Located off the southern coast of mainland Singapore, Pulau Blakang Mati (Island Behind Death) was initially the site of a fishing village. Starting from the 1880s, the island was an important British military base with a number of forts built on it to protect the southern shipping lanes. The most notable of these forts was Fort Siloso, which has been preserved as a tourist attraction. The island was renamed Sentosa (Isle of Tranquillity) in 1970 and was subsequently developed into a recreation resort.Situated between mainland Singapore and Pulau Blakang Mati, Pulau Brani (Island of the Brave) was first the site of several Malay villages. Starting from the mid 19th century, ship repair facilities and coal depots were established on the island. In 1890, the Straits Trading Company established a tin-smelting operation on the island. In the late 1960s, the island was cleared to make way for the Brani Naval Base, which was officially opened in 1974. A causeway linking the island to the mainland was constructed in 1991, and the Brani Container Terminal was opened a year later. The naval base was closed down in 2002 and the southern tip of the island became home to the Police Coast Guard Headquarters in 2006.
