Sentosa - Key Tourist Spot in Singapore

Are you coming to Singapore for a holiday?

Let me introduce to you Sentosa island which is a key tourist attraction in Singapore.

Sentosa was once called Pulau Belakang Mati. In Malay it means "Island of Death from Behind". Historically, Sentosa is an important military spot. It was fortified to protect the harbor and coal attack.

During World War II, Sentosa was used as a British Military Fortress. Following the surrrender of the Allied Force on 15.2.1942, the island became a prison of war camp for Australian and British prisoners of Japanese.

Geographically, Sentosa island together with a neighbour island, Pulau Brani naturally form a protection from the monsoon and rough sea which make the seawater an excellent harbor i.e. Keppel Harbour. Singapore Keppel Harbour now is one of the busiest harbour in the world.

In 1970, the Singapore Government decided to develop the island into a holiday resorts for local visitors as well as tourists. In a contest organized by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, the island was renamed "Sentosa" meaning in Malay "Peace and tranquility".

Since then, some S$420 milllion of private capitals and another S$500 million of Government funds have been invested to develop the island.

This article is written by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com/ which provides handy map of singapore, map of Batam & Bintan, map of Johor & Johor Bahru and an ebook.