Brunei Darussalam
COUNTRY NAME
- Conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam
- Conventional short form: Brunei
- Local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
- Local short form: Brunei
BRUNEI CAPITAL CITY
- Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital city of Brunei.
BRUNEI CURRENCY
- The Bruneian dollar is the official currency of Brunei.
BRUNEI HISTORY
- Brunei had strong trade links with China during the 6th century.
- It came under Hindu influence after an allegiance to the Javanese Majapahit kingdom during the 13th century.
- After the downfall of the Majapahit kingdom, most of the population adopted Islam as a religion.
- Brunei became an independent sultanate during the early 15th century.
- As a powerful sultanate, it controlled the northern part of Borneo and adjacent island chains.
- Brunei lost Sarawak in 1841 and became a British protectorate in 1888.
- The country became a British dependency in 1905.
- Brunei was taken over by Japan during World War II.
- It was later liberated by Australia in 1945.
- The sultan regained control over internal affairs in 1959, but the responsibility for the state's defense and foreign affairs still rested with Britain.
- The sultanate became fully independent in 1984.
- Sultan Bolkiah was crowned the ruler in 1967 at the age of 22.
- The rich Seria oilfields were discovered during this time which made the sultanate wealthy.
- In Aug. 1998, Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah was inaugurated as heir to the 500-year-old monarchy.
- Sultan Bolkiah initiated democratic reform in Sept. 2004 by reinstating the parliament for the first time since 1984.
BRUNEI DEMOGRAPHICS
- About two-thirds of the Brunei population is of Malay origin.
- This ethnic group primarily dominates the nation's economy.
- Malay is the official language but Chinese and English are also widely spoken.
- The expatriate community consists of British and Australian migrants.
- Islam is the official religion of Brunei.
- Other faiths in practice are Buddhism, Christianity, and indigenous religions.
BRUNEI GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
- Brunei is ruled by a constitutional sultanate.
- Administrative divisions consist of four districts namely: Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong and Tutong.
- National day (23 February (1984)) is observed as a national holiday.
- The Constitution was founded on 29 September 1959.
- The legal system is based on English common law.
- For Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in certain situations.
- Brunei has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
- The monarch is both the chief of state and head of government.
- The cabinet also consists of a Religious Council that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council that deals with constitutional matters and the Council of Succession that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises.
- The Legislative Council consists of 29 members appointed by the monarch.
- The judicial branch is represented by the Supreme Court.
BRUNEI CULTURE
- The culture of Brunei is predominantly Malay.
- It also has heavy influences from Hinduism and Islam.
- The society is relatively conservative.
- The sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned in the country.
BRUNEI ECONOMY
- Brunei has a small but stable economy.
- Oil and natural gas production as well as overseas investments are the main contributors to economical growth.
- The economy of Brunei is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition.
- Future plans involve diversification into other revenue generating sectors like tourism and banking.
- GDP (purchasing power parity) as calculated in 2007 is $19.64 billion.
- 4% of the population is unemployed.
- Agricultural products include rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats and eggs.
- Main industries are petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas and construction.
- Export commodities include crude oil, natural gas, refined products and clothing.
- Import commodities include machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and chemicals.
BRUNEI INFRASTRUCTURE
- Telecommunication systems in Brunei are highly developed and well established.
- Brunei has three radio broadcast stations and four television broadcast stations.
- Internet facilities are available throughout the country.
- Brunei has two airports of which one has paved runways and three heliports.
- Roadways span over a network of 3,650 km.
- Waterways are 209 km long.
- The merchant marine is equipped with 8 ships.
- Main ports and terminals are located in Lumut, Muara and Seria.
- Public hospitals provide free health care to all citizens.
- The largest hospital in Brunei is Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital.
- Brunei is accessible via sea and land travel.
- Royal Brunei is the main airline company in Brunei.
BRUNEI EDUCATION
- 92.7% of the total population is literate.
- Education is sponsored by the government upto university level/
- There is currently no medical school in Brunei and medical aspirants have to attend universities overseas.
- A School of Nursing was founded in 1951.
BRUNEI NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES
Brunei is surrounded by:
- Borneo (south)
- South China Sea (north)
- Sarawak, Malaysia (all sides)
BRUNEI GEOGRAPHICAL SETTINGS
- Brunei is located in Southeastern Asia.
- Its Geographic coordinates are 4 30 N, 114 40 E.
- The country covers a total area of 5,770 sq km.
- The coastline is 161 km long.
- Brunei has a tropical climate that is hot, humid and rainy during most parts of the year.
- The terrain comprises of a flat coastal plain that rises into mountains in the east and hilly lowland in west.
- The highest point is Bukit Pagon standing at 1,850 m.
- Natural resources include petroleum, natural gas and timber.
- 2.08% of the land is arable.
- Typhoons, earthquakes and severe flooding occur very occasionally in the region.
- Brunei is split into two parts separated by Malaysia.
- It is almost an enclave within Malaysia.
BRUNEI FREEDOM
- Brunei gained independence from the UK on 1 January 1984.
- It gained complete independence from British protection on 23 February 1984.
BRUNEI NOTABLE PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTRY
- Mariana Rahim ( country rock singer)
- Craig Adams (Chicago Blackhawks left winger).
- Wu Chun ( pop-star idol and model)
- Asyraf Awang Besar (Weekend splash concert season 4 finalist)
- Zul F (star and TV personality)
- The Bling Bling sisters ( singers and designers)
- Fatin Adilah (winner of the weekend splash concert season 5)
BRUNEI TOTAL POPULATION:
- According to a 2008 census, the total population of Brunei was estimated to be 381,371.
- The annual population growth rate is 1.785% (2008 est.).
- Birth rate: 18.39 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
- Death rate: 3.28 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
BRUNEI PREVIOUS RECORDS MEDALS:
- Brunei participated at the Olympic Games in 1988 for the first time albeit, without any athletes.
- The country has been competing at the Summer Olympic Games every year since 1996. Brunei has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games.
- As of 2008, Brunei has ever won an Olympic medal.
