Singapore Island

Etymology

Temasek was the early recorded name of a settlement on the site of today's Singapore, although the island itself wasn't specifically defined. A 3rd-century Chinese reference to Pú Luó Zhōng () corresponds to the local name Pulau Ujong (Malay for "Island at the End").

Travellers and merchants from around Asia arriving at the Singapore Strait to the South China Sea would have to pass by the island, hence the name Pulau Ujong. Similarly, Orang Laut tribes called Singapore the "End Island". Ujong Tanah ("Land at the Furthest") or its variants were also used in European sources as a name for Singapore.

The Kristang name for the island, Pedra Draku ("Rock of Dragons" or "Dragonsrock"), comes from the Dragon's Tail Peninsula found in older maps of the world, identified as the former sub-continent of Sundaland that the island of Singapore now sits on top of. The name Pedra Draku thus also has supposed parallels with the Dragon's Teeth Gate or Long Ya Men () that once stood at the front of Keppel Harbour, and also with the Malay name Pulau Ujong, identifying Singapore as the island at the end of the Dragon's Tail Peninsula.

Legend

According to the mythical third-century book Record of Foreign Countries during the Eastern Wu Period (呉時外國傳), the island was inhabited by cannibals with five- to six-inch tails, which may have had racial connotations and provokes skepticism.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Singapore

On a straight line, the island measures approximately 55 km from east to west and 28 km from north to south, with 201 km of coastline. The highest point of Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, which is made up of igneous rock and granite and is 163.63 m high. Hills and valleys of sedimentary rock dominate the northwest, while the eastern region consists of sandy and flatter land.

Since 1822, there have been land reclamation works, first by the British, who then controlled the island as a colony. Since independence, the contemporary government of Singapore has continued to increase the size of the island, having increased the area of the main island from 580 km2 in the 1960s to 710 km2 today. A further 200 km2 of land is also expected to be added to the main island.

Extreme points

Main article: List of extreme points of Singapore

The northernmost of Singapore island is Sembawang. The westernmost and southernmost points are at Tuas. The easternmost is Changi Bay.

Notes

References

;Citations ;Bibliography

References

1. (May 24, 2004). "Pulau Ubin Stories". National University of Singapore.
2. "Statistics Singapore – Population".
3. Xu Yunqiao History of South East Asia 1961 Singapore World Publishing Co. 许云樵 《南洋史》 星洲世界书局 1961年
4. (December 2004). "Iberians in the Singapore-Melaka Area and Adjacent Regions (16th to 18th Century)". Harrassowitz.
5. Record of Foreign Countries during the Eastern Wu Period, section on Pu Luo Jong 许云樵 《康泰吴时外国传辑注》 四十四-四十五页 1971 新加坡南洋研究所出版
6. "Yearbook of Statistics Singapore 2012". Department of Statistics Singapore.
7. Gillis, K., & Tan, K. (2006). The book of Singapore’s firsts (p. 96). Singapore: Singapore Heritage Society. Call no.: RSING 959.57 GIL-[HIS].
8. "Long-Term Plan Review".