On 6 February 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles formally established Singapore as a British trading port, recognising its strategic significance at the crossroads of vital maritime routes between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.
Negotiating a treaty with the local Malay rulers, Raffles secured British influence over the island, transforming it from a modest fishing village into a bustling free port that would soon attract merchants, migrants, and fortune-seekers from across Asia and beyond.
This pivotal event laid the foundation for Singapore’s meteoric rise as a global hub of commerce, shaping its destiny as a thriving cosmopolitan city-state.
