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Singapore's geographical position and commercial success were major influences on the composition of its population. After its founding by Sir Stamford Raffles, the small sea town was quickly established as a flourishing trading post. It became a magnet for migrants and merchants from China, the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, the Malay Peninsula and the Middle East.
Singapore's different races live is harmony together
They came in
search of a better place to settle down, lured by the
riches of the land and bringing with them their own
cultures, languages, customs and festivals. Through
intermarriage and integration, these diverse human
'ingredients' have merged into the multifaceted society
that is unique to Singapore today : a young nation with a
vibrant and diverse cultural heritage.Early Immigrants
The first wave of immigration consisted of Malays and Chinese from the older, Dutchruled settlement of Melaka. Other major groups of immigrants were the Javanese, Bugis and Balinese who were mainly traders and labourers. Drawn together by their cultural similarities and the common bond of Islam, the Indonesians intermarried with the indigenous Malays made up 60% of the population, with 31% Chinese and 7% Indians. But by 1830 the Chinese had become the largest ethnic component of the population.Today, the population consists of 78% Chinese, 14% Malays, 7% Indians and 1% Eurasians or of other descent, making a total of 2.8 million.
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