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Brunei
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| بروني دارالسلام
Negara Brunei Darussalam
State of Brunei, Abode of Peace |
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| Motto: "Always in service with God's guidance" (translation) | ||||||
| Anthem: Allah Peliharakan Sultan God Bless the Sultan |
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| Capital (and largest city) |
Bandar Seri Begawan |
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| Official languages | Malay | |||||
| Demonym | Bruneian | |||||
| Government | ||||||
| - | Sultan | Hassanal Bolkiah | ||||
| Independence | ||||||
| - | End of British protectorate |
January 1, 1984 |
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| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 5,765 km² (170th) 2,226 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | 8.6 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | November 2007 estimate | 391,450 (177th) | ||||
| - | 2001 census | 332,844 | ||||
| - | Density | 65/km² (127th) 168/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $9.009 billion (138th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $24,826 (26th) | ||||
| HDI (2004) |  0.871 (high) (34th) |
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| Currency | Brunei dollar (BND) |
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| Time zone | (UTC+8) | |||||
| Internet TLD | .bn | |||||
| Calling code | +6731 | |||||
| 1 | Also 080 from East Malaysia. | |||||
Brunei Darussalam, (pronounced /bruːˈnaɪ/ in English) officially the State of Brunei, Abode of Peace (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: برني دارالسلام ), is a country located on the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, Malaysia. Brunei, the remnant of a very powerful sultanate, regained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984.
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The Sultanate of Brunei was very powerful from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century AD. Its realm covered the whole island of Borneo and the southwestern Philippines. European influence gradually brought an end to this regional power. Later, there was a brief war with Spain, in which Brunei was victorious. The decline of the Bruneian Empire culminated in the nineteenth century when Brunei lost much of its territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, resulting in its current small landmass and separation into two parts. Brunei was a British protectorate from 1888 to 1984.
There was a small rebellion against the monarchy during the 1960s, which was suppressed by the United Kingdom. This event became known as the Brunei Revolt and was partly responsible for the failure to create the North Borneo Federation. The rebellion also affected Brunei's decision to opt out of the Malaysian Federation and was the first stage of the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, whose title has passed within the same dynasty since the fifteenth century, is the head of state and head of government in Brunei. The Sultan is advised by several councils and a cabinet of ministers although he is effectively the supreme ruler. The media is extremely pro-government and the Royal family retains a venerated status within the country. There is no elected legislative body. In September 2004, the Sultan convened an appointed Parliament which had not met since independence in 1984, although it lacks any capacity beyond advising the monarch.
The country has been under an Internal Security Act since a rebellion in the early 1960s was put down by British troops from Singapore. Arrests under the internal security act are still commonplace.[1]
Brunei has been given "Not Free" status by Freedom House; press criticism of the government and monarchy is rare.[2]
Brunei claims territory in Sarawak, such as Limbang, and it is one of many nations to lay claim to the disputed Spratly Islands. Several small islands situated between Brunei and Labuan, including Kuraman island, are contested between Brunei and Malaysia. However, they are internationally recognised as part of the latter.
Brunei is divided into four districts (daerah):
The districts are subdivided into thirty-eight mukims.
Brunei consists of two unconnected parts. 97% of the population lives in the larger western part, while only about 10,000 live in the mountainous eastern part (the district of Temburong). The total population of Brunei is 383,000, of which around 46,000 live in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. Some major towns are the capital Bandar Seri Begawan, the port town Muara, the oil producing town of Seria and its neighboring town, Kuala Belait. In the Belait district, the Panaga area is home to large numbers of expatriates due to Royal Dutch Shell and British Army housing and recreational facilities. The well-known Panaga Club is situated here.
The climate in Brunei is equatorial tropical, with high temperatures, high humidity, sunshine and heavy rainfall throughout the year.
This small, wealthy economy is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of its GDP. Substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Stated plans for the future include upgrading the labour force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourism sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base. The national airline, Royal Brunei is trying to make Brunei a hub for international travel between Europe and Australia/New Zealand. It also has services to major Asian destinations.
Brunei is accessible via sea and land travel. The main highway running across Brunei is the Pan Borneo Highway, which is a joint project with Malaysia. Besides the Pan Borneo Highway, Brunei can be accessed by air through Brunei International Airport. Royal Brunei is the main airline company in Brunei.
Brunei has several sea ports, mainly to export its petroleum products, as well as for import/export purposes.
- See also: Islam in Brunei and Buddhism in Brunei
About two-thirds of the Brunei population are of Malay origin and have long dominated the nation's economy. The official languages of the nation are Malay (Malay: Bahasa Melayu) and English, although an important minority speak Chinese. English is also widely spoken and there is a relatively large expatriate community with significant numbers of British and Australian citizens.
Islam is the official religion of Brunei, and the sultan is the head of the religion in the country. Other faiths practised are Buddhism (mainly by the Chinese), Christianity, and primarily in isolated and very small communities, indigenous religions.
The culture of Brunei is predominantly Malay, with heavy influences from Hinduism and Islam, but is seen as more conservative than Malaysia.[3]
The culture is also influenced by the demographics of the country: two-thirds of the population are Malay, and the remainder consists of Chinese, Indians and indigenous Malays such as Dayaks, Dusuns and Kedazans.
Brunei also has a large number of foreign workers, including Indonesian and Filipino domestic workers, labourers from Thailand, Indonesia and the Indian Subcontinent (particularly India and Bangladesh), and Western professionals working in industry and education.
The sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned. Foreigners and non-Muslims are allowed to bring in twelve cans of beer and two litres of other alcohol (e.g. wine or spirits, no distinction is made for alcohol content). This limit used to apply to every entry, in 2007 however this was changed to 1 limit every 48 hours. After the introduction of prohibition in the early 1990s, all pubs and nightclubs were forced to close, however several types of restaurants allegedly still offer illicit alcohol sometimes served in teapots.
Anthony Burgess's novel Devil of a State is set in Brunei. The construction of Bandar Seri Begawan's Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is a major theme in the book.
Dale Brown's novel Armageddon is set mostly in Brunei. It details a fictional attack on the country by Islamic fundamentalists with fringe assistance from Malaysian forces, namely a stealth boat.
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Video of Brunei and Bandar Seri Begawan
- Problems seeing the videos? See media help.
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- ^ http://www.freedomhouse.org/inc/content/pubs/pfs/inc_country_detail.cfm?country=6929&year=2007&pf
- ^ For a discussion of religious freedom, see http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71334.htm (United States Department of State).
- This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
- U.S. Department of State website (2003)
- L. W. W. Gudgeon, British North Borneo, Adam and Charles Black: London, 1913.
- Brunei travel guide from Wikitravel
- Government of Brunei Darussalam website
- CIA World Factbook entry on Brunei
- Brunei Tourism website
- The Daily Brunei Resources blog. Contains extra information on the country through the eyes of a Bruneian.
- WikiTravel entry for Brunei
- Brunei information on globalEDGE
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