Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Preface and acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and conventions
- Geographical definitions
- Introduction
- Part One Themes and beginnings
- Part Two Development as a staple port, 1900–1939
- Part Three Staple port and rapid growth, 1947–1990
- 12 Conclusion
- Appendix tables
- Bibliography
- Index
Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Preface and acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and conventions
- Geographical definitions
- Introduction
- Part One Themes and beginnings
- Part Two Development as a staple port, 1900–1939
- Part Three Staple port and rapid growth, 1947–1990
- 12 Conclusion
- Appendix tables
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Singapore is an economic development success story. With three million people, the island ranked in 1990 as the world's eighteenth largest exporter of merchandise, and thirteenth in commercial service exports; merchandise exports were three times those of the whole of India. Singapore's population was one quarter of 1% of China's, but its GNP 9·5%. By the 1990s few commercial decisions relating to Southeast Asia could be taken without reference to Singapore; almost any multinational enterprise, whether in manufacturing or services, planning to expand outside North America, Western Europe or Japan would naturally consider it as a location.
Economic development in Singapore is not new. Rapid late nineteenth century growth had produced a large, modern city on the island by 1900. In 1939, and even more in 1959, when British colonial rule effectively ended, Singapore was a metropolis. Throughout the twentieth century, it has flourished as easily Southeast Asia's most important commercial, transportation and communications centre, and from at least World War I onwards played a global economic role. During the 1950s Singapore already had high per capita income than almost anywhere else in Asia. Post-independence economic development in Singapore therefore began from a strong foundation and with very substantial advantages.
The present book takes this longer-term view of Singapore's economic growth. It concentrates on economic development during the first four decades of the twentieth century, but also links the pre- and post-World War II periods.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Economic Growth of SingaporeTrade and Development in the Twentieth Century, pp. 1 - 4Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1994