This panoramic photograph of Singapore was taken by James Blakeway. It features a twilight view of the downtown Singapore city center and the Singapore River. The bridge at the left is the Esplanade Bridge. To the right of the Esplanade Bridge is the Merlion, a half-fish, half-lion sculpture that guards the mouth of the Singapore River. Singapore is the largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the busiest in the world. It owes its success to its location between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Once a British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth, Singapore become an independent state in 1965.