THE GEOGRAPHY (Foreign Office UK)
Area: 5,765 sq km (3,573 sq mi)
Population: 330,000
Capital City: Bandar Seri Begawan
People: 75% Malay, 18% Chinese,
remainder foreign nationals
Languages: Malay, English, Chinese
(Mandarin and various dialects)
Religion: Islam
Currency: Brunei Dollar, pegged at par
to the value of the Singapore Dollar
Major Political Parties: Brunei has no
parliament and political parties play no
role in the day to-day life of the
country
Government: Since an abortive uprising
in 1962, Brunei has been governed by
The Sultan under a State of
Emergency. He has appointed a Cabinet
of eight ministers who hold the usual
portfolios (other than those retained
by the Sultan). The political philosophy
is known as 'Malay Muslim Monarchy'.
GEOGRAPHY
Brunei faces the South China Sea,
along the north west coast of the
island of Borneo, 4-5 degrees north of
the Equator. On its landward side
Brunei is both surrounded and split into
two by Sarawak, a province of
Malaysia.
THE HISTORY (Foreign Office UK)
The first oil prospectors arrived in
Brunei in the early 1900s and on-shore
oil was discovered in 1929, leading to a
pre-war oil boom. New fields have
been opened up regularly since, both on
and offshore. The revenues have
allowed Brunei to build up one of the
most comprehensive welfare systems
in the world.
Recent History
Brunei's smooth-running economy
suffered a major jolt in 1997 when
large losses were discovered in the
assets of the Brunei Investment
Agency. This and the accompanying
collapse of Brunei's largest private
group of companies, Amedeo, headed
by the Sultan's youngest brother,
Prince Jefri, plunged Brunei into
recession. In an effort to recover the
missing funds, legal action was taken
(by the State and the Brunei
Investment Agency) against Prince
Jefri in Spring 2000. An out-of-court
settlement was reached, the details of
which have remained largely
confidential. Legal action by the
creditors of Amedeo is continuing.
In an effort to prompt a recovery in
the economy and reduce reliance on oil
and gas revenues Brunei established a
Ministerial Economic Council, under the
chairmanship of another brother,
Prince Mohamed. It published its Report
in January 2000, but so far few of its
recommendations have been
implemented. The report included plans
for privatising some of the state
owned utilities, the creation of a
financial services sector and plans to
attract more tourists.
The Sultan also announced a special
fund to help develop small and medium
sized enterprises. So far, little of the
funding has been released.
In 1998, the Sultan's eldest son, Prince
Billah, was formally installed as Crown
Prince and heir apparent.
Longer Historical Perspective
Brunei was placed under British
Protection in 1889 and became a full
British Protectorate in 1905. All
matters relating to administration,
legislation and taxation were conducted
on the advice of a British Resident. The
first British Resident took up his
position in 1906. Apart from a short
time during the Second World War
when the country was occupied by the
Japanese, the Residents remained
effectively Governors of Brunei until
1959, when the Sultan of Brunei
became responsible for the country's
internal government. The UK retained
responsibility for Brunei's defence and
foreign policy. In 1971 Brunei ceased to
be a British Protectorate, but the UK
retained some responsibility for
foreign affairs and defence matters
until Brunei became a fully sovereign
independent state on 1 January 1984.
Brunei is not a democracy. Since an
abortive uprising in 1962 (when the
1959 Constitution was suspended) the
country has been ruled by the Sultan
under Emergency Powers legislation.
Laws are passed by Royal
Proclamations. The present Sultan
ascended to the throne when his
father, Sultan Sir Omar, abdicated in
1967.
THE ECONOMY (Foreign Office UK)
Basic Economic Facts
GNP Per Capita: US $20,400
GDP Per Head: US $8,480 (official
statistics 2000)
GDP Growth: 2.5% in 2000
Inflation: 1%
Major Industries: Oil and gas
Major Trading Partners: Singapore,
Malaysia, Japan, Korea, UK, USA and
Australia
Exchange Rate: $B2.58 = £1
(24/10/01) Trade Partners UK
Country Profile: Brunei
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Brunei maintains good relations with
neighbouring countries through
membership of ASEAN and regular high
level visits.
Brunei plays a low key role in foreign
affairs. It maintains close bilateral ties
with fellow Islamic nations and
monarchies around the world.
Flags Of The World:Sultanate of Brunei,
Negara Brunei Darussalam
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