Brunei is a small independent sultanate on the north coast of the island of
Borneo. Borneo is one of the islands which make up the country of Malaysia,
located in the South China Sea in Southeast Asia.
The nation of Brunei considers its history as a nation to have begun in the 14th or 15th century, AD when the sultans were converted to Islam. The nation is surrounded and divided into two parts by Malaysia; the only border of Brunei not touching Malaysia is the South China seacoast. In the 16th century, Brunei claimed the entire island area of Borneo, as well as part of the present-day Philippines, but lost territory from that time amid strife over the royal succession, colonialization and piracy until the early 20th century, when it became its current size (2,225 square miles) as a British protectorate (1888). Brunei gained its independence in 1984.
The people of Brunei have the one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, due to an economic boom thanks to the discovery of oil in 1929. The average per capita income in Brunei was $26,600 in 2003.
Most of the population lives in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan and the adjacent port of Muara, as well as near the oil fields in Seria and Kuala Belait. Economic and cultural ties with China are strong, since Brunei has many Chinese workers, mainly in commerce.
The Malays dominate the government bureaucracy. The total population is 379,444 (2006), of which Malays and related groups are 67 percent, Chinese 15 percent, other indigenous peoples 6 percent and the remainder 12 percent. Oil (petroleum and natural gas) dominates the industries and exports, and investments overseas are also a major factor in the economy. The service industry makes up 27.5 percent, and agriculture 0.9 percent of GDP.
The official state religion is Islam, practiced by 67% of the population. The next largest religious group is Christianity (10%), followed by Buddhism (mainly the Chinese inhabitants) and animism. Malay is the official language; Chinese and English are also spoken.
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