History of Singapore
During World War 2, Singapore was conquered and occupied by the Japanese Empire from 1942 to 1945. When the war ended, Singapore reverted to British control, with increasing levels of self-government being granted, culminating in Singapore's merger with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963. However, social unrest and disputes between Singapore's ruling People's Action Party and Malaysia's Alliance Party resulted in Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia. Singapore became an independent republic on 9 August 1965.
Early history of Singapore
Early Singapore was called "Temasek", possibly a word deriving from ""tasik"" (Malay for lake or sea) and taken to mean Sea-town in Malay. The Nagarakretagama, a Javanese epic poem written in 1365, listed a settlement on the island called "Tumasik" as a vassal of the Majapahit. The name is also mentioned in the "Malay Annals" thought to have been written in 1535. Temasek may have diplomatic relationship with Vietnam, which recorded it as "Sach Ma Tich", as early as the 13th century. It is also recorded by the Chinese traveller Wang Dayuan who visited the island around 1330 and described a place called "Dan Ma Xi" (單馬錫, a transcription of the Malay "Temasek"). The name "Dan Ma Xi" or "Temasek" is written in Chinese as 淡馬錫 in the Mao Kun map.