Port of Singapore

Port of Singapore Pelabuhan Singapura 新加坡港口 (Xīnjiāpō Gǎngkǒu) சிங்கப்பூர் துறைமுகம் (Ciṅkappūr Tuṟaimukam)
Ships lying at anchor outside the Port of Singapore
Facility information
Location	Singapore
Coordinates	1°15′50″N 103°50′24″E / 1.264°N 103.840°E / 1.264; 103.840
Constructed	1819
Annual TEU	32.2 million (2013)
Shipping information
No. of berths	67
Road information
Street access	Ayer Rajah Expressway

The Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in harbours and which handle Singapore's shipping. Currently the world's second-busiest port in terms of total shipping tonnage, it also trans-ships a fifth of the world's shipping containers, half of the world's annual supply of crude oil, and is the world's busiest transshipment port. It was also the busiest port in terms of total cargo tonnage handled until 2005, when it was surpassed by the Port of Shanghai. Thousands of ships drop anchor in the harbour, connecting the port to over 600 other ports in 123 countries and spread over six continents.

The Port of Singapore is not a mere economic boon, but an economic necessity because Singapore is lacking in land and natural resources. The Port is critical for importing natural resources, and then later re-exporting products after they have been refined and shaped in some manner, for example wafer fabrication or oil refining to generate revenue. The service industries such as hospitality services typical of a restock the food and water supplies on ships. Ships pass between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean through the Singapore Strait. The Straits of Johor on the country's north are impassable for ships due to the Johor-Singapore Causeway, built in 1923, which links the city of Woodlands, Singapore to Johor Bahru in Malaysia.

In the late 13th century, a Kingdom known as Singapura was established on the north bank of the Singapore River around what was called the Old Harbour. It was the only port in the southern part of the Strait of Malacca and serviced ships and traders in the region, competing with other ports along the coast of the Malacca Strait such as Jambi, Kota Cina, Lambri, Semudra, Palembang, South Kedah and Tamiang. The port had two functions. First, it made available products that were in demand by international markets; according to the Daoyu Zhilüe (Brief Annals of Foreign Islands, 1349) by Chinese trader Wang Dayuan (born 1311, fl. 1328–1339), these included top-quality hornbill casques,lakawood and cotton. Although these goods were also available from other Southeast Asian ports, those from Singapore were unique in terms of their quality. Secondly, Singapore acted as a gateway into the regional and international economic system for its immediate region. South Johor and the Riau Archipelago supplied products to Singapore for export elsewhere, while Singapore was the main source of foreign products to the region. Archaeological artefacts such as ceramics and glassware found in the Riau Archipelago evidence this. In addition, cotton was transshipped from Java or India through Singapore.