Singapore is a sovereign island city-state and a parliamentary republic located in Southeast Asia, known for its highly developed free-market economy and strategic position at the Strait of Malacca. The name itself is derived from the Sanskrit words simha (lion) and pura (city), meaning "Lion City".
The modern state was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles as a key trading post for the British Empire. Its most pivotal moment was its creation as an independent nation on 9 August 1965, following its expulsion from the Federation of Malaysia after a union that lasted less than 23 months. The separation was driven by deep political, economic, and communal differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia, which had led to racial riots in 1964. Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, famously called the split "a moment of anguish".
Singapore's governance is modeled after the Westminster system, with three branches: the Executive, the Legislature (Parliament), and the Judiciary. The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore is the supreme law, vesting executive authority in the President, who is the Head of State, but exercised by the Cabinet led by the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government. The country's economic success is often attributed to the "Singapore model," which combines a business-friendly environment, a strong commitment to free-market principles, and a high degree of state-led developmentalism, including government control over key sectors and a focus on attracting Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). This model is connected to the concept of the Asian Tigers or Asian Dragons, a group of highly developed economies in Asia. Singapore's political landscape is characterized by the long-standing dominance of the People's Action Party (PAP), which has held power since 1959.