Singapore

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Did you know that Singapore may be called a Lion city but it may have actually been inspired by a tiger?

According to visitsingapore.com, the Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion’s head and a fish's tail. The Merlion was partly inspired by the city’s Sanskrit name, Singapura, which means ‘lion city’. This Sanskrit name is thought to have been given by a Sumatran prince Sang Nila Utama, who ruled Temasek, a settlement on the Singapura island during the early 14th century. While hunting for animals, the prince spotted a strange creature moving quickly, which was identified as a lion by his advisors. However, there were no records of lions native to Singapore. It might have been a tiger that he saw, for tigers used to be found in the wild in Singapore, up until the 1930s.

To know more about Singapore, Visit Singapore compiled a list of 10 amazing things you never knew about Singapore. http://www.visitsingapore.com/editorials/amazing-things-you-never-knew-about-singapore/​

Enjoy!