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This is a list of islands of Singapore. Massive land reclamation works over the past centuries has merged many of Singapore's former islands and islets and has created a few larger ones. At present, Singapore has about 64 islands, with 7 of them belonging to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
IslandPlanning Area [2]RegionArea (km 2 )——7101.334.7110.19Jul 26, 2023 · Singapore, an island city-state in Southeast Asia, lies off the southern edge of the Malay Peninsula and has a total area of about 734 km 2 (281 mi 2). It is separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to the north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to the south.
- Overview
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
- Settlement patterns
Singapore, city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, about 85 miles (137 kilometres) north of the Equator. It consists of the diamond-shaped Singapore Island and some 60 small islets; the main island occupies all but about 18 square miles of this combined area. The main island is separated from Peninsular Malaysia to the north by Johor Strait, a narrow channel crossed by a road and rail causeway that is more than half a mile long. The southern limits of the state run through Singapore Strait, where outliers of the Riau-Lingga Archipelago—which forms a part of Indonesia—extend to within 10 miles of the main island.
Singapore is the largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the busiest in the world. It owes its growth and prosperity to its focal position at the southern extremity of the Malay Peninsula, where it dominates the Strait of Malacca, which connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. Once a British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth, Singapore first joined the Federation of Malaysia on its formation in 1963 but seceded to become an independent state on August 9, 1965.
Nearly two-thirds of the main island is less than 50 feet (15 metres) above sea level. Timah Hill, the highest summit, has an elevation of only 531 feet (162 metres); with other peaks, such as Panjang and Mandai hills, it forms a block of rugged terrain in the centre of the island. To the west and south are lower scarps with marked northwest-southe...
A dense network of short streams drains the island, but floods are locally severe because the streams have low gradients and because of excessive water runoff from cleared land. Many streams, especially those draining northward, have broad mangrove-fringed estuaries that extend far inland. None of the soils is even reasonably fertile, but those derived from the granites tend to be better than most. Soils developed from the sedimentary rocks are variable, but many contain hardpans (compacted layers) that restrict plant roots and impede soil drainage. The soils of eastern Singapore are extremely infertile. All have suffered extensive degradation through erosion as a result of generations of careless human exploitation.
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Singapore is in the equatorial monsoon region of Southeast Asia, and its climate is characterized by uniformly high temperatures and nearly constant precipitation throughout the year. The average monthly temperature varies from about 81° F (27° C) in June to 77° F (25° C) in January. The daily range is somewhat greater, averaging about 13° F (7° C). Singapore’s maritime location and constant humidity, however, keep maximum temperatures relatively moderate: the highest temperature ever recorded was only 97° F (36° C).
The seasons are defined by the relative incidence of rainfall, which, in turn, is determined by the movements of the monsoon air masses. The wettest and windiest period is during the northeast monsoon (November–March), with rainfall reaching an average monthly high of more than 10 inches (250 millimetres) in December. Conversely, the period of the least amount of rainfall and the lightest winds is during the southwest monsoon (May–September), with rainfall dropping to a monthly low of less than 7 inches in July. April and October are intermonsoonal periods characterized by sluggish air movements and intense afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Altogether, Singapore’s precipitation averages about 95 inches annually, and rain falls somewhere on the island every day of the year.
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Little remains of the original vegetation or animal life, except for a few thousand acres of evergreen rain forest preserved around catchment areas. Some mangrove vegetation survives in the Kranji area on the northwest side of the island, but elsewhere tracts of scrub or cogon grass (called lalang locally) are common. Many exotic plants have been i...
The city of Singapore is situated in the southern portion of the main island. Over time, urbanization has blurred the differences between city and country. Built-up areas now cover a large part of the city-state. The older parts of the city have been substantially refurbished, especially along the Singapore River but elsewhere as well. The once-com...
Eurasian. Singapore Island, also known as mainland Singapore, is the main constituent island of the sovereign island country and city-state of the Republic of Singapore. It is located at the southern tip of Malay Peninsula, in-between the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea. The Singapore Strait lies to the south, while the Johor Strait ...
- 710 km² (270 sq mi)
- Bukit Timah Hill — 163.63 metres (536.8 ft)
- 5,453,600 (2021)
- Southeast Asia
- Pulau Hantu. Located only 30 minutes away from Singapore by boat, Pulau Hantu is a popular haunt for fishing, swimming, snorkelling, and scuba diving.
- Kusu Island. Known for its religious Chinese temple and Malay shrines, Kusu Island is packed with people during the ninth lunar month. During this period, Chinese devotees will flock to the island to visit the isolated Chinese temple where Da Bo Gong (God of Prosperity) and Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) reside.
- St John’s Island. You would never believe this beautiful island was formerly a quarantine station for cholera, beri-beri, and leprosy cases in the late 19th century.
- Lazarus Island. If you love the sun and beach is your thing, you’ll adore Lazarus Island. Connected by the short causeway to and from St John’s Island is Lazarus Island, a hidden oasis for beach junkies.
Singapore's main territory looks like a diamond-shaped island, although its territory includes surrounding smaller islands. The farthest outlying island is Pedra Branca . Of Singapore's dozens of smaller islands, Jurong Island , Pulau Tekong , Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the larger ones.
Aug 16, 2023 · Singapore is actually made up of 64 islands. Three islands are inhabited including the main island of Singapore. Learn about the islands.
