Singapore (Civ5)/Civilopedia

Records and archeological excavations show that the island of modern-day Singapore has been occupied from about the second century AD - the small island was originally part of the Sumatran Empire and went by the name of Temasek, or "sea town". For unknown reasons the area slid into a decline in the 14th century, and for the next few centuries the island's population consisted mostly of small villages of fishermen.
This all changed on January 29, 1819, when the British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed on the island and signed a treaty to develop the southern portion into a British trading post. Singapore officially became a British colony in 1824 when the British East India Company gained control of the entire island. The island city grew steadily as it became an important hub for trade and commerce in the Pacific.
In 1941, the Japanese invaded Singapore and in six short days gained control of the city and its military base. The Battle of Singapore, as it came to be known, was the worst recorded military disaster in British history and the city became an important base for the Japanese for the rest of World War II. The British only regained control of the island a month after Japan's surrender in 1945.
After the war, Singapore started on the road to independence. In 1955 the city was allowed to hold its first ever general election, but delegations sent to England demanding self-rule were met with resistance until 1959. Four years later the small city-state nation declared formal independence from the British Empire and quickly joined the Federation of Malaysia. However, major ideological conflicts between Singapore and the Federation soured the relationship and two years later Singapore officially declared complete sovereignty.
Since its independence, fortunes for the city-state have increased, with massive improvements in standards of living, the economy, and education. Singapore is now the fifth wealthiest country in the world (in terms of GDP per capita) with booming tourism and medical industries.