Country Profiles: Brunei

Official name: State of Brunei

Official language: Malay

Land area: 2,226 sq mi/5,765 sq km

Population: 412,000

Dominant religion: Islam

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan

Current leader: Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah

Brunei is small country in Southeast Asia. It lies on the north coast of the island of Borneo, which it shares with Malaysia. The country is actually split into two by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Most of the country is flat land although the interior is heavily wooded. Due to its location in the South China Sea, Brunei has year-round tropical climate and is known for sandy beaches and clear waters.

 About 74 percent of the Brunei’s citizens are urban dwellers while the other 26 percent are rural dwellers. Two-thirds of the population is Malay and Chinese make up the largest minority. Many urban dwellers live in modern apartment buildings. The citizens of Brunei enjoy one of the world’s highest standards of living.

 Brunei’s economy depends mostly on the export of crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied gases. It also depends on fishing, agriculture, forestry and tourism.

 Brunei was a major trading kingdom in the 1100’s and by the 1600’s its influence and expanded throughout the island of Borneo and into parts of the Philippines. When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in 1565 they began removing Bruneian rulers. When the British arrived in the 1800’s, Brunei lost more land until it was left with its current territory. It was a British protectorate from 1888 until January 1, 1984, when it gained full independence.