Singapore explained to kids

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, with Indonesia's Riau Islands to the south and Peninsular Malaysia to the north. Singapore's territory consists of one main island along with 62 other islets. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased its size by 23%. The country is known for its transition from a developing to a developed country in a single generation under the leadership of its founder Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore is a global commerce, finance and transport hub. Its standings include: the most "technology-ready" nation (WEF), top International-meetings city (UIA), city with "best investment potential" (BERI), world's smartest city, world's safest country, second-most competitive country, third-largest foreign exchange market, third-largest financial centre, third-largest oil refining and trading centre and the second-busiest container port. The country has also been identified as a tax haven. Singapore is the only country in Asia with an AAA credit rating from all major rating agencies, and one of 11 worldwide. Etymologically, the word "Singapore" is derived from Malay Singapura, which means "Lion City". However, it is uncertain whether the lion referred to is a Malayan lion or a Siamese lion. In 1299, according to the Malay Annals, the Kingdom of Singapura was founded on the island by Sang Nila Utama. Although the historicity of the event is disputed, the Singapore Stone—found on the island in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles—still features an inscription of a lion.