Cultures

Flag of Brunei Darussalam

The national flag of Brunei Darussalam was adopted on September 29, 1959. It is designed with white and black bands of colour on the yellow background that extend diagonally on the flag. The white band of colour is a little wider than the black band of colour. It is depicted on the upper portion of the black one. In the middle of the National flag of Brunei is the “coat of arms” which is designed in red. The ‘coat of arms’ is form by the crescent which is the emblem of Islam and sun umbrella  together with pictogram of monarchy gloves on the two sides. The proportion of the flag is 1:2 which means the length of the flag is twice of the height.

What each colour and element means?

The yellow color signifies liberality and white color stands for morality and peace.

Embodied in the emblem, in yellow, is the state motto in Arabic script which can be roughly translated as "Always Render Service by God's Guidance". The scroll beneath the crest reads "Brunei Darussalam" which means "Brunei, the abode of peace". The Brunei crest on the emblem includes the wing, the hand & the crescent . The wing of four feathers symbolizes the protection of justice, tranquillity, prosperity and peace. The hand represents the Government's pledge to promote welfare, peace and prosperity. The crescent is the symbol of Islam, the national religion of Brunei Darussalam.

Location and Geography

Brunei Darussalam, an independent Sultanate is situated in the South China Sea on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo.  It is wedged in between the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah.

Brunei Darussalam is 2,226 square miles (5,763 square kilometers), with a coastline of about 100 miles (161 kilometers) on the South China Sea coast of northwestern Borneo and along the western shores of the southernmost portion of Brunei Bay. Brunei is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The climate is equatorial with high temperatures, high humidity, and heavy rainfall, although there is no distinct wet season. The country is divided into three contiguous administrative districts—Brunei-Muara, Tutong, and Belait—with a fourth, Temburong, separated by the Limbang Valley of Sarawak. The names of the districts derive from their main rivers. (http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Brunei-Darussalam.html)

Demography

The population as estimated in 2010 is 395,027 with a growth rate of 1.7%. The birth rate and infant mortality rate is 18/1000 and 11.8/1000 respectively. Life expectancy of the people is 75.9. The density per sq km is 72.

Ethnicity/Race

Religion
Brunei is a conservative Islamic nation; there are no conflicts in Brunei’s religious affairs.  Muslims occupied 67% of the total population and the rest of the population are allowed to practice their own religion.  The other beliefs practiced are Buddhism at 13% of the population which are mainly of Chinese origins, Christianity at 10% of the population.  There is also a group of people who have admitted to the government that they do not have any religion at all and are regarded as atheists.  Indigenous religions in Brunei are limited only to about 2% of the population. 

Brunei has put up a body in government just to accommodate in upholding Islamic laws.  They have the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) which is in charge in managing, maintaining and fully implementing Islam in every aspect of their governance.  Technically, the Sultan is still the head of the Islamic faith.  MORA is headed by a minister who is appointed by the Sultan. Brunei’s national religion is derived from the Shafeite sect of Islam that came from the Sunni subgroup of Malay origin.  The MORA adheres to the Shafi school of Islamic law.  They are considered to be strict in upholding the Islamic law as they give quite harsh penalties for those who break the Islamic rules like consuming alcohol, holding hands in public and eating pork.  It is very important for the MORA to maintain the sacredness of Islam against negative influences. (Cited from: http://www.spainexchange.com/guide/BN-religion.htm)

History 

Historians believe there was an ancestor to the present Brunei Sultanate, which the Chinese called Po-ni. Chinese and Arabic records indicate that this ancient trading kingdom existed at the mouth of the Brunei River as early as the seventh or eighth century A.D. The kingdom was apparently conquered by the Sumatran Hindu Empire of Srivijaya in the early ninth century, which later controlled northern Borneo and the Philippines. It was dominated by the Java-based Majapahit Empire but soon regained its independence and once again rose to prominence. 

The Brunei Empire had its golden age from the 15th to the 17th centuries, when its control extended over the entire island of Borneo and north into the Philippines. Brunei was particularly powerful under the fifth sultan, Bolkiah (1473-1521), who was famed for his sea exploits and even briefly captured Manila; and under the ninth sultan, Hassan (1605-1619), who fully developed an elaborate Royal Court structure, elements of which remain today. 

After Sultan Hassan, Brunei entered a period of decline due to internal battles over royal succession as well as the rising influences of European colonial powers in the region that, among other things, disrupted traditional trading patterns, destroying the economic base of Brunei and many other Southeast Asian sultanates. In 1839, the English adventurer James Brooke arrived in Borneo and helped the Sultan put down a rebellion. As a reward, he became governor and later "Rajah" of Sarawak in northwest Borneo and gradually expanded the territory under his control. 

Meanwhile, the British North Borneo Company was expanding its control over territory in northeast Borneo. In 1888, Brunei became a protectorate of the British Government, retaining internal independence but with British control over external affairs. In 1906, Brunei accepted a further measure of British control when executive power was transferred to a British resident, who advised the ruler on all matters except those concerning local custom and religion. 

The sultan regained control over internal affairs in 1959, but Britain retained responsibility for the state's defense and foreign affairs .. An attempt in 1962 to introduce a partially elected legislative body with limited powers was abandoned after the opposition political party, Partai Rakyat Brunei, launched an armed uprising, which the government put down with the help of British forces. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the government also resisted pressures to join neighboring Sabah and Sarawak in the newly formed Malaysia. The Sultan eventually decided that Brunei would remain an independent state. 

Sultan Bolkiah was crowned in 1967 at the age of 22, succeeding his father, Sir Omar Ali Saifuddin, who had abdicated. He became the 29^th ruler. During his reign, exploitation of the rich Seria oilfield had made the sultanate wealthy. The former Sultan remained as Defense Minister and assumed the royal title Seri Begawan. In 1970, the national capital, Brunei Town, was renamed Bandar Seri Begawan in his honor. The Seri Begawan died in 1986. 

On January 4, 1979, Brunei and the United Kingdom signed a new treaty of friendship and cooperation. On January 1, 1984, Brunei Darussalam became a fully independent state. (Taken from: http://www.historyofnations.net/asia/bruneidarussalam.html)