It's getting trickier for Singapore to expand with more sand bans

(Oct 31): In Singapore, sand is just as precious a resource as oil and water. Securing a steady supply is proving to be trickier these days.

By filling the sea along its coasts with imported sand, the tiny island nation has expanded its physical size by about 24% since 1960, according to data from the Singapore Land Authority.

At just 278 square miles, the country is smaller in size than New York City. Yet some of Singapore’s key assets — like its shipping port, one of the world’s busiest, and the airport, which is rated among the world’s best — currently sit on land that didn't previously exist. Same goes for many of the new skyscrapers that make up the iconic skyline of the city, like the Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino.

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