Singaporeans
| Orang Singapura (Malay) 新加坡人 (Chinese) சிங்கப்பூரரும் (Tamil) |
|
|---|---|
|
|
| Total population | |
|
c. 3.6 million Chinese · Indians · Malays |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Singapore 3,343,000
|
|
 Australia (main article) |
63,077 |
 Malaysia
|
42,474 |
 United Kingdom (main article) |
41,143 |
 United States (main article) |
37,106 |
 China
|
21,952 |
 Indonesia
|
19,681 |
 Canada (main article) |
11,731 |
 New Zealand
|
5,370 |
 India (main article) |
4,308 |
 Netherlands
|
3,382 |
 Thailand
|
2,962 |
 Japan
|
2,796 |
 France
|
2,395 |
 Brunei
|
2,285 |
 Switzerland
|
1,838 |
| Languages | |
|
|
| Religion | |
|
Buddhism · Islam · Hinduism · Christianity
|
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Malaysians · Bruneians · Indonesians | |
Buddhism · Islam · Hinduism · Christianity
Singaporeans or Singaporean people are citizens of the city-state of Singapore – a multi-racial and multi-cultural country with ethnic Chinese, Indians, and indigenous Malays historically making up the majority of the population. The vast majority of Singaporeans descend from the people of China, India, and the Malay Archipelago.
In 1819, the port of Singapore was established by Sir Stamford Raffles, who opened the port to free trade and free immigration on the south coast of the island. Many immigrants from the region settled in Singapore. By 1827, the population of the island was composed of people from various ethnic groups.
According to the 2006 AsiaBarometer survey, a majority of Singaporeans identify themselves as "Singaporean", while a small percentage prefer to identify with their racial group. Currently, the population of Singaporeans stands at 3,343,000 and the population of overseas Singaporeans stands at 212,000.
The earliest records of settlement on the island dates 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 India and the Mediterranean. The earliest settlers of the island were known as the Orang Lauts, and the island was an outpost of the Srivijaya Empire until it was invaded by the Tamil Emperor Rajendra Chola I of the Chola Empire in the 11th century. A small Malay kingdom, known as 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.
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Wikipedia