates. The mean temperature in Singapore during 1926 was 80.1° F. The highest shade temperature for the year was 93.5° F regis tered in April; the lowest 70.7° F, registered in February. North and north-east winds prevail from the middle of October to the end of April, and south and south-west winds from the middle of May to the end of September. The rainfall has been recorded regularly since 1862. The wettest year was 1913 with mm. and the driest 1877 with 1,482.7 mm. The average number of rainy days during the past decade has been 173 and the average rainfall 2,526.7 mm.