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BRUNEI
The tiny but thriving Islamic Sultanate of Brunei perches on the northwestern coast of Borneo, completely encircled by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It has a population of 323,000, nearly seventy percent of which is made up of Malays and indigenes from the larger ethnic groups like the Murut and Dusun; the rest are Chinese, Indians, smaller indigenous tribes and expats. They enjoy a quality of life that is quite unparalleled in Southeast Asia, with the literacy rate a staggering 93.7 percent of the population. Education and healthcare are free; houses, cars, and even pilgrimages to Mecca are subsidized; taxation on personal income is unheard of; and the average per capita salary is around US\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\$19,000. The explanation is simple: oil, first discovered in 1903 at the site of what is now the town of Seria.Brunei is a small coastal state just 443km (277 miles) north of the equator in the northwest corner of Borneo, bounded on all landward sides by Sarawak (Malaysia), which splits Brunei into two parts. The landscape is mainly equatorial jungle cut by rivers. It is a heavily forested state, and most human activity is restricted either to coastal areas or estuaries. There are beaches with facilities at Kuala Belait, Lumut Beach near Tutong and at Muara. Tourist sights in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital, include the minaret crowning the golden-domed Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque and the Churchill Memorial, incorporating the Churchill Museum and Aquarium. Outside the capital, it is possible to travel upriver to visit village settlements, such as the Kampong Parit Resort. Kampong Ayer, a water village, is reputed to be the largest collection of stilt habitations in the world. Local food is similar to Malay cuisine with fresh fish and rice and is often quite spicy. Alcohol is prohibited. | You are viewing results 1 to 1 of 1 |
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