Data from the Singapore Land Authority showed that Singapore had grown to 724.2 square kilometres in 2018 as compared to its land size of 581.5 square kilometres in 1959 — a 24 per cent increase. While it could be said that political foresight and determination led to the physical expansion of Singapore by 25 per cent, one could also argue that it could never have happened without the incredible amounts of sand that were imported over 50 years.