Singapore: An Amah posing with European children as the European 'Mem' looks on, c. 1900.

Singapore came under British influence in 1819 when the [British] East India Company opened a trading port there with permission from the Sultanate of Johor. The British obtained sovereignty over the island in 1824 and Singapore became one of the British Straits Settlements in 1826. Occupied by the Japanese in World War II, Singapore declared independence, uniting with other former British territories to form Malaysia in 1963, although it was separated from Malaysia two years later. Since then it has had a massive increase in wealth, and is one of the Four Asian Tigers. Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial centre, and one of the five busiest ports.

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