Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam is a Southeast Asian nation whose name means “Brunei, Abode of Peace.” It is located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in the South China Sea and comprises two noncontiguous regions separated from one another by a portion of Malaysia's Sarawak state. Brunei encompasses a total land area of only about 5,300 square kilometers (slightly smaller than the state of Delaware). The capital is Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei is a constitutional Islamic monarchy (commonly referred to as a sultanate). It is a Muslim-majority nation and one of the few Islamic sultanates in the world that has survived into the 21st century. Brunei has a population of 382,000, and its GDP (gross domestic product) per capita is one of the highest in Asia. Petroleum and natural gas exports account for more than half of its GDP.

During the seventh and eighth centuries CE, the mouth of the Brunei River was controlled by a kingdom that Chinese records called Po-ni. Archaeological evidence suggests that it had been influenced by Javanese Hinduism and engaged extensively in trade. It was briefly incorporated into the Majapahit Empire and was a part of the territory called Nusantara.

The present ruling Muslim dynasty was founded in the 15th century. Like the nearby Muslim kingdom of Malacca, Brunei's power and growth were largely dependent on trade. During that time, the Sultanate of Brunei encompassed all of Borneo and parts of the Philippines. Brunei attained a high degree of prosperity and stability during the 15th through 17th centuries, most notably during the reign of Bolkiah, the fifth sultan, and Hassan, the ninth sultan. During this period, there was a great deal of interaction and conflict with European colonial powers: Portugal eventually conquered Malacca, and repeated naval conflict with Spain weakened Brunei's control over its territories in the Philippines.

In 1841, an English trader named James Brooke and his ship's crew assisted the Sultan of Brunei in quelling a rebellion. In appreciation, the Sultan subsequently appointed Brooke as the Rajah of Sarawak. Brooke's government grew, consolidating power over the region. Brooke even considered seizing control of Brunei but was dissuaded from doing so by Britain's official disapproval. Brooke and his successors were collectively known as the White Rajahs, and by expanding the Sarawak territory under their administration, they effectively reduced Brunei to its current geopolitical borders.

In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate, and British involvement in Brunei persisted until World War II, when Japan invaded and occupied Brunei. In 1959, Brunei adopted a constitution defining itself as an independent state under the protection of the British, and it became fully independent in 1984 under the rule of the 29th, and current, sultan, Haasanal Bolkiah.

[Page 162]Ethnically, the majority of Bruneians are Malay (67%) and Chinese (11.2%). Brunei's official religion is Sunnī Islam (67%); other sizable religious groups include Buddhists (13%) and Christians (10%). All other faiths (including followers of indigenous beliefs) are represented by fewer than 10% of Bruneians.