At present, Pulau Tekong houses the Singapore Armed Forces Basic Military Training Centre while Pulau Ubin is one of the last areas in Singapore that has been preserved from urban development, concrete buildings and tarmac roads.

[3][4] The North-Eastern Islands planning area shares maritime boundaries with Changi, Pasir Ris and Punggol.

[7] With a student population that once numbered 400, enrolment fell as Singapore developed and many islanders resettled onto the mainland.

The numerous granite quarries on the island supply the local construction industry.

These features are captured in John Turnbull Thomson's 1850 painting — Grooved stones on Pulo Ubin near Singapore.