|
|
|
In 1826, Malacca and Penang, the two British
settlements in Malay Peninsula, together with Singapore
became the Straits Settlements, under the control of
British India. Singapore had became the centre of
government for the three areas by 1832. Under the
jurisdiction of Colonial Office in London, the Straits
Settlements became a Crown Colony on 1 April 1867.
| Singapore became a
major port of call for ships plying between
Europe and East Asia with the advantage of the
steamship in the mid-1860 and the opening of the
Suez Canal in 1869. It also became the main
sorting and export centre in the world of rubber,
especially after the 1870s with the development
of rubber. |
|
Before the closing
of the 19th century, between 1873 and 1913,
Singapore was experiencing unprecedented
prosperity and trade expand eightfold. Immigrants
were attracted from areas around the region by
the prosperity. |
By 1860, the population had grown to 80,792. The
Chinese accounted for 61.9 per cent of the
number; the Malays and Indians 13.5 and 16.05 per
cent respectively; and others, including the
Europeans, 8.5 per cent. |
|
However the Japanese aircraft which bombed the
sleeping country in the early hours of 8 December
1941 ended the peace and the prosperity.
Singapore was renamed Syonan-to ( Light of the
South) after it fell to the Japanese on 15
February 1942. The Japanese occupation lasted for
three and a half years. |
[next...]
|
