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 Brunei| Facts & Figures |
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Brunei Darussalam
Sultan: Haji Hassanal Bolkiah
(1967)
Land area: 2,035 sq mi (5,271 sq km);
total area: 2,228 sq mi (5,770 sq km) Population (2009 est.): 388,190 (growth
rate: 1.7%); birth rate: 18.2/1000; infant mortality rate:
12.2/1000; life expectancy: 75.7; density per sq km: 72
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Bandar Seri Begawan, 78,000 Other large cities: Kuala Belait
27,800, Seria 23,400 Monetary unit: Brunei dollar More Facts & Figures |
Brunei Darussalam
GeographyAbout the size of Delaware, Brunei is an
independent sultanate on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo in
the South China Sea, wedged between the Malaysian states of Sabah and
Sarawak.
GovernmentConstitutional sultanate.
HistoryBrunei was trading with China during the 6th
century, and, through allegiance to the Javanese Majapahit kingdom (13th
to 15th century), it came under Hindu influence. In the early 15th
century, with the decline of the Majapahit kingdom and widespread
conversion to Islam, Brunei became an independent sultanate. It was a
powerful state from the 16th to the 19th century, ruling over the northern
part of Borneo and adjacent island chains. But Brunei fell into decay and
lost Sarawak in 1841, becoming a British protectorate in 1888 and a
British dependency in 1905. Japan occupied Brunei during World War II; it
was liberated by Australia in 1945.
The sultan regained control over internal
affairs in 1959, but Britain retained responsibility for the state's
defense and foreign affairs until 1984, when the sultanate became fully
independent. Sultan Bolkiah was crowned in 1967 at the age of 22,
succeeding his father, Sir Omar Ali Saifuddin, who had abdicated. During
his reign, exploitation of the rich Seria oilfield had made the sultanate
wealthy. Brunei has one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia, and the
sultan is believed to be one of the richest men in the world. In Aug.
1998, Oxford-educated Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah was inaugurated as heir to
the 500-year-old monarchy.
Sultan Bolkiah began taking cautious steps
toward democratic reform in Sept. 2004, when he reinstated Parliament for
the first time since Brunei gained independence in 1984. He was widely
praised in May 2005 when he fired four members of his cabinet, including
the education minister, whose plan to expand religious education angered
many parents.
See also
Encyclopedia:
Brunei
.
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes:
Brunei
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