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Singapore

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Singapore sĭngˈgəpôr, sĭngˈə–, sĭngˌgəpôrˈ [key], officially Republic of Singapore, republic (2015 est. pop. 5,535,000), 299 sq mi (774 sq km). It consists of the island of Singap...

Singapore Strait

(Encyclopedia)Singapore Strait, channel, 30 mi (48 km) long and 10 mi (16.1 km) wide, between Singapore island and the Riau Archipelago, Indonesia. It links the Strait of Malacca with the South China Sea and is a m...

Johore Strait

(Encyclopedia)Johore Strait, arm of the Singapore Strait, c.40 mi (60 km) long and from 1 to 3 mi (1.6–4.8 km) wide, between Singapore Island and the Malay Peninsula. The eastern part of the strait has a deep cha...

Lee Kuan Yew

(Encyclopedia)Lee Kuan Yew lē kwän yo͞o, yü [key], 1923–2015, prime minister of Singapore (1959–90). Educated in England, he obtained a law degree from Cambridge Univ. in 1949 and in 1954 founded the modera...

Lee Hsien Loong

(Encyclopedia)Lee Hsien Loong lē shyĕn lo͞ong [key], 1952–, prime minister of Singapore (2004–). The eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, Lee was educated at Cambridge and Harvard wh...

Heng Swee Keat

(Encyclopedia)Heng Swee Keat, 1961–, Singaporean political leader. A member of the People's Action party (PAP), he was secretary (1997–2000) to Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and head of Singapore's central bank ...

Straits Settlements

(Encyclopedia)Straits Settlements, collective name for certain former British colonies in Southeast Asia. The three British East India Company territories of Pinang, Singapore, and Malacca (see Melaka) were given a...

Goh Chok Tong

(Encyclopedia)Goh Chok Tong gō chôk tông [key], 1941–, prime minister of Singapore (1990–2004). After holding government and business positions, he was elected to Singapore's parliament in 1976 and served in...