Pedra Branca, Singapore

About

Pedra Branca (European [ˈpɛðɾɐ ˈɾɐ̃kɐ]), also known as Batu Putih (Malay: [batu puteh]), is an outlying island and the easternmost point of Singapore. The name of the island, which is Portuguese for "white rock", refers to whitish guano deposited on the rock. The island consists of a small outcrop of granite rocks with an area of about 8,560 square metres (0.00856 km2) at low tide. During the low water spring tide it measures, at its longest, 137 metres (449 ft) and has an average width of 60 metres (200 ft). Pedra Branca is situated where the Singapore Strait meets the South China Sea, and so is considered a maritime landmark of the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait. There are two maritime features near Pedra Branca. Middle Rocks, under the sovereignty of Malaysia, consists of two clusters of small rocks about 250 metres (820 ft) apart situated 0.6 nautical miles (1.1 km, 0.7 mi) south of Pedra Branca. South Ledge, which is 2.2 nautical miles (4.1 km, 2.5 mi) to the south-south-west of Pedra Branca, is a rock formation visible only at low-tide. Pedra Branca was known to sailors for centuries. It was originally within the territory of the Johor Sultanate, which was founded in 1528, and remained under the new Sultanate of Johor while under the British sphere of influence following the signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 between the United Kingdom and th

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.