The New Student's Reference Work/Singapore

Singapore (sĭn′gȧ-pōr′), (“Lion City”), a town of India on the island of Singapore. It was founded in 1819 for the British trade in the East Indies, and is the most important trading-place in southeastern Asia. It is a well-built town, with fine public buildings and all kinds of conveniences in the way of public works. There are a governor's residence, a Protestant cathedral, a Roman Catholic cathedral, Mohammedan mosques, Hindu temples, Chinese joss-houses, a museum, hospitals and fine botanical and zoölogical gardens. The harbor is large, and is used as a naval coaling-station and depot. The island is 27 miles in length and 14 miles in breadth and has an area of 206 square miles. The population, numbering 311,985, includes 135,000 Chinese, 25,000 Malays and about 4,300 Europeans. Singapore, a crown-colony in the Straits Settlements, embraces Christmas and the Cocos Islands, the other settlements being Penang and Malakka. The climate is pleasant, though the death-rate is high.