Brunei

Just a small state with a tiny population on the northern coast of Borneo in Southeast Asia, Brunei has one of the highest standards of living in the world thanks to sizeable deposits of oil and gas. Brunei has the world’s oldest reigning monarchy and centuries of royal heritage.

Understanding the Geography

The Sultanate of Brunei is small, but thanks to natural gas and petroleum resources, it’s a very rich country, located in Southeast Asia. It is surrounded by Malaysia and has two parts physically separated by Malaysia, almost being an enclave. Strategically located on the South China Sea, close to vital sea-lanes linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it has an exclusive economic fishing zone that extends as far as Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands although it makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs.

Cities in Brunei

• Bandar Seri Begawan - The capital - sometimes known as Bandar or BSB for short.

Ports and harbors

• Bandar Seri Begawan
• Muara
• Kuala Belait

Climate Conditions

In a word, Brunei is all jungle, so it's hot and humid throughout the year. A rainy season (of sorts) extends from September to January, but there is plentiful rainfall throughout the year. A flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east, the highest point being Bukit Pagon at 1,850 meters, with some hilly lowlands in west.

There are no typhoons, earthquakes, or severe flooding to contend with, and the biggest environmental issues is seasonal haze resulting from forest fires in nearby Indonesia.

Understanding the Culture

The official language of Brunei is Malay but English is widely spoken and understood. Solely among the Malay-speaking states, Brunei also uses the Arabic script for Malay known as Jawi, although most signs are written both in Jawi and Roman letters.

The Brunei Government is run as a Malay Islamic Monarchy, which means that the Sultan of Brunei, apart from being one of the richest men in the world, runs the show around here, appearing in the local daily newspaper almost every other day. At all costs, do not insult or speak badly of the Royal family.

The culture of Brunei is similar to Malayan culture, with heavy influences from Hinduism and Islam, but is seen as more conservative than Malaysia. The sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned, with foreigners and non-Muslims allowed to bring in 12 cans of beer and two bottles of spirits every time they enter the country. After the introduction of prohibition in the early 1990's, all pubs and nightclubs were forced to close.