State

Capital

Brunei

Banda Seri Begawan

Negara Brunei Darrussalam

Currency unit

Brunei $

Connections

Empire

Islam

SEA

 Politics

 Economics

 Green

 Rights

 Climate

History

An independent mini-state on the Island of Borneo.

The people speak Malay languages, like their neighbors in Sabah and Sarawak. The land was part of the Hindu Majapahit kingdom which ruled much of the area from the 13th to 15th centuries. Islam arrived in the 15th century when Brunei became a Sultanate, which in 1521 controlled most of Borneo and the Sulu Archipelago. But by the end of the 16th century the Portuguese and Dutch had reduced the power of the sultan by annexing much of his territory. He also lost control of northern Borneo to the Sulu people. By the 17th century the Dutch controlled much of what is now Indonesia.

In the 19th century the Sultan controlled Sarawak and part of Sabah. Part of Sarawak was leased to the Brooke family, known as the White Rajahs, who handed their lands to the British colonial office after the Japanese occupation. Gradually Britain took over the Sultan's lands in Borneo and by 1888 the whole was under British control and separated from the Sultan's control. He himself was confined to the area around his capital, Dar Es Salaam (= Place of Peace or Islam)

The Sultan of Brunei refused to join with the other Borneo territories when Malaysia was formed and became reluctantly independent alone in 1984. Its oil wealth and small population make it a south east Asian Kuwait. It keeps a Gurkha mercenary force to defend against enemies.

Languages

Malay

Chinese

 History

 Economics

 Green

 Rights

 Climate

Politics

Brunei is an absolute monarchy or family business, ruled by the Sultan who is reputed to be the richest person in the world. Politics, therefore, do not exist.

Brunei resembles the Gulf oil Emirates, with a certain amount of money spent on public welfare but the bulk going to the ruler to use as he pleases.

 History

 Politics

 Green

 Rights

 Climate

Economics

Brunei is the equivalent of Kuwait in the east. The wealth of oil owned by a single family and distributed to a small population of citizens gives it a very high GNP per head. But like Kuwait it might be vulnerable to a takeover by a military minded neighbor. So far, Malaysia shows no signs of intending to do so, though all the other British Malay colonies joined Malaysia.

Member of ASEAN.

 History

 Politics

 Economics

 Rights

 Climate

Green/Ecology

 History

 Politics

 Economics

 Green

 Climate

Human Rights

Absolute monarchy. All rights at pleasure of the Sultan.

Ruled under State of Emergency since 1964.

Climate effects

Last revised 15/10/92

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