Brunei otherwise known as Brunei Darussalam meaning Abode of Peace consists of two unconnected parts, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia.
97% of the population lives in the larger western part, while only about 10,000 live in the mountainous eastern part. It gained independence from the UK on 1 January 1984 and its capital city is Bandar Seri Begawan.
Abound in natural and scenic beauty, this little country is a major tourist attraction with a whole lot of aesthetic and native traits to offer including the Rainforest at Temburong, various Museums and Mosques, The Nurul Iman Palace, beaches and the Royal Regalia Building.
Its main exports are Crude oil, liquefied natural gas and petroleum products.
Brunei Darussalam
About Brunei Darussalam
National Olympic Committee
Sports
Football is the one of the most popular sports in Brunei. The Brunei National Team won the Malaysia Cup '99.
Other sports include silat, martial arts, badminton, polo and sepaktakraw, a sport played with a rattan ball and gasing.
Climate
Brunei’s climate is governed by the equatorial monsoon winds it has a tropical equatorial climate with high rainfall and warm temperature all year round. Monsoon winds influence the climatic variations.
The annual rainfall is generally high. The total rainfall was 2,917 mm in 1997, 3,295 mm in 1995. The two rainy seasons are from September to January, with December as the wettest; and May to June.
Virtually a drought period is February to April. Due to unstable climatic influences, well-defined seasons have not been outlined.
Brunei is not directly in the path of tropical storms, cyclones and typhoons that pass through the South China Sea. Yet, it is heavily affected by tides.
Religion
67% are Muslim the official religion, 13% Buddhist, 10% Christian 10%, and 10% other.
Culture
The culture of Brunei is very similar to the Malay cultures. Heavily influenced by life Hinduism and, more obviously, Islam; the borrowings and derivations of Brunei culture from these two religions are due mainly to the country's historical links with the Hindu empire in the neighbouring regions of modern-day Indonesia and Malaysia.
The culture is also influenced by the demographics of the country: two-thirds of the population is Malay.