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Jurong A Singapore story

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  1. Earthshots
  2. Singapore
  3. Jurong
Description

The symbol of the new Singapore may be on the island’s west end, the industrial New Town of Jurong. In 1962, the government began clearing the jungle and building docks by digging into the shore and by extending new land out into the sea. In the 1973 image, you can see cleared and filled expanses still lying bare and bright. By 1990, you can see Jurong’s streets and plantings filling in as it spreads inland. There are obvious land extensions, and the harbor is now busy with ships.

Much of Jurong’s shipping has been oil; by the 1990s, only the Gulf Coast and Rotterdam refined more. By the late 1960s, several plants were operating along the shore, and by 1973 you can see several more on the small islands offshore, squeezing out their forests and little fishing villages. By 1990, the islands are filled, and the oil companies have begun extending them. By 2000, the islands are gone, replaced by one large “chemical island” called Jurong Island, with its own new causeway to the mainland. Further development of Jurong Island is evident in the 2009 image.

Altogether, the government planned to increase Singapore’s area by 25 percent between independence and “Year X.” Year X was commonly interpreted as 2030, but many developments have pushed ahead of schedule. It appears that this extraordinary nation’s future, like its newest land, is far from settled.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

Oct. 17, 1973, Landsat 1 (path/row 134/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Oct. 17, 1973, Landsat 1 (path/row 134/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Sept. 13, 1989, Landsat 5 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Sept. 13, 1989, Landsat 5 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Sept. 3, 2000, Landsat 7 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Sept. 3, 2000, Landsat 7 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Oct. 11, 2002, Landsat 7 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Oct. 11, 2002, Landsat 7 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Feb. 8, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Feb. 8, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

May 24, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

May 24, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Oct. 17, 1973, Landsat 1 (path/row 134/59) — Jurong, Singapore
Sept. 13, 1989, Landsat 5 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore
Sept. 3, 2000, Landsat 7 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore
Oct. 11, 2002, Landsat 7 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore
Feb. 8, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore
May 24, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 125/59) — Jurong, Singapore

Singapore Additional Imagery & Stories

Changi Airport
Changi Airport

The new shoreline extends east of the city all the way to the airport on the island’s tip. In the mid-1970s, the government moved the main internation...

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The Island Changes
The Island Changes

Landsats 1 through 8 recorded these post-independence changes, starting with the city’s growth. For one and a half centuries, Singapore remained tight...

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The Island Expands
The Island Expands

The British started the expansion of Singapore within days of landing in 1819. The expansion was begun by moving soil into small areas around the old ...

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