66-408: Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore . Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial , multi-cultural , multi-religious, multi-denominational, multi-lingual, and multi-ethnic country. Singaporeans of Chinese , Malay , Indian and Eurasian descent have made up
132-413: A Singapore diplomatic mission within one year of their birth. Prior to 15 May 2004, citizenship was transferrable by descent only from fathers who were citizens by birth or registration, and not mothers. Foreigners over the age of 21 may become Singapore citizens by naturalisation after residing in the country for at least 10 of the 12 years preceding an application for citizenship. Applicants must fulfill
198-707: A basic language knowledge requirement (in English , Malay , Mandarin Chinese , or Tamil ), intend to reside in Singapore permanently, renounce any previous nationalities, and swear an oath of allegiance to the state. Foreign women who marry Singaporean men are eligible for a reduced residence requirement of two years; there are no facilitated paths to citizenship for male spouses of citizens. The government has discretionary power to waive requirements for further residence and grant citizenship to any person who has resided in
264-414: A free port, the population increased to 5,000, with the first census of 1824 showing that 6,505 out of the 10,683 total were Malays and Bugis settlers. Within the first few months of becoming a British settlement, a large number of Chinese migrants also started to settle on the island. In 1825, the population of the island had passed the ten thousand mark and by the census of 1826, there were more Chinese with
330-534: A huge variety of foods. From 1971 to 1986, the government moved thousands of hawkers off the streets into cleaner and better hawker centre facilities. In 2020, the hawker culture in Singapore was listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage . Due to the affordability and wide variety that a hawker centre provides, Singaporeans prefer to dine out rather than cook after work. Some well-known Singaporean dishes includes kaya toast , chilli crab , fish head curry , laksa and roti prata . The Hainanese chicken rice
396-468: A person who exercises any rights derived from another nationality. This includes voting in elections or applying for passports in any jurisdiction outside Singapore. It is also lost after continuous residence overseas for more than 10 years if that citizen has not entered Singapore during that time or is not employed in public service. Naturalised citizens may also be stripped of citizenship for: fraduently acquiring it, committing an act of disloyalty against
462-465: A population of 6,088, as compared to 4,790 Malays excluding the Bugis and Javanese. By 1871, due to the influx of migrants from Malaya , China, India and other parts of Asia, Singapore's population had reached nearly 100,000, with over half of them being Chinese. Many of these early migrants were predominantly male and they would usually return to their home countries after they had earned enough money. By
528-488: A rich linguistic diversity in the city. Singaporean literature consists of literary works that is written in either of the 4 official languages. Although these works may be considered as literature works to their specific languages, they are also viewed as a distinct body of literature portraying various aspects of Singapore society and forms a significant part of the culture of Singapore. Singaporean literature in English
594-632: A single majority culture. According to a 2017 survey by the Institute of Policy Studies , 49% of Singaporeans identify with both the Singaporean identity and their ethnic identity equally, while 35% would identify as "Singaporeans" first and 14.2% would identify with their ethnic identity. As of 2019, the population of Singaporeans stands at 4,026,200 and the population of Overseas Singaporeans stands at 340,751, with 217,200 individuals retaining their citizenship. The earliest records of settlement on
660-485: Is a Singapore citizen, except if the father is a foreign diplomat or enemy alien and birth occurred in occupied territory. Children born overseas are Singapore citizens by descent if either parent is a citizen otherwise than by descent. For an individual born abroad to a parent who is a citizen by descent, the parent must have lived in Singapore for two of the five years preceding the child's birth. Any child eligible for citizenship by descent must have their birth registered at
726-483: Is a multilingual and multicultural society. It is home to people of many different ethnic, racial, religious, denominational, and national origins -- the majority of which are of Chinese , Malay , Indian , Arab , Eurasian , and European descent. The Singaporean identity was fostered as a way for these different groups to integrate and identify as one with the nation, while preserving the culture and traditions of each group without assimilating minority cultures into
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#1732765668333792-487: Is also automatically lost when an individual voluntarily acquires a foreign citizenship in any way other than by marriage. Singaporean children with multiple nationalities are required to choose between their Singaporean and foreign statuses before the age of 22. Dual nationals who fail to make this choice are automatically stripped of their Singapore citizenship. Former citizens cannot reacquire citizenship once it has been renounced or revoked. Citizenship may be stripped from
858-552: Is also common such as the incorporation of Taoism and Hindu traditions into Buddhism and vice versa. Citizenship of Singapore Singapore nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds Singapore nationality. The primary law governing nationality requirements is the Constitution of Singapore , which came into force on 9 August 1965. Individuals born to at least one Singapore citizen parent are typically automatically citizens at birth, regardless of where
924-400: Is also widely considered to be one of Singapore's national dish. Singapore's historical roots as a trading settlement gave rise to an influx of foreign traders, and their languages were slowly embedded in Singapore's modern day linguistic repertoire. With the influx of traders into Singapore, Bazaar Malay ( Melayu Pasar ), a creole of Malay and Chinese, emerged as the lingua franca of
990-439: Is closely linked to Islamic culture . Singaporean cuisine has been largely influenced by different cultures because of its position as an international shipping port since its founding as a British port in 1819. The main influences on Singaporean cuisine came from Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines, similar to the ethnic makeup of Singaporeans. It is believed that certain dishes that are part of Singaporean cuisine today predates
1056-489: Is granted by birth, by descent, or by registration. Although provided for in the Constitution, citizenship by naturalisation is no longer granted. The government instead uses the constitutional provision for citizenship by registration to grant citizenship to resident aliens. Singaporeans with Chinese ancestry make up 75.9%, Malays make up 15.4%, Indians make up 7.4%, and residents of other descent make up 1.6% of
1122-428: Is reflected in the architectural styles of buildings in several distinct ethnic neighbourhoods, such as Little India , Chinatown and Kampong Glam . Singlish is a local creole language that is primarily and understandably English with a local accent and smattering of words from Malay , Hokkien , Teochew , Cantonese and Tamil used by Singaporeans in an informal setting. Due to Singapore's diverse ethnic makeup,
1188-622: The Arabs , Armenians , Eurasians and Sri Lankans are classified into broader ethnic groups under the CMIO model. The Javanese are classified under the Malay ethnic group and the Peranakans are classified under the Chinese ethnic group are two examples of the classification of race and ethnicity in Singapore. Other foreign communities in the country or Singaporeans of other ethnic origins includes
1254-566: The Australians , Americans , Burmese , Canadians , Chinese , Filipinos , Japanese , Koreans , Malaysians , Nepalis , Pakistanis , Afghans , Africans , English , Italians , Irish , Greeks , and Pacific Islanders . Singaporean culture is a mix of East , South and South East Asian , Middle Eastern , African , and European cultures, with influences from the Malay , Indian , Chinese , Eurasian , and European cultures. This
1320-522: The Chola Empire in the 11th century. According to the 19th century Chinese record Investigation of Southern Pacific (南洋蠡測) (Nanyang Li Ce), it described the presence of Chinese tombs in Singapore. Words and inscriptions recording the period of Later Liang and Emperor Gong of Song were found on these tombs and this may suggest that from 907 to 1274, some Chinese had settled, lived, died and were buried in Singapore. A small Malay kingdom, known as
1386-539: The Federation of Malaya or citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who had been resident for two years, and others who had been resident for eight years were able to register or naturalise as Singapore citizen. When Singapore gained internal self-government in 1959, Singapore became an independent Commonwealth country for the purpose of British nationality law . From then on, Singaporean passports had
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#17327656683331452-595: The Gibraltarians ) found that their "Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies" had changed overnight to British Dependent Territories Citizenship , a form of British citizenship that stripped them of some of their rights, including the right to reside and work in the United Kingdom. From 2002, the dependent territories have been known officially as British Overseas Territories . Early English colonies were often proprietary colonies , usually established and administered by companies under charters granted by
1518-593: The House of Assembly of Bermuda has existed continuously since its first session in 1620, Bermuda has only had responsible government since 1968. (Bermuda became a Crown colony in 1684, when the government revoked a royal charter given to the Somers Isles Company , successor to the Virginia Company , which had previously controlled administration, including the appointment of governors. Afterwards
1584-589: The Imperial Parliament formalised a clear distinction between subjects who naturalised in the UK and those who did so in other territories. Individuals who naturalised in the UK were deemed to have received the status by imperial naturalisation, which was valid throughout the Empire. Those naturalising in colonies were said to have gone through local naturalisation and were given subject status valid only within
1650-522: The Kingdom of Singapura , was founded in 1299 by a fleeing Srivijayan prince, Sang Nila Utama , who was crowned as the Raja of the new state. After the fall of the kingdom in 1398, the island fell under the suzerainty of various regional empires and Malayan sultanates until its destruction by Portuguese raiders in 1613. Prior to the arrival of Raffles, there were about a hundred indigenous Malays living on
1716-846: The Legislative Assembly of Singapore , subject to the approval of the Parliament of Malaysia . Singapore citizenship was inseparable from Malaysian citizenship; it was not possible to have Singaporean citizenship without having Malaysian citizenship. Upon Singapore's secession from Malaysia on 9 August 1965, Malaysian citizenship was withdrawn from Singaporean citizens. The Constitution was amended in 2004 to allow female citizens and citizens by descent to transmit their citizenship to children born overseas. For this to occur, citizens by descent must satisfy certain residency requirements. Individuals born in Singapore automatically receive Singaporean citizenship at birth if at least one parent
1782-641: The Singapore Constitution prohibits discrimination based on ethnicity, race, religion, denomination, descent, and place of birth. The state thus promotes the cultural diversity of multiculturalism and multiracialism, instead of a single cultural assimilation. About 70% of Singaporeans also identify with other ethnic cultures in Singapore, notably the Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures. Major festivals including Chinese New Year , Hari Raya Puasa , Deepavali , Vesak Day , Christmas , Good Friday , Easter , and New Year's Day which are celebrated by
1848-713: The United Kingdom within the English and later British Empire . There was usually a governor to represent the Crown, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government , with or without the assistance of a local council. In some cases, this council was split into two: an executive council and a legislative council , and the executive council was similar to the Privy Council that advises
1914-418: The arrival of Raffles in 1819, some of these dishes include laksa , biryani and betel quid . However, it is unknown when these dishes arrived in Singapore, as historical records on them are largely scattered and inaccurate. A large part of Singaporean cuisine centres around the hawker culture in the country. Hawker stalls first began around mid 1800s and were largely made up of street food stalls selling
1980-493: The 1957 Ordinance, and all persons who were citizens as of 16 September 1963 by virtue of the Ordinance continued to be Singapore citizens. All Singaporean citizens became Malaysian citizens on 16 September 1963 upon Singapore's merger with Malaysia on that date. Malaysian nationality law provided that Singapore citizenship to continue to exist as a subnational citizenship. Singapore citizenship continued to be legislated by
2046-399: The 3,498,200 of the resident population (excluding persons holding Permanent Residency). To avoid physical racial segregation and formation of ethnic enclaves common in other multi-racial societies, the Singapore government implemented the "Ethnic Integration Policy" (EIP) in 1989 where each block of units are sold to families from ethnicities roughly comparable to the national average. Today,
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2112-943: The British Government – such as Hong Kong , before its transfer in 1997 to the People's Republic of China . In 2002, the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 further changed their name to British Overseas Territories . There were three types of Crown colony as of 1918, with differing degrees of autonomy: Crown colonies with representative councils , such as Bermuda , Jamaica , Ceylon and Fiji , contained two legislative chambers, consisting of Crown-appointed and locally elected members. Crown colonies with nominated councils , such as British Honduras , Sierra Leone , British Windward Islands and Hong Kong , were staffed entirely by Crown-appointed members, with some appointed representation from
2178-738: The British government appointed the Governor of Bermuda .) Despite its later usage, the term "Crown colony" was used primarily, until the mid-19th century, to refer to colonies that had been acquired through wars, such as Trinidad and Tobago . After that time it was more broadly applied to every British territory other than British India , and self-governing colonies, such as the Province of Canada , Newfoundland , British Columbia , New South Wales , Queensland , South Australia , Tasmania , Victoria , Western Australia , and New Zealand . By
2244-543: The Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others (CMIO) model is the dominant organising framework of race in Singapore. The country also celebrates Racial Harmony Day to commemorate the 1964 race riots in Singapore and to remember the consequences of racial disharmony the country experienced during the 1964 racial riots, which were a series of riots that resulted in a total of 36 deaths and 560 others suffered severe injuries. Singaporeans of other ethnicities notably
2310-475: The Malay states as foreign territory. British protected persons were treated as aliens in the United Kingdom , but both British subjects and protected persons could be issued British passports . Protected persons could not travel to the UK without first requesting permission, but were afforded the same consular protection as British subjects when travelling outside of the Empire. A person with connections both to directly governed portions of British Malaya and one of
2376-521: The Malay states could be a British subject and British protected person simultaneously. British nationality law during this time was uncodified and did not have a standard set of regulations, relying instead on past precedent and common law . Until the mid-19th century, it was unclear whether rules for naturalisation in the United Kingdom were applicable elsewhere in the Empire. Each colony had wide discretion in developing their own procedures and requirements for naturalisation up to that point. In 1847,
2442-441: The birth occurred. Birth in Singapore by itself does not make a child eligible for citizenship. Foreign nationals may become Singapore citizens after completing a residence requirement (normally 10 years) and renouncing any previous nationalities. Holding another nationality concurrently is generally disallowed and there are many paths for a Singapore citizen to lose their citizenship should they acquire another nationality. Singapore
2508-617: The centuries in some Crown colonies, more independent authority was given. All remaining British colonies, whether Crown (such as the Falkland Islands ) or self-governing (such as Bermuda ), were renamed " British Dependent Territories " from 1 January 1983 under the British Nationality Act 1981 . Many British citizens in the colonies (with the exceptions of the Falkland Islanders and subsequently
2574-559: The country for at least five of the previous six years. It may also exceptionally reduce residence requirements to 12 months, though this is targeted for foreign investors and skilled migrants who can make considerable economic contributions. Singapore citizenship can be relinquished by making a declaration of renunciation, provided that the declarant is over age 21 and already possesses another nationality. Renunciation may be denied if an applicant actively exercises Singapore citizenship rights or has outstanding military service obligations. It
2640-406: The country's diverse ethnic and cultural mix. The Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore (IRO) recognises 10 major religions being practiced in the city state. Dharmic religions have the highest number of adherents in Singapore, with 33% of the population practising Buddhism and 5% of the population practising Hinduism . Many Singaporeans are also adherents of Abrahamic religions , with 18.7% of
2706-836: The different major racial and religious groups are designated as public holidays. Former Prime Ministers of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, have stated that Singapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling it a society-in-transition, pointing out the fact that Singaporeans do not all speak the same language, share the same religion, nor have the same customs. Each Singaporean's behaviours and attitudes are influenced by, among other things, his or her home language and his religion. Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean toward Western culture and Christian culture , while those who speak Chinese as their native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism . Malay-speaking Singaporeans tend to lean toward Malay culture , which itself
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2772-533: The earlier known works of Singaporean literature in Malay was written by Abdullah Bin Abdul Kadir, a Malay scribe, with his work Cherita Kapal Asap . Some of the other earlier known Malay writers include Tuan Simi and Masuri S. N. Singaporean Malay literary works were similar to its Malaysian counterpart before the early 1970s. Many early pioneers of Singaporean literature in Malay relocated to Malaysia before Singapore became independent as they wanted to be part of
2838-651: The early to mid twentieth century, an increasingly significant number of migrant workers chose to stay permanently, with their descendants forming the bulk of Singapore's population today. In 1957, Singapore attained self-governance and Singaporean citizenship was granted to selected residents who were born in Singapore or the Federation of Malaya , British citizens who had been resident for two years, and others who had been resident for ten years. On September 16, 1963, all Singaporeans effectively became Malaysian citizens as Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak were merged to form Malaysia. However, about two years after
2904-664: The governor, overseen by the Colonial Office and the Board of Trade and Plantations . The Colonial Office gave way to the Dominion Office for some of these territories in 1925. Elected lower houses had their beginnings in the House of Burgesses of the Colony of Virginia in 1619 and the House of Assembly of the Parliament of Bermuda in 1620. While initially limited in government even with an elected lower house, over
2970-418: The introduction of Singapore's bilingual language education policy Singapore English , however, remains the de facto lingua franca spoken by Singaporeans today. It is the main language of instruction in all school subjects except for Mother Tongue lessons and also the common language of administration, law and business. In 2009, more than 20 languages were identified as being spoken in Singapore, reflecting
3036-744: The island date back to the 2nd century, where the island was identified as a trading port which was part of a chain of similar trading centres that linked Southeast Asia with the Tamil Indians and the Mediterranean . The earliest settlers of the island were known as the Orang Laut , and the island was an outpost of the Srivijaya Empire until it was invaded by the Tamil Emperor Rajendra Chola I of
3102-548: The island under the Johor Sultanate . Most of the indigenous Malays came from the Malay Archipelago . There were an estimated 150 people living on the island, who were predominantly Orang Laut with small population of 120 Malays who were the followers of Temenggong Abdul Rahman, and about 20–30 Chinese. The majority of Singaporeans today are descendants of immigrants who settled on the island when Singapore
3168-414: The island, which was the language of trade in the Malay Archipelago . However, under the British colonial government, English gained prestige as the language of administration, law and business in Singapore, and eventually displaced Bazar Malay as the bridging language among the population. As government administration increased, infrastructure and commerce developed, and access to education further catalysed
3234-533: The larger Malay community in Malaysia due to the common language in writing. By the 1970s, due to the difference in governance between Singapore and Malaysia, literary works in Malay between the 2 countries became more distinguishable, with Singapore literature in Malay revolving around the themes of freedom, authenticity, and criticality. Singapore is the world's most religiously diverse nation, with Singaporeans following various religious beliefs and practices due to
3300-522: The local population. Hong Kong had a representative council following the introduction of election for the Hong Kong Legislative Council in 1995. Crown colonies ruled directly by a governor , such as Basutoland , Gibraltar , Saint Helena and Singapore , were fewest in number and had the least autonomy. The "from" column lists the year the colony began to be administered by the Crown. These colonies may have existed under
3366-418: The merger, Singapore seceded from Malaysia on August 9, 1965, and Malaysian citizenship was withdrawn from Singaporean citizens. Singaporean nationality law was incorporated into the new Constitution of Singapore . The constitution repealed the 1957 Ordinance, and all persons who were citizens as of 16 September 1963 by virtue of the Ordinance continued to be Singaporean citizens. Today, Singaporean citizenship
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#17327656683333432-587: The mid-19th century, the monarch was appointing colonial governors only on the advice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies . The term Crown colony continued to be used until 1981, when the British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified the remaining British colonies as "British Dependent Territories". By this time, the term "Crown colony" referred specifically to colonies lacking substantial autonomy, which were administered by an executive governor, appointed by
3498-468: The monarch. Members of executive councils were appointed by the governors, and British citizens resident in Crown colonies either had no representation in local government, or limited representation in a lower house . In several Crown colonies, this limited representation grew over time. As the House of Commons of the British Parliament has never included seats for any of the colonies, there
3564-440: The monarch. The first "royal colony" was the Colony of Virginia , after 1624, when the Crown of the Kingdom of England revoked the royal charter it had granted to the Virginia Company and assumed control of the administration. Executive crown governors are sometimes complemented by a locally appointed and/or elected legislature with limited powers – that is, such territories lack responsible government . For example, while
3630-434: The overwhelming majority of the population since the 19th century. The Singaporean diaspora is also far-reaching worldwide. In 1819, the port of Singapore was established by Sir Stamford Raffles , who opened it to free trade and free immigration on the island's south coast. Many immigrants from the region settled in Singapore. By 1827, the population of the island was composed of people from various ethnic groups². Singapore
3696-454: The population identifying as Christian , and 14% identifying as Muslim . Other prominent faiths practised by Singaporeans include Taoism (10%), Chinese folk religion , and other Dharmic religions like Sikhism and Jainism . A small percentage of Singapore's population practices Zoroastrianism and Judaism . 18.5% not identifying with any religion and 0.9% of Singaporeans identify as atheist . In addition, practice of hybrid religions
3762-689: The relevant territory; a subject who locally naturalised in the Straits Settlements was a British subject there, but not in Bengal or New South Wales . When travelling outside of the Empire, British subjects who were locally naturalised in a colony were still entitled to imperial protection. Singapore citizenship was first granted in 1957. Singapore Citizenship Ordinance 1957 which commenced on 1 November 1957 provided Singapore citizenship to all people who were born in Singapore (except children of diplomats and enemy aliens). People who were born in
3828-543: The spread of English among Singaporeans. Today, Singapore has four official languages, English , Malay , Mandarin , and Tamil . Malay is the ceremonial national language of the country and is the home language to 13% of the population. Although most of the younger generation of non-Malay people are non-proficient in the Malay language, Malay is used in the national anthem of Singapore and also in citations for Singapore orders and decorations and military parade drill commands. Almost all Singaporeans are bilingual since
3894-400: The state, aiding an enemy nation with which Singapore is at war, serving in any capacity for a foreign government, being sentenced to incarceration for longer than 12 months in any jurisdiction or fined US$ 5,000 for any offence within five years of acquiring citizenship. British colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony governed by England , and then Great Britain or
3960-484: The unusual nationality status of "British subject: citizen of the State of Singapore" instead of the usual "British subject: citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies". There are treaties signed by the United Kingdom during this period specifically mention this unusual nationality status. In 1963, Singaporean nationality law was incorporated into the new Constitution of the State of Singapore. The constitution repealed
4026-487: Was a natural-born British subject. In the rest of British Malaya outside of the Straits Settlements, local Malay rulers were given limited autonomy in exchange for accepting British suzerainty. Subjects of the rulers in the Federated Malay States and Unfederated Malay States were considered British protected persons . Although Britain held jurisdiction in all of British Malaya, domestic law treated
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#17327656683334092-600: Was briefly a constituent part of Malaysia and local residents were Malaysian citizens from 1963 to 1965. Prior to this, Singapore was a colony of the British Empire and municipal citizens were British subjects . Although the country gained independence in 1965 and Singaporeans no longer hold Malaysian nor British nationality, they continue to hold favoured status in the United Kingdom ; as Commonwealth citizens , Singapore citizens are eligible to vote in UK elections and serve in public office there. Modern Singapore
4158-739: Was first started by the Peranakan community in colonial Singapore during the 1830s. Singaporean English literature first gained notability in 1937, with a poetry known as F.M.S.R. A Poem , written by Teo Poh Leng and was followed by Wang Gungwu 's work, Pulse, in the 1950. By 1965 when Singapore became an independent nation, authors such as Edwin Thumboo , Arthur Yap , Robert Yeo , Goh Poh Seng , Lee Tzu Pheng , Chandran Nair and Kirpal Singh were mostly focusing on poetry, which makes up most published works of Singapore writing in English. Singaporean literature in Malay can be traced back to 1841. One of
4224-579: Was founded in 1819 and soon after merged with Penang and Malacca to form the Straits Settlements in 1826. After their incorporation as Crown dominions in 1858, British nationality law applied to the Straits Settlements, as was the case elsewhere in the British Empire . Singaporeans and all other imperial citizens were British subjects ; any person born in Singapore, the United Kingdom , or anywhere else within Crown dominions
4290-543: Was founded as a British trading port by Raffles in 1819, except for the Malays who are indigenous to the region of Malaya. At that time, Raffles decided Singapore would be a free port and as news of the free port spread across the archipelago, Bugis , Javanese , Peranakan Chinese , South Asian and Hadhrami Arab traders flocked to the island, due to the Dutch trading restrictions. After six months of Singapore's founding as
4356-506: Was no direct representation in the sovereign government for British subjects or citizens residing in Crown colonies. The administration of Crown colonies changed over time and in the 1800s some became, with a loosening of the power of royal governors, self-governing colonies , within which the sovereign state (the UK Government) delegated legislation for most local internal matters of governance to elected assemblies, with consent of
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