the Travel Enthusiast
- 09 May
Adam in Amazing Places | NO COMMENTSThe Prosperous Brunei Darussalam
Bandar Seri Begawan © Piotr Gaborek/flickr
Brunei is a small country which is completely surrounded and bordered only by Malaysia. Brunei is well known for being one of the richest nations in Asia, being the second wealthiest after Singapore.
The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan. Some other important cities of the country are Muara, Kuala Belait, Tutong and Seria. Brunei’s constitutional form is Unitary Islamic Absolute Monarchy.
Although the official language of Brunei Darussalam is Malay, the English language, nevertheless, is still a recognized language and is widely spoken and other languages such as Chinese, Tamil and others are also used.
The main attractions of Brunei are Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Jerudong Park, Istana Nurul Iman and the Brunei Museum.
The climate of the country is pure tropical. Because of the tropical climate the country faces almost constant heavy rainfall and is known for being highly humid. Though Brunei Darussalam does not have a significant wet season, the wettest month is November.
The topography of the country is complex, it is filled with rivers, particularly on the coastal plains. The eastern side of Brunei is mountainous and has jungles and forests. Most of its cities are situated near Deltas.
Brunei is well known for its rivers and wide range of vessels ©Robert/flickr
Environmentally speaking Brunei Darussalam has got some natural issues. The most common one is seasonal haze and smoke resulting from Indonesian forest fires which are quite common in the country.
The country’s transportation and infrastructure is well organized and developed. In total the country has about 1864 miles of roads and most of them are paved. Brunei Darussalam is also known for having diverse transportation types for instance water taxis and ships are very common because of many rivers and ports that the country is filled with.
The vegetation of the country is diverse, while most areas of the country are covered with forests, it also has swamps which mainly lie on the coast. Brunei’s forest reserves cover about 40% of the country. The government takes good care of the entire reserve and protects it. While less known, few farms of the country are fertilized.
The population of the country is 412.000 due to its small size. The main ethnic group of the country is Malay and there is also a significant Chinese population. Much of the population lives in urban areas.
The countries official religion is Islam. The Islamic ideology plays a very important role both in the politics and culture of the country, fusing with the Brunei Malay society. Other religions such as Christians, Taoism and Buddhism are also present.
The Healthcare of the country is highly developed and well organized. Despite its small size, the country is filled with well equipped clinics, hospitals, both private and public and all of them are efficient. Malaria and other diseases that are very common in the region are not a threat in Brunei, thanks to the good healthcare system.
Brunei is known for having variety ethnics such as Malays and Chinese and many others ©Lan Rasso/flickr
Brunei is one of the world’s wealthiest nations. It is well known for having much oil and gas which fostered the country’s economy. The small and very rich population of the country also helped the economy of Brunei Darussalam. Industry plays a major role for the country but agriculture and services are also vital in the economy of Brunei.
According to “Travel Health” the country is among the safest in Southeast Asia. Despite its reputation for being one of the healthiest countries in Asia, precautionary measures are still recommended when traveling in Brunei Darussalam. The most common types of diseases that may appear are hepatitis A and B along with fever.
Traveling within the country is easy. Brunei, being a former British colony drives on the left. Taxis and public transportation are widespread and organized. Cars can be hired( from companies like Hertz and Avis) from the airport or from big cities, especially from the capital city of Brunei.
Immigration and custom regulations in Brunei are severe. Because the country is an Islamic nation, it prohibits alcohol.
Non-Muslims are allowed to buy duty free alcoholic products which must be declared before passing the border. Citizens of most countries need to apply for a visa.
The current leader of the country is sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
The current Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Hassanal Bolkiah ©APEC 2013/flickr
The History of Brunei Darussalam
Around the 14th century Islam has become the predominant religion and the Brunei Sultanate rose in the 15th and 16th century. Soon after the Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch started arriving but neither of them gained the island as the British expansion increased.
In the 19th century the island has come under British rule, more precisely in 1888 when it became a British protectorate under the Sultan. The Sultan of Brunei sought help from the British because to the island’s struggle against the pirates of Dayak. It was not until 1906 when Brunei has become fully a protectorate of the British Empire.
- Flights
- Hotels
- Packages
- Cars
- Cruises
travel search by Travelgrove (get this widget)The country discovered large resources of oil in 1929 which made it very wealthy. In the 60’s Brunei considered uniting with Malaysia as one. The opposition party (Brunei’s People Party), however did not welcome the idea, they wanted instead to create a state which would be made of Sarawak and Sabah. The Sultan decided not to join Malaysia.
The 60’s in Brunei was also known for having many rebellions. The rebellions were suppressed thanks to the British Gurkha army who flew from Singapore and Malaysia.
Brunei was no longer a British protectorate after 1971. According to the agreement between the United Kingdom and Brunei the UK maintained its responsibility for foreign affairs and defense until 1984 despite giving the Sultan full control over the country. The country finally became fully independent from the UK in 1984.
Even if the country faced issues like rebellions, coup d’etats and other violence, it has prospered thanks both to the colonization of the British and also for its natural resources, making Brunei not only vast economically but also vast historically.
You might also like
© Copyright 2004 - 2024 Travelgrove, Inc.