Everything about Brunei totally explained
Brunei Darussalam, (in English) officially the
State of Brunei, Abode of Peace (
Jawi:
برني 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's completely surrounded by the state of
Sarawak,
Malaysia, and in fact it's 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.
History
The
Sultanate of Brunei was very powerful from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century. Its realm 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.
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.
Politics and government
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's effectively the supreme ruler. The
media is extremely pro-government and the Royal family retains a venerated status within the country. Brunei is an absolute monarchy and the king has absolute power . There is no elected
legislative body. In September 2004, the Sultan convened an appointed
Parliament which hadn't 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.
International organisations and Brunei
Brunei is a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations. It is also a member of ASEAN.
Press freedom
Brunei has been given "Not Free" status by
Freedom House; press criticism of the government and monarchy is rare. Being an absolute monarchy, press is tightly regulated.
Territorial disputes
Brunei claims territory in
Sarawak, such as
Limbang, and it's 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're internationally recognised as part of the latter.
Districts and mukims
Brunei is divided into
four districts (
daerah):
The districts are subdivided into thirty-eight
mukims.
Geography
Brunei consists of two unconnected parts with a total area of 2,226 sq. miles (5,765 sq. kilometers). 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 991,000, of which around 367,912 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.
The climate in Brunei is semi-tropical but in Bandar seri begawan area is sub-tropical climate. the temperature in Brunei is 14-34 degrees Celsius.
Economy
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.
Healthcare
Brunei ensures that all citizens have access to free health care, provided via a group of public hospitals. The largest hospital in Brunei is
Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital, also known as RIPAS Hospital.
There is also a private medical sector,
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. This situation may be changing.
(External Link
) Also, to ensure the public's access to medical care, qualified doctors from overseas are imported into the country.
A School of Nursing was founded in 1951
(External Link).
Transportation
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.
Demographics
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 Brunei), although an important minority speak
Chinese.
English is also widely spoken and there's 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.
Culture
The culture of Brunei is predominantly
Malay, with heavy influences from
Hinduism and
Islam, but is seen as more conservative than
Malaysia.
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.
Prohibition of alcohol
The sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned. Foreigners and non-Muslims are allowed to bring in 12 cans of beer and two bottles of other alcohol (for example, 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; however, several types of restaurants allegedly still offer illicit alcohol sometimes served in teapots.
Brunei in popular culture
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.
Brunei is the birthplace of current Chicago Blackhawks left winger Craig Adams.
Also the birthplace of Wu Chun, present day Taiwanese pop-star idol, who is also gym instructor, model, and member of the band Fahrenheit
Media
Further Information
Get more info on 'Brunei'.
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