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1. Land
Brunei, independent Islamic sultanate on the northern coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is bounded to the north by the South China Sea and on all other sides by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. Brunei consists of a narrow coastal plain in the north, which gives way to rugged hills in the south. The country’s highest point is Pagon Peak (6,070 feet [1,850 metres]), in the southeast.
2. History
Brunei achieved independence in 1984, having been a British protectorate since 1888.
3. Climate
The climate of Brunei is governed by the equatorial monsoon winds. The northeast monsoon typically blows from December to March, and the southwest monsoon blows from May to September. April, October, and November are transitional months. Temperatures in Brunei are warm throughout the year.
4. Flora and fauna
About three-fifths of the country is covered with virgin tropical rainforest, and another one-fifth is under secondary forest. The undisturbed rainforest consists mainly of hardwoods of the Dipterocarpaceae family (notably of the genus Shorea), most of which are of commercial value. The complex vegetation of the rainforest provides niches for a rich variety of animals, including proboscis monkeys, leaf monkeys, pigtail macaques, gibbons, sun bears, sambar deer, pangolins, bats, and many other mammals. Among Brunei’s most notable birds are its argus pheasants and hornbills.
5. Economy
Brunei’s economy is almost totally dependent on the exploitation of its vast reserves of petroleum and natural gas. Although oil and gas revenues have allowed the state to give its citizens one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia, they also have made the country dependent on a single commodity that is subject to market fluctuations.
Author: Tamim Saad Alberuny