The Little City-State That Could
In Singapore's 46 years of independence, Lee Kuan Yew has proven that it's not the size of your territory that counts. It's how you use it.
MAY 24, 2011
After more than 50 years of public service, Lee Kuan Yew -- former "minister mentor" and prime minister of Singapore -- announced his retirement from politics two weeks ago. During his years in government, he transformed the sleepy tropical trading outpost into a first-world economic tiger.
Above, a view from the Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel overlooking the city skyline.
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Singapore has been one of the world's most prominent postcolonial success stories. In 2010, Singapore had the fastest-growing economy in the world. Above, the Marina Sands casino complex.
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Singapore has a long history as a British colonial trading outpost, and is still an important hub of global commerce. The World Bank ranks Singapore as the world's top logistics hub. Above, the Keppel container terminal port, one of the world's largest.
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Singapore has one of the world's lowest fertility rates, with only 1.1 children per woman, but the country encourages immigration in order to keep the population from declining.
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Singapore's system of law was inherited from English and British-Indian legislation, but it has departed significantly from that tradition since gaining independence: Residents of Singapore, for example, do not have freedom of assembly for political purposes. But they can fly kites.
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A view from above the Singapore ArtScience Museum, designed by renowned Israeli architect Moshe Safdie. Tourism is a major part of Singapore's economy, with over 10 million visitors in 2010.
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Above, new high-rise apartment buildings add to the skyline of central Singapore. Former workers make up 80 percent of the construction industry and up to 50 percent of the service industry in Singapore.
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A man walks past Singapore's Parliament building. Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party has won every parliamentary election since 1959, including the one held in early May of this year, though its results were muted compared to earlier elections.
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Voters turned out in record numbers to participate in this year's parliamentary election, the eleventh since Singapore gained independence. Above, supporters of the Workers Party cheer while waiting to hear that their party made significant gains against the ruling PAP party.
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Approximately three-quarters of the population of Singapore are of Chinese descent, 13 percent are of Malay descent, while 10 percent are of Indian ethnicity. Above, a young Singaporean boy holds a milk pot on his head before taking part in a Hindu ceremony.
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A devotee of Hinduism has his forehead pierced prior to taking part in a Hindu procession in Singapore.
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Fireworks light up the Singapore skyline at midnight during the River Hongbao Festival celebrating Chinese New Year on Feb. 2, 2011.
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A Singapore marketplace sells decorations in the run-up to Chinese New Year.
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Cars practice for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the racetrack in front of the Singapore Flyer ferris wheel.
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Singapore has only 2 percent unemployment, and the lowest poverty levels in the region. Above, Singapore's Vivo shopping mall.
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The Singapore skyline at night.
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