BRUNEI - Ethics, Equity & Social Justice

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<strong>BRUNEI</strong> (Negara Brunei Darussalam) Brunei is located 442 km north of the equator in the northwest corner of Borneo and is bordered by Malaysia and the South China Sea. The country is physically divided by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Brunei is probably most famous for the renowned wealth of its Sultan. Population and Ethnicity Brunei has a population of approximately 343,653 (July 2001 est.) with an ethnic mix of Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, Indigenous 6%, other 12%. Language Malay and English are the official languages of Brunei. Some Chinese dialects are also used. Religion The official religion of Brunei is Islam 67% (predominantly the Sunni sect). Other religions practiced include Buddhism 13%, Christianity 10%, Indigenous beliefs and other, 10%. Currency Bruneian dollar (BND) The Bruneian dollar is on a par with the Singapore dollar and the currencies are interchangeable. $US1 = 1.69680 BND $A1 = 1.22170 BND Accurate as at November 2003 Time Time in Brunei = GMT + 8 hours = WST. Brunei is in the same time zone as Western Australia. Physical Features and Climate The terrain consists of a flat coastal plain rising to mountains in the east and hilly lowland in the west. Three quarters of the land mass is covered in rainforests. The climate is typically equatorial - tropical, hot, humid and rainy. There is no dry season. Major Cities: Capital city: Bandar Seri Begawan Other towns are: Muara, Seria, Tutong, Kuala Belait, and Bangar. Most of the population live in the Brunei-Muara district, in or near Bandar Seri Begawan. The major oil and natural gas installations are located around Seria and Kuala Belait.
Political and Legal System Brunei is a constitutional sultanate (monarchy). The monarch, Sultan Sir Hassanal Bolkiah, is the Head of both State and Government and rules by decree. He presides over an advisory Council of Cabinet Ministers, a Religious Council and a Privy Council. There have been no national elections in Brunei since the declaration of a state of emergency in December 1962. The legal system is based on English common law. For Muslims the Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in areas relating to family and marriage. Economy Brunei has a relatively wealthy economy in which exports of crude oil and natural gas account for over half of its GDP. Substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. Residents of Brunei enjoy a generally high standard of living and the government provides for all medical services and subsidises rice and housing. Since the 1980s, the Government has been implementing a diversification program in an attempt to shift economic activity from oil and natural gas to agriculture, fishing, and tourism sectors. Brunei belongs to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Commonwealth and the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries). It joined the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in 1995. Exports The main exports are crude oil, natural gas and refined products Imports The main imports are machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and chemicals. History During the 15th and 16th centuries, Brunei was a considerable regional power, controlling not only most of Borneo but parts of the Philippines as well. The Spanish and the Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive, but it was the British, who arrived in the region in the 17th and 18th centuries, who began to erode Brunei's influence. Sarawak was ceded to the British in the 19th century and a series of 'treaties' were forced on the Sultan as James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak, consolidated his power base. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate.
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BRUNEI - Ethics, Equity & Social Justice

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