Brunei

*Negara Brunei Darussalam*
State of Brunei, Abode of Peace
بروني دارالسلام
Negara Brunei Darussalam; State of Brunei, Abode of Peace بروني دارالسلام
Flag	Crest
	Motto: "Always in service with God's guidance" (translation)
	Anthem: Allah Peliharakan Sultan; God Bless the Sultan;
Capital; (and largest city)	Bandar Seri Begawan
Official languages	Malay (Bahasa Brunei)[citation needed]
Demonym	Bruneian
Government	Islamic Absolute Monarchy
Formation
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2007 estimate
HDI (2008)	▲ 0.919 (high) (27th)
Currency	Brunei dollar (BND)
Time zone	(UTC+8)
Drives on the	left
Internet TLD	.bn
Calling code	+6731
1	Also 080 from East Malaysia

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Brunei Darussalam, (pronounced /bruːˈnaɪ/ in English) officially the State of Brunei, Abode of Peace (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: بروني دارالسلام), is a country located on the north coast of 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, and in fact it is separated into two parts by Limbang, which is part of Sarawak.

Brunei, the remnant of a very powerful sultanate, regained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Brunei

The power of the Sultanate of Brunei was at its peak from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century.^[2] The Sultanate's suzerainty extended over the coastal regions of modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, the Sulu archipelago, and the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo. European influence gradually brought an end to this regional power. Later, there was a brief war with Spain, in which Brunei's capital was occupied. Eventually the sultanate was victorious but lost territories to Spain. 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. Brunei was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 during World War II

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.

[edit] Politics and government

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei.

Main article: Politics of Brunei

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. Brunei has a Legislative Council with 20 appointed members, that only has consultative tasks.

Under Brunei's 1959 constitution, His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers since 1962. The Sultan's role is enshrined in the national philosophy known as Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB), or Malay Islamic Monarchy. The country has been under hypothetical martial law since Brunei Revolt of 1962.

The media is extremely pro-government and the Royal family retains a venerated status within the country.

[edit] International organizations and Brunei

Brunei is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, ASEAN, APEC and Organization of the Islamic Conference.

[edit] Press freedom

Brunei has been given "Not Free" status by Freedom House; press criticism of the government and monarchy is rare.^[3]

[edit] Territorial disputes

Brunei claims some terrorists in Sarawak and it is one of many nations to lay claim to some of the disputed Spratly Islands, specifically small rocks exposed at high tide on Louisa Reef. Kuraman Island is recognized as Malaysia territory by Brunei.

The status of Limbang as part of Sarawak was disputed by Brunei since the area was first annexed in 1890.^[4]

[edit] Districts and mukims

Districts of Brunei

Main articles: Districts of Brunei and Mukims of Brunei

Brunei is divided into four districts (daerah):

The districts are subdivided into thirty-eight mukims.

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Brunei

Brunei Darussalam consists of two unconnected parts with a total area of 5,766 sq. kilometers (2,226 sq. miles). 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 Darussalam is about 400,000 of which around 130,000 live in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. Other major towns are the port town of 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. Jerudong Park, a well known amusement park, is located on the west of Bandar Seri Begawan.

[edit] Climate

Brunei Darussalam has an equatorial climate. The average annual temperature is 27.1°C (80.8°F), with the April-May average of 27.7°C (81.9°F) and the October-December average of 26.8°C (80.2°F).

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average High (°C)	27.8	27.8	29.2	29.1	29.5	28.1	28.4	28.3	28.0	27.5	27.4	28.0	27.9
Average Low (°C)	25.1	26.0	26.5	26.9	26.9	26.7	26.1	26.3	26.3	26.1	26.2	25.6	26.5
Average Rainfall (mm)	277.7	138.3	113.0	200.3	239.0	214.2	228.8	215.8	257.7	319.9	329.4	343.5	2873.9

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of Brunei

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, and also has services to major Asian destinations.

[edit] Healthcare

All Brunei citizens have access to free healthcare from public hospitals. The largest hospital in Brunei is Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital, and there is a private medical centre, the Jerudong Park Medical Centre. As of 2008, no hospitals in Brunei were undergoing international healthcare accreditation.

There is currently no medical school in Brunei, and Bruneians wishing to study to become doctors have to attend universities overseas. However, there has been a School of Nursing since 1951.^[5]

[edit] Transport

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 and export purposes.

[edit] Ethnicity

Malay 66.3%,
Chinese 11.2%,
Indigenous 3.4%,
Other 19.1% (2004 est.)^[6]

[edit] Demographics

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Main article: Demographics of Brunei

See also: Islam in Brunei and Buddhism in Brunei

The official language of the nation is Malay (Malay: Bahasa Melayu), although an important minority speak Chinese languages (Min Nan, Mandarin, Min Dong, Yue, Hakka). The local variety of Malay (Kedayan or Bukit Malay), spoken natively by two thirds of the population, is quite divergent from and unintelligible to Standard Malay. The most important aboriginal languages are Iban, and two languages called Tutong, each with about 20,000 speakers. 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 at 67%, and the sultan is the head of the religion in the country. Other faiths practised are Buddhism 13% (mainly by the Chinese), 10% Christianity, and primarily in isolated and very small communities, indigenous religions.

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of Brunei

The culture of Brunei is predominantly Malay (reflecting its ethnicity), with heavy influences from Islam, but is seen as more conservative than Malaysia.^[7]

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 American and British professionals working in industry and education.

[edit] Prohibition of alcohol

The sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned.^[8] Foreigners and non-Muslims are allowed to bring in 12 cans of beer and 2 bottles 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 one limit every 48 hours. After the introduction of prohibition in the early 1990s, all pubs and nightclubs were forced to close.