Brunei Darussalam

OFFICIAL NAME: Negara Brunei Darussalam Area: 5,765 sq. km. (2,226 sq. mi.) Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan. Terrain: East--flat coastal plain rises to mountains; west--hilly lowland with a few mountain ridges. Climate: Equatorial; high temperatures, humidity, and rainfall.

 People Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bruneian(s). Population (2007 est.): 390,000. Annual growth rate (2007 est., Government of Brunei): 1.8%. Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, other indigenous groups.

 Religion: Islam. Languages: Malay, English, Chinese; Iban and other indigenous dialects. Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy (2006)--94.7%. Health: Life expectancy--men 75.2 years, women 77.8 years. Infant mortality rate (2007 est., Government of Brunei)--7.6/1,000.

Bruneis Geographic Location

The country lies on the north western region of the island of Borneo between 114 degrees 04' east longitudes and 4 degrees and 30? north latitudes. Brunei is bordered by the South China Sea and Malaysia.

The four rivers of Brunei Belait, Tutong, Temburong and Brunei-Muara, constitute a significant aspect of Brunei's geography

The Climate In Brunei

Climate forms another significant part of the geography of Brunei. Brunei has an equatorial type of climate characterized by high temperature, high humidity and heavy rainfall.

Religion In Brunei
Islam is the official religion of Brunei Darussalam as stated in the Brunei Constitution, with His Majesty the Sultan and Yang DiPertuan as the head of the Islamic faith in the country.

Bruneis Culture

Music
Brunei music has a distinctive flavor of its own. The folk music and some of the local musical instruments on which it is played speaks volumes of its rich musical heritage. One of the traditional musical instruments is the Kulintangan which is a collection of bells set in a wooden frame. Then there are the Agongs which are a set of comparatively bigger bells.

 The Tawak-Tawak also belongs to the same category of musical instruments. The Duck gongs are a bit different in this respect as they produce a slightly different sound. There is the traditional drum known as the Gendang and the Gambus which is a lute with six strings. These instruments are played on the occasion of weddings and often are accompanied by Yadan and Dondang songs

Language
Brunei languages comprise of English, Malay, Iban, some varieties of Chinese as well as a number of local dialects. Malay is the official language of Brunei while English is used as a second language and is spoken and understood by majority of the population.

Brunei or Brunei Darussalam as it is locally called has a literacy rate of 85 % to 95%which is quite impressive. The total number of languages that are officially listed for the state are 17.

Handicrafts
For the local people, handicrafts in Brunei form a source of income while for the tourists they constitute an interesting attraction. An expression of the traditional heritage of the land, Brunei handicrafts refer to a wide range of items from basketry to silverware.

Brunei Arts and Handicraft Training Center is the principal place where various handicrafts of Brunei are exhibited and sold

Bruneian Government
Brunei sultan holds the most important and the most powerful position in the political domain of the country. Over the 600 years of its existence, Brunei has been ruled by the dynasty of sultans. A politically stable and prosperous country, Brunei has a constitutional sultanate type of government headed by the sultan.

The sultan of Brunei is called His Majesty and he heads the executive branch of the government of Brunei. All the executive powers lie in the hands of the sultan. The present sultan of Brunei is His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzadin Waddaulah

Economy
The Brunei economy consists of domestic as well as foreign entrepreneurship. The financial assistance from the overseas countries helps Brunei in the development and improvement of its domestic production.

Natural gas and crude oil are the two main productions of the country.

Bruneian
Fashion
Brunei Costumes reflect the culture of the conservative society of Brunei. Officially Brunei is a Muslim country; hence Islam is practiced largely in Brunei. The Muslims generally follow conservative Brunei attire. Brunei women dress in brightly colored apparels. The dresses usually cover their body from head to toe. The Muslim women in Brunei wear a head scarf in public places and in government offices but scarves not applicable to the NonMuslim women. Muslim men follow the formal dress code in government offices and public places.

Bruneian Health History

At the turn of the 20th century, Brunei suffered two major epidemics. The first was cholera, which took many lives. Peter Blundell in his book, City of Many Waters, described it as "a dreadful time for Brunei, and most of the huts had to mourn the loss of one or two of their inhabitants".

The next epidemic was smallpox and, like cholera, "the disease spread with great rapidity". The death toll was said to be as great as during the cholera epidemic. By the time the British Residency was established in Brunei in 1906, there were still no medical institutions established in the country. It was in 1911 that a government dresser was appointed. Leong Ah Ng, the Government Dresser, was also the Government Postmaster running the postal services. Part of the postal office was even used as a health centre.

In 1918, a second dresser was appointed to provide services to the outlying areas. It was then a vaccination program started in Brunei with satisfactory results. A doctor from Labuan was also assigned to visit Brunei from time to time. In 1921, a Sanitary Board (the forerunner to the Municipal Council) was formed for Brunei Town. Despite those efforts, in 1922, a cholera epidemic hit Brunei and a number of children died. The first Brunei hospital was built in 1925 by the British Malayan Petroleum Company (BMPC), the company that was prospecting for oil in the Belait District. That hospital was built in Kuala Belait. It was a very small hospital but, at the time, it was considered the best in Brunei.

It was not until 1929 that Brunei Town had its own hospital. It too was a small hospital with an 18-bed ward, an operating room, a laboratory and a pharmacy. Brunei's first medical doctor with the grand title of Residential Medical Officer was also appointed in February of that year.

In 1932, the Government and BMPC collaborated to build a second hospital with better facilities in Kuala Belait. BMPC also embarked on an anti-malaria spraying campaign throughout Kuala Belait. Infant mortality rate in Brunei was still high. By June 1933, a government bidan (midwife) was also appointed. A Maternity and Children's Clinic was also started to help lower the mortality rate.