The Republic of Singapore is a city-state in Southeast Asia, situated on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of the Indonesian Riau Islands. The name Singapore was derived from the Malay word singa (lion). Singapore was originally a small Malay settlement until 1819, when the British started a trading post that developed into an important commercial and military imperial base. #singapore #asia #malaysian #lion #settlement  

Rotterdam is one of the few thoroughly modern cities in Holland, offering adventuresome modern architecture and delightful culture. The city centre, apart from the City Hall, was almost completely destroyed by bombing in World War II, so had to be gradually rebuilt from the 1950s on. #rotterdam #netherlands #architecture #modern #culture