Wider Image: Singapore - 50 Years Of Independence
People wait for fireworks during a Golden Jubilee National Day Parade rehearsal along the Marina Bay overlooking the skyline of the central business district in Singapore July 25, 2015. Singapore holds a Jubilee weekend from 7 to 10 August to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its independence. Fifty years ago, hundreds of small boats lined the Singapore river in the city centre. Today, most small boats are gone, except a handful of neon-lit tourist ferries. Maritime trade is still the backbone of the city-state but after decades of rapid growth Singapore, which at less than half the size of London is among the world’s most densely populated nations, is also a popular tourist destination and a thriving global financial hub. REUTERS/Edgar Su