OFFICIAL NAME: Negara
Brunei Darussalam (The Country of Brunei,
Abode of Peace)
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FLAG:
Yellow with two diagonal bands: white (top band, double-width) and black (starting from the upper hoist side). The national emblem is superimposed in red at the flag's centre. The emblem includes the following components: |
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Swallow-tailed flag, representing Royalty |
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The Royal umbrella |
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Winged column, symbolizing the protection of justice, tranquillity, prosperity and peace |
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Two upraised hands, signifying
the Government's pledge to promote
welfare, peace and prosperity |
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An upturned crescent, symbol of Islam, the national religion of Brunei |
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Embodied within the crescent
in yellow Arabic script is the
nation's motto, which can be roughly
translated: Always in Service
by God's Guidance |
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A scroll beneath the crest with Arabic script reading "Brunei Darussalam" or "Brunei, the Abode of Peace" |
LOCATION:
Located on the northern shore of the Island of Borneo, between longitudes 114'04" and 114'23" East and latitudes 4'00" and 5'05" North. Brunei, although occupying less than 1% of Borneo's land area, is the only sovereign country on the island, which it shares with the Indonesian provinces of West, East, South and Central Kalimantan and the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.
LAND AREA: 5,765 sq.
km.
POPULATION: 372,360
(2005 est.)
DENSITY: 65 persons/sq.
km.
CAPITAL CITY: Bandar
Seri Begawan
POPULATION: 236,200
(district)
ETHNIC GROUPS: Malay:
67%; Chinese: 15%, indigenous tribes:
6%; other: 12%
LANGUAGE:
Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the official
language, but English is widely spoken.
Mandarin, Chinese dialects and native
languages of Borneo are also spoken
by segments of the population.
RELIGIONS:
Islam (official): 67%; Buddhism: 13%;
Christianity: 10%; indigenous beliefs
and other: 10%
NATIONAL PHILOSOPHY:
Since gaining independence from the British in 1984, Brunei has adopted the national philosophy of the Malay Islamic Monarchy (Melayu Islam Beraja), a system that encompasses strong Malay cultural influences, stressing the importance of Islam in daily life and governance, and respect for the monarchy as represented by His Majesty The Sultan. It is a philosophy of tolerance, which allows other cultures to follow individual traditions and to practice other religions.
CLIMATE:
Temperate equatorial climate
year round, characterized by temperatures
ranging between 23 to 32 degrees Celsius,
and an average annual rainfall of 320
cm. There is no distinct rainy season,
though the period from November to March
tends to bring heavier rains.
BORDERS:
Bounded on all sides by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, except for a 161 km long stretch of coastline along the South China Sea to the north.
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
4 Districts: Brunei-Muara (housing the capital city), Tutong, Belait, and Temburong
HEAD OF STATE:
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. His Majesty is the 29th ruler of his line, which began with Sultan Muhammad in 1405.
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT:
Independent sovereign constitutional Sultanate, with His Majesty The Sultan as the supreme executive authority. His Majesty is advised by an appointed Council of Cabinet Ministers, Religious Council, Privy Council, a Council of Succession and a Legislative Council.
ECONOMY:
With a total GDP of around US$6.5 billion and a per capita GDP of around US$18.3 thousand (2002), Brunei's resource-rich (oil & natural gas) economy affords its population high living standards, resulting in positive social indicators such as high literacy rates, longer life expectancy, and low unemployment and crime rates. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing.
Government, construction, services,
retail and some light manufacturing
are the other major sectors in Brunei's
economy. The government is currently
working towards economic diversification
— in which tourism plays an important
role — as well as encouraging
foreign investment and developing education
and human resources. These measures
are designed to prepare the nation for
the challenges of the future when the
oil and gas reserves will have been
depleted and new sources of income will
be needed to maintain the current high
standards of living enjoyed by Bruneians.
TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE:
With over 2,500 rooms spread among 30 establishments ranging from guesthouses to the super luxurious "7-star" Empire Hotel and Country Club, and with a dozen or so active inbound tour operators, Brunei has a well-established, yet underutilized tourism infrastructure attracting an increasing number of regional and international visitors.
TOURISM ARRIVALS:
Brunei recorded approximately 1 million
foreign visitors in 2003, the vast majority
arriving from Malaysia through land
entry points. Based on estimates derived
from hotel occupancy rates and on market
intelligence gathered from inbound operators,
Brunei Tourism estimates the number
of bona fide leisure and business
tourists to be around 100,000 in 2003,
with a 3-day average length of stay.
Most of these tourists originated from
the short- and medium-haul markets,
though a significant portion originated
from long-haul markets, mainly UK and
Germany. Brunei Tourism’s objective
is to increase international tourist
arrivals by a minimum average rate of
7% yearly, as well as to increase average
length of stay and expenditure.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT LINKAGES:
Brunei enjoys a convenient
location at the heart of Southeast Asia
and is well-connected to destinations
worldwide.
Air:
Royal Brunei Airlines, the nation’s
flagship carrier, flies non-stop or
direct to most major Asia-Pacific destinations
and the Middle East, as well as to Europe
via London and Frankfurt. Meanwhile,
Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines,
Thai Airways, Dragonair and Philippines
Airlines serve Bandar Seri Begawan and
offer one-stop connections to the rest
of the world through their hubs in Kuala
Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong
and Manila.
Sea:
Ferries link Brunei with the Malaysian
island of Labuan off the coast of Sabah,
and to the Malaysian towns of Limbang
and Lawas in Sarawak.
Road:
An extensive overland road network also
connects Brunei to Sarawak and Sabah,
while the Indonesian province of Kalimantan
can be reached by road, air or boat
via Sarawak or Sabah.
HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY:
Brunei is free from malaria
and other tropical diseases, is outside
the typhoon belt, has no volcanoes,
and is not prone to earthquakes or other
major natural disasters. The country
also enjoys government stability and
economic prosperity, resulting in a
very low crime rate. |
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