【正文】
as a Br it ish tr ading colony i n t he 180039。s. The popul at i on i s a m i x of Mal ays, Chi nese and I ndi ans wi t h a sm at t er i ng of ot her et hni c nat i onal i t i es. Ther e ar e f our of f i ci al l anguages i n Si ngapor e Mandar i n, Tam i l , Mal ay and Engl i sh. The Chi nese et hni c popul at i on i s or i gi nal l y f r om Sout h east Chi na f r om t he pr ovi nces of Fuki an and Guangdong. I m m i gr ant s f r om t he Mal aysi an peni nsul a, Sum at r a, Java and ot her i sl an ds of t he Mal ay Ar chi pel ago have t hr onged t he st at e. About t wo t hi r ds of t he: Si ngapor e m ay be sm al, but packs i n qui t e a punch. Only about 655 square kil omet er s in ar ea, it i s one of t he m ost densel y popul ated cit ies i n the wor l d, wit h about 6430 peopl e per square ki lomet er. Al t hough it i s one of t he 20 smal est count ri es in t he worl d, i ts econom y is a worl d leader , and has t he worl d39。s busi est port i n ter ms of tonnage handled. Today t he f i nancial and technologi cal hub of Sout h East Asia, Singapore was once a sleepy Malay f ishing vi l age, which came i nt o i ts own as a Br i tish t rading colony i n t he 180039。s. The populat ion i s a mi x of Malays, Chi nese and I ndi ans wi t h a smat er ing of other ethnic nat ional it ies. Ther e ar e f our of fi ci al languages in Si ngapore Mandar in, Tam il , Malay and Engli sh. The Chinese et hnic popul ati on is or iginal y f rom Sout heast Chi na fr om t he provinces of Fukian and Guangdong. Im mi gr ant s f rom the Mal aysian peninsula, Sum at ra, Java and ot her i sl ands of the Malay