Islamic Side
The national religion is the Shafe'e sect of Islam.
Religious holidays have variable dates that are set according to a lunar calendar.
Early Ramadhan marks the beginning of the holy fasting month; the Anniversary of the Al-Quran commemorates the revelation of the Holy Book of Islam; Hari Raya Adilfitri or Hari Raya Puasa celebrates the end of the fasting month; Hari Raya Aidiladha or Hari Raya Haji celebrates the Haj or holy pilgrimage to Mecca; Hijrah celebrates the journey of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alihi Wassalam from Mecca to Medina; Mulaud, or the Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, celebrates the birth of the founder of Islam; and Israk Mikraj commemorates the ascendancy of Muhammad into heaven.
Religious and Practitioners: The sultan is the head of the Islamic faith. For all Muslims, matters of marriage,
A young boy watches the adults as they perform the noon prayer at a mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan.
The Shafe'e sect of Islam is the national religion, divorce, and the family as well as some sexual crimes are governed by Islamic law and fall under the jurisdiction of the religious court system.
Ritual and Holy Places: Sixty mosques are maintained by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Tombs of sultans are often treated as shrines.
Economical and Cultural Side
Economy of Brunei
The economy of the country is mainly governed by the production of petroleum and natural gas.
Crude-oil output in 2001 was 79 million barrels. However, production of rice does not meet entirely the country's demands.
Apart from this, production of rubber, pepper, and animal hides also contribute towards economy but only to a small extent.
The gross domestic product of the year 1998 worked out to $15,060 per capita and was rated among the world's highest economic growth rates.
But the oil production is slowly exploiting the country's forest reserves and this can slowly become a cause of concern.
Culture of Brunei
With a population of around 322,000 people, Brunei is one of the smallest countries in Asia.
Nearly 70 percent of the population lives in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, following strict Muslim practices such as avoiding alcohol.
People
The majority of Brunei’s population is Malay, with a Chinese community comprising 20 percent of the population.
There are also a few tribal groups in Brunei such as Kedayan, Murut, Belait, Tutong, Bisaya and Dusun.
Religion
Around 70 percent of Brunei’s population is Muslim and this is the country’s official faith.
Many of the Chinese inhabitants are Buddhist, while the tribes have their own unique belief systems.
Social Customs
Most of Brunei’s stricter social customs come from Islamic law and concern conservative dress and behavior, especially when in public.
Women in particular need to pay attention to their dress and it is best to avoid all forms of physical contact in public.
Political Side:
The political system in the country is governed by the constitution and the tradition of the Malay Islamic Monarchy, the concept of “Melayu Islam Beraja” (MIB). The three components of MIB cover Malay culture,
Islamic religion and the political framework under the monarchy. His Majesty, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah is provided with supreme executive authority and is also the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Defence Minister.
Several councils advise His Majesty on national policies covering Religious, Privy, Cabinet, Succession and Legislature.
The country is a member of United Nations and ASEAN. In the past years, Brunei has actively participated in Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC), World Trade Organization (WTO), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and East Asean Growth Area (EAGA).
Recently, Brunei successfully hosted the 20th South East Asian (SEA) Games.
The Brunei Government has been instrumental in planning and developing its economy. The country is geared towards economic diversification with a budget of B$7.3 billion.
Brunei also hosted APEC 2000 in November 2000, playing host to world leaders,leading business personalities and international media.
The year 2001 was declared Visit Brunei Year 2001
