Brunei is an independent Islamic Sultanate, located in the South China Sea. It occupies two enclaves on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo and is surrounded by Sarawak (a state in Malaysia). It covers an area of 5770 km2. The main cities are Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital, with 81 500 residents (2004), Kuala Belait (28 400 residents) (2004), Seria (23 500 residents) (2004) and Tutong (40 100 residents) ( 2004).
The climate is tropical, very humid and monsoon type. Average monthly temperatures vary between 24 o C and 30 o C. The rainy season occurs from December to March, with the northeast monsoon, and from May to October, with the southwest monsoon.
Economy
Brunei’s economy is based almost exclusively on the export of oil and natural gas. At the agricultural level, the existing crops are fruit, rice and vegetables; and at the animal level, chickens and buffalo stand out. The country has one of the highest GDP per capita values in the world. Brunei’s main trading partners are Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 14.2.
Population
The population is 379,444 residents (est. 2006), which corresponds to a density of about 64.54 residents/km2. The birth and mortality rates are, respectively, 18.79% and 3.45%. Average life expectancy is 75.01 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.872 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.867 (2001). It is estimated that in 2025 the population will reach 506 000 residents. The most representative ethnic groups are Malays (67%) and Chinese (16%). The most important religions are Muslim (67%), Buddhist (13%) and Christian (10%). The official language is Malay.
History
Brunei was visited by Fernão de Magalhães in 1521, at a time when the sultan dominated the entire island. Its power and influence were diminished by the action of Portuguese and Dutch, having increased its dependence on Great Britain. British protectorate from 1888, Brunei became independent in 1984. It is a monarchy, in which the head of state and government is a sultan.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Brunei, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Brunei. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Brunei Darussalam
Browse a collection of three country maps of this Southeastern Asian country, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia. Check out the political map of Brunei.
