| Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace | |
|---|---|
Motto:
| |
![Location of Brunei (green)in ASEAN (dark grey) – [Legend]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Location_Brunei_ASEAN.svg)
| |
| Capital and largest city | Bandar Seri Begawan 4°53.417′N114°56.533′E |
| Official languages | Malay[a] |
| Recognised languages | English[b] |
| Other languages and local dialects[2][3] |
|
| Official scripts | |
| Ethnic groups(2016[4]) | |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Demonym | Bruneian |
| Government | Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy |
• Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan
| Hassanal Bolkiah |
| Al-Muhtadee Billah | |
| Abdul Rahman Mohamed Taib | |
| Abdul Aziz Juned | |
| Legislature | Legislative Council |
| Formation | |
| c.1368 | |
| 15th – 19th century | |
| 1888 | |
• Independence from
the United Kingdom | 1 January 1984 |
| 7 January 1984 | |
| Area | |
• Total
| 5,765 km2 (2,226 sq mi) (164th) |
• Water (%)
| 8.6 |
| Population | |
• Jul 2015[5] estimate
| 417,200[5] (175th) |
• Density
| 72.11/km2 (186.8/sq mi) (134th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
• Total
| $33.376 billion[6] (116th) |
• Per capita
| $77,699[6] (5th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Total
| $13.002 billion[6] (111th) |
• Per capita
| $27,601[6] (25th) |
| HDI (2015) |  0.865[7]very high · 31st |
| Currency | Brunei dollar (BND) |
| Time zone | Brunei Darussalam Time(UTC+8) |
| Drives on the | left |
| Calling code | +673[c] |
| ISO 3166 code | BN |
| Internet TLD | .bn[8] |
| |
Brunei (/bruːˈnaɪ/ (
listen), broo-NYE), officially the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace[10] (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: نڬارا بروني دارالسلام), is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, the country is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is separated into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo; the remainder of the island's territory is divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei's population was 423,196 in 2016.[11]
listen), broo-NYE), officially the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace[10] (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: نڬارا بروني دارالسلام), is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, the country is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is separated into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo; the remainder of the island's territory is divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei's population was 423,196 in 2016.[11]
At the peak of the Bruneian Empire, Sultan Bolkiah (reigned 1485–1528) is alleged to have had control over most regions of Borneo, including modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the Sulu Archipelago off the northeast tip of Borneo, Seludong (modern-day Manila), and the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo. The maritime state was visited by Spain's Magellan Expedition in 1521 and fought against Spain in the 1578 Castilian War.
During the 19th century, the Bruneian Empire began to decline. The Sultanate ceded Sarawak (Kuching) to James Brooke and installed him as the White Rajah, and it ceded Sabah to the British North Borneo Chartered Company. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate and was assigned a British residentas colonial manager in 1906. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, in 1959 a new constitution was written. In 1962, a small armed rebellionagainst the monarchy was ended with the help of the British.[12]
Brunei gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984. Economic growth during the 1990s and 2000s, with the GDP increasing 56% from 1999 to 2008, transformed Brunei into an industrialised country. It has developed wealth from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields. Brunei has the second-highest Human Development Index among the Southeast Asian nations, after Singapore, and is classified as a "developed country".[13] According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Brunei is ranked fifth in the world by gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity. The IMF estimated in 2011 that Brunei was one of two countries (the other being Libya) with a public debt at 0% of the national GDP. Forbes also ranks Brunei as the fifth-richest nation out of 182, based on its petroleum and natural gas fields.[14]