POPULATION 350,898
MUSLIM 67 percent
BUDDHIST 13 percent
CHRISTIAN 10 percent
OTHER 10 percent

Country Overview

Introduction

Negara Brunei Darussalam is a tiny, oil-rich sultanate of 2,226 square miles. It is situated next to the East Malaysian state of Sarawak in the northwestern corner of Borneo. Malay Muslims form the majority of the population.

The people of Brunei enjoy a high per capita income and extensive welfare benefits. Since 1967 the head of state has been Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th in an unbroken line of sultans (Brunei's Hindu-Brahmanic and Buddhist polity was converted in mid-fourteenth century to an Islamic dynasty). Most indigenous peoples, such as the Muruts and Dusuns, have not converted to Islam. Modern immigrants, such as the Chinese, Ibans, and Indians, principally adhere to Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism.

Religious Tolerance

Brunei is a staunchly Islamic state. The 1959 constitution stipulates that Brunei is to remain as a Malay Islamic monarchical state but...