Brunei Darussalam
Official name: Negara Brunei Darussalam (The Country of Brunei, Adobe of Peace)
Location: Located on the northern shore of the island of Borneo, between longitudes 114'23" East and latitudes 4'00" and 5'05" North. Brunei, although occupying less than 1% of Borneo's land area, is the only sovereign country on the island, which it shares with the Indonesian provinces of West, East, South and Central Kalimantan and the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.
Land Area: 5,765 sq. km.
Population: 398,000 (2008 est.)
Density:68 persons/sq. km.
Capital City: Bandar Seri Begawan
Population: 236,200 (district)
Ethnic Groups: Malay-67% Chinese-15% Indigenous tribes-6% other-12%
Language: Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Mandarin, Chinese dialects and native languages of Borneo are also spoken by segments of the population.
Religions: Islam (official): 67% Buddhism: 13% Christianity: 10% indegenous beliefs and other: 10%
National Philosophy: Since gaining independence from the British in 1984, Brunei has adopted the national philosophy of the Malay Islamic Monarchy (Melayu Islam Beraja), a system that encompasses strong Malay Cultural influences, stressing the importance of Islam in dauly life and governance, and respect for the monarchy as represented by His Majesty The Sultan. It is a philosophy of tolerance, which allows other cultures to follow individual traditions and to practice other religions.
Climate: Temperature equatorial climate year round, characterised by temperatures ranging between 23 to 32 degrees Celsius, and an average annual rainfall of 320 cm. There is no distinct rainy season, though the period from November to March tends to bring heavier rains.
Borders: Bounded on all sides by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, except for a 161 km stretch of coastline along the South China Sea to the north.
Administrative Divisions: 4 Districts: Brunei-Muara (housing the capital city), Tutong, Belait, and Temburong.
Head of State: His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkia Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien. His Majesty is the 29th ruler if his line, which began with Sultan Muhammad in 1363 AD.
System of Government: Independent sovereign constitutional Sultanate, with His Majesty The Sultan as the supreme executive authority. His Majesty is advised by an appointed Council of Cabinet Ministers, Religious Council, Privy Council, a Council of succession and a Legislative Council.
Economy: With a total GDP of around US$13.2 billion and a per capita GDP of around US$33.2 thousand (2008), Brunei's resource rich (oil & natural gas) economy affords its population high living standards, resulting in positive social indicators such as high literacy rates, long life expectancy, and low unemployment and crime rates. The government provides for education and medical services and subsidises rice and housing.
Government, construction, services, retail and some light manufacturing are the major sectors in Brunei's economy. The government is currently working towards economic diversification, in which tourism plays and important role, as well as encouraging foreign investment, and developing education and human resources. These measures are designed to prepare the nation for the challenges of the future when the oil and gas reserves will have been depleted and new sources of income will be needed to maintain the high standard of living currently enjoyed by Bruneians.
Tourism Infrastructure: With over 2.800 rooms spread among 34 eshtablishment ranging from guesthouse to the superb Empire Hotel and Country Club, and with over a dozen active inbound tour operators, Brunei has a well established tourism infrastructure.
Tourism Arrivals: Brunei recorded 225,757 foreign tourist arrivals by air in 2008, in addition to many more cross-border arrivals by land and sea, mostly from Malaysia. Based on statistic and market intelligence, foreign visitors arriving by air stayed an average of 3 days in the country. Most of these tourists originated from the short and medium-haul markets, through a significant portion originated from long-haul markets, mainly UK and Western Europe. Brunei Tourism's objective is to increase international tourist arrivals by a minimum average rate of 7% yearly, as well as to increase average length of stay and expenditure.
International Transport Linkages: Brunei enjoys a convenient location at the heart of southeast Asia and is well -connected to destinations worldwide.
Air: Royal Brunei Aielines, the nation's flagship carrier, flies non-stop or direct to most major Asia-Pasific destinations and the Middle East as well as to Europe via London. Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Air Asia and Thai Airways serve Bandar Seri Begawan and offer one-stop connections to the rest of the world through their hubs in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok.
Sea: Ferries link Brunei with the Malaysian island of Labuan off the coast of Sabah, and to the Malaysian towns of Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak.
Road: An extensive overland road network also connects Brunei to Sarawak and Sabah while the Indonesian province of Kalimantan can be reached by road , air or boat via Sarawak of sabah.
Health, Safety and Security: Brunei is free from malaria and other tropical diseases, is outside the typhoon belt, has no volcanoes, and is not prone to earthquakes or other major natural disasters. The country also enjoys government stability and economic prosperity, resulting in a very low crime rate.
