Singapore is a city, an island and a country. With an area of 6823 sq km, it is one of the smallest countries in the world. It is also one of the safest.
In 1819, Sir Thomas Raffles arrived and the island prospered as part of the British Empire. In 1942 the Japanese invaded and ran the
island until the end of World War II. In 1965, Singapore became a fully independent city-state.