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Brunei
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Brunei Darussalam, ( in English) officially the State of Brunei, Abode of Peace (Jawi: ????? ?????????), 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.
Sultanate of Brunei was very powerful from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century.
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Encyclopedia
Brunei Darussalam, ( in English) officially the State of Brunei, Abode of Peace (Jawi: ????? ?????????), 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.
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. 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. Islam was brought to the Sultanate of Brunei by Sharif Ali of Hejadz when he married the local Brunei princess. He became the third Sultan of Brunei and built many mosques in his lifetime.
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 is 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 sultan has absolute power. 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.
International organizations and Brunei
Brunei is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, ASEAN, APEC and Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Press freedom
Brunei has been given "Not Free" status by Freedom House; press criticism of the government and monarchy is rare.
Territorial disputes
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. Limbang is still a disputed territory and is the subject of current negotiation between Brunei and Malaysia.
Districts and mukims
Brunei is divided into four districts (daerah):
The districts are subdivided into thirty-eight mukims.
Geography
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.
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 |
|---|
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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, and 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.
A School of Nursing was founded in 1951.
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.
Ethnicity
- Malay 66.3%,
- Chinese 11.2%,
- indigenous 3.4%,
- other 19.1% (2004 est.)
Demographics
The official language of the nation is Malay (Malay: Bahasa Melayu), 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 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.
Culture
The culture of Brunei is predominantly Malay (reflecting its ethnicity), with heavy influences from Islam, but is seen as more conservative than Malaysia.
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.
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 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.
Bruneian celebrities
- Dayang Norhayati Abu Bakar, from South Africa to Austria to Brunei Darussalam.The Brunei's Adventurer's Norhayati & Harun undertook the Trans Africa Journey and reached Austria in 2007. [www.overthehorizon.net]
- Also the birthplace of Wu Chun, present day Bruneian Taiwanese pop-star idol, who is also own gym chains, model, and member of the band Fahrenheit.
- Zul F is a reality tv 'idol' winner.
- Paula Malai Ali is a television personality from Brunei. Formerly a veejay for Channel V, she is now a presenter for ESPN Star Sports.
- Maria is a country female singer in Brunei. She is the most successful female singer in Brunei to date.
- Craig Adams right wing for Pittsburgh Penguins of National Hockey League was born in Seria, Brunei on Apr 26, 1977
See also
Bibliography
- U.S. Department of State website (2003)
- L. W. W. Gudgeon, British North Borneo, Adam and Charles Black: London, 1913.
External links
Government
- website
- [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-b/brunei.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members]
General information* from UCB Libraries GovPubsTravel* website
- blog. Contains extra information on the country through the eyes of a Bruneian.
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