Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea have transformed themselves from disadvantaged villages into rapidly growing countries and have earned the title of “Asian Tigers”. The rapid success of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea became popularly known as the Asian Tigers. They have been able to transform their poor economy into one of the fastest growing countries in the world. They provided training and education to workers and focused on exports. The Asian Tigers also promoted property rights that would preserve the interests of agricultural workers. These improvements have helped Hong Kong and Singapore become the world's leading international financial centers. South Korea and Taiwan have become world leaders in technology. The economic success of the Asian Tiger soon became a model for other Southeast Asian countries. Hong Kong managed to recover quickly after years of the Opium Wars, Japanese invasion, and British control. A large group of refugees from central China fled to Hong Kong to avoid the communist parties. They thought Hong Kong was a richer land, full of freedom and opportunity. The growing population has helped Hong Kong's economy flourish. During this period many new industries needed cheap labor and took advantage of the growing population. As time passed, Hong Kong's industries began to expand and trade increased greatly with the help of a free port. It is one of the world's most important financial centers with foreign banks and a very active stock market. Taiwan, an island that was once ruled by China and Japan, has made tremendous improvements in its economy. China ruled Taiwan for centuries until the Japanese took control in 1895. They modernized Taiwan by building industries and improving public education. After Wo...... middle of paper ......the largest shipbuilder and fifth largest automobile manufacturer in the world. South Korea has one of the best public transportation systems in the world today. The Asian Tigers have maintained a rapid economy and high industrialization. Taiwan's large quantities of food have helped it become one of the world's leading exporters. Locations in Singapore and Hong Kong are perfect locations for shopping malls. Singapore was located right next to a major trade route, and Hong Kong served as a portal between Chinese and European trade. Of the four Asian tigers, South Korea entered the G-20 major economies and was a high-income member of the OECD. The four major tycoons have become advanced high-income economies and have brought changes to the current financial markets. Today they are still known as one of the fastest growing developed countries.