Brunei Darussalam

Flag

The flag of Negara Brunei Darussalam has been in use since 1906 when Brunei became a British protectorate, following the signing of an agreement between Brunei and Great Britain. The flag has a yellow background cut by black and white diagonal stripes from the top left to the bottom right corners. The colors yellow, white, and black represent the signatories of the agreement, who are the Sultan of Brunei, Pengiran Bendahara and Pengiran Pemancha, respectively. The emblem was superimposed in the center of the flag in 1959, after the promulgation of the Constitution, finalizing the flag that is being used until present.

Emblem

The flag and the Royal umbrella placed at the top of the emblem represents the Sultan of Brunei, its national leader. The four feathers on the wings symbolize protection of justice, tranquility, prosperity and peace. On the sides, the upturned hands indicate the government's duty to promote the welfare, peace, and prosperity of the people. The crescent is a symbol of Islam, the state religion of Brunei. The lettering inscribed inside the crescent reads "Always render service with God's guidance.” The banner on the lowest part of the emblem reads the state's name "Negara Brunei Darussalam," literally translated to “Brunei, the Abode of Peace.”

Capital : Bandar Seri Begawan

Bandar Seri Begawan (※ Used to be called "Brunei Town" before it was named after "Seri Begawan," a part of the royal title of a Sultan of Brunei in 1970.
Bandar refers to "town," and Seri Begawan refers to "aura of the gods.")

• Population

  440,000
  (2018, IMF)

• Area

  5,765km²
  (1/2 of Gyeonggi-do Province)

• Time zone

  GMT+8

• Official name

  Negara Brunei Darussalam
  ※ Literal translation: "Abode of Peace"

• Location

  Lies on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo. The land is divided into two by the Malaysian state of Sarawak (4°2'-5°3' north latitude, 114°4'-115°2' east longitude)

• Language(s)

  Malay (official language), English

• Ethnic groups

  Malay 65%, Chinese 11%, Others 24% (2017, Brunei Economic Development Board)

• Religion(s)

  Muslim (freedom of religion is guaranteed, but propagation is prohibited)

• Area

  5,765km² (1/2 of Gyeonggi-do Province)

  • Farmland: 5%, forest (tropical forest): 80.6%
  • The country is divided into four districts, consisting of Brunei-Muara, Belait, Tutong and Temburong.
• Climate

  Tropical climate with high temperature and humidity

  • Average max. temperature : 34°C
  • Average min. temperature : 22°C
  • Average annual rainfall : 3,300 mm

Brunei Darussalam Timeline

• 1405
  • Foundation of the Sultanate of Brunei Possessed a great part of the eastern region of Malaysia of today
• 16th Century
  • The Golden Age of the Sultanate of Brunei Expanded influence to the northern part of the island of Borneo and the southern part of the Philippines
• 17th Century
  • The Netherlands controlled the eastern and southern parts of the Borneo Island
• 18th and 19th Century
  • The British took control of the southern part of the Borneo Island
• 1847
  • Signed the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce with the British Ceded most of the territory of the states of Sabah and Sarawak to the British, declined as a small nation
• 1888
  • Signed the "Treaty of Protection," becoming a British protected state
• 1906
  • Control of the British Resident
• 1942
  • Japanese occupation
• 1959
  • A new constitution written declaring Brunei a self-governing state Foreign affairs, security, and defence remained the responsibility of the United Kingdom
    ※ Dispatched a British High Commissioner
• 1962
  • Rebellion erupted for the inclusion in the Malaysian Federation Suppressed with the support of the United Kingdom Declaration of emergency (political dissolution and constitution suspension)
• 1968
  • Coronation of Hassanal Bolkiah as the 29th Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei (Aug. 1)
• 1971
  • Amendment of the treaty with the British, becoming a completely self-autonomous country
• 1984
  • - Gained complete independence from the British (Jan. 1)
  • - Joined ASEAN (Jan. 7)
  • - Joined the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (Jan. 16)
  • - Joined the United Nations as the 159th member
• 1989
  • Joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
• 1996
  • Joined the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
• 1998
  • Sultan proclaimed Crown Prince and eldest son Al-Muhtadee Billah heir to the Bruneian throne
• 2000
  • Held the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting
• 2001
  • Held the ASEAN Summit and ASEAN Plus Three Summit
• 2007
  • Announced the Brunei Vision 2035
• 2013
  • Held the ASEAN Plus Three Summit
• 2018
  • Accepted the role as ASEAN-ROK dialogue coordinator