Brunei
Updated: Sep 18, 2022
Country Name
Brunei, or officially the Nation of Brunei.
Location
Brunei is a country located in Southeastern Asia. Brunei is bordered by the South China Sea and Malaysia to the south, east, and west.
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan.
Reason Of Naming
According to local historiography, Brunei was founded by Awang Alak Betatar, later to be Sultan Muhammad Shah. He moved from Garang in the Temburong District to the Brunei River bay, discovering Brunei. According to legend, upon landing he exclaimed, Baru nah (loosely translated as "that's it!" or "there"), from which the name "Brunei" was derived. He was the first Muslim ruler of Brunei. Before the rise of the Bruneian Empire under the Muslim Bolkiah Dynasty, Brunei is believed to have been under Buddhist rulers.
Flag
The flag of Brunei was adopted on 29 September 1959. The flag of Brunei is composed of a yellow background, black and white diagonal stripes, and a national emblem in the center of the flag.
The national emblem consists of a red crescent at the bottom, two gloves
turned to the sky at the sides and an umbrella on the top.
The yellow color represents the Sultan of Brunei, the diagonal stripes has been added in 1906 when Brunei became a British colony.
The crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam and the umbrella stands for monarchy and royal dignity. Wings with four feathers adorning the umbrella are supposed to guard integrity and peace.
Language
Many languages are spoken in Brunei, but Standard Malay is the nation's official language. There are many variants of the language, but Standard Malay is widely accepted as the national language. It is used for most official purposes, in courts, and as a medium of instruction in schools. Brunei Malay or Melayu Brunei is the Malay variant that is spoken in Brunei on informal occasions, at home, with friends, and in shops. It also serves as the lingua franca in parts of East Malaysia. English is widely used as a business and official language and it is spoken by a majority of the population in Brunei. English is used in business as a working language and as the language of instruction from primary to high education. Chinese languages are also widely spoken, and the Chinese minority in Brunei speaks some varieties of Chinese. Arabic is taught in schools, particularly religious schools, and also in institutes of higher learning, because Arabic is the religious language of Muslims.
Religion
Islam is Brunei’s official religion, specifically that of the Sunni denomination and the Shafi‘i school of Islamic jurisprudence. Christianity is one of the most popular minority religions in the country. Both Protestants and Roman Catholics live in Brunei. Three Roman Catholic parishes exist in the country. Most Buddhists in Brunei adhere to the Mahayana school of Buddhism. A small percentage of the population also practices Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and some traditional religions.
Currency
Brunei dollar (BND).
Time Zone
+08:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy.
Climate
The climate of Brunei is tropical equatorial which is a Tropical rainforest climate more subject to the Intertropical Convergence Zone than the trade winds and with no or rare storms. Brunei is exposed to the risks stemming from climate change along with other ASEAN member states