Where Is Brn? Unveiling The Mystery Country

The country code BRN most commonly refers to Brunei, a country in Southeast Asia that borders Malaysia. However, BRN may also refer to Bahrain, which is an island country in the Persian Gulf.

Brunei's economy

The country code BRN refers to Brunei, a small and wealthy country in Southeast Asia. Brunei's economy is a mix of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village traditions. The country's economy is almost entirely dependent on exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for over half of its GDP. Brunei is the third-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia and the ninth-largest producer of liquefied natural gas globally.

The exploitation of petroleum and natural gas reserves has brought significant wealth to Brunei, providing its citizens with one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia. However, this reliance on a single commodity has also made the country vulnerable to market fluctuations. Recognising this risk, the government has implemented policies to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil and gas. These efforts have had limited success, and petroleum and government spending still account for a significant portion of Brunei's economic activity.

Brunei's gross domestic product (GDP) soared with the petroleum price increases of the 1970s, reaching a peak of $5.7 billion in 1980. However, the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, coupled with fluctuations in oil prices, created uncertainty and instability in the country's economy. In recent years, Brunei has registered economic recessions, with declining oil prices and drops in production affecting the country's budget.

To encourage economic diversification, the government has prioritised the development of sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and financial services. Brunei has made significant progress in becoming self-sufficient in poultry, eggs, and vegetables, and has also increased local rice production. The country is among the largest consumers of fish per capita worldwide, and local fisheries production has surpassed imports. Overfishing has become a growing concern, and aquaculture has been promoted in selected areas.

The petroleum industry in Brunei is dominated by Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), a joint venture between the Brunei Government and the Royal Dutch/Shell group. BSP operates the country's only refinery and, together with its sister companies, is the largest employer in Brunei after the government. The country's energy sector relies heavily on fossil fuels, with more than 99% of electricity produced from these sources in 2020. There are ongoing efforts to explore renewable energy options as part of climate change mitigation measures.

Brunei's substantial foreign reserves are managed by the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), an arm of the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The BIA aims to increase the real value of the country's foreign reserves while pursuing a diverse investment strategy, with investments in the United States, Japan, Western Europe, and ASEAN countries. The government actively encourages foreign investment and offers tax incentives to new enterprises that meet certain criteria.

Bahrain's Olympic history

Bahrain first participated in the Olympic Games in 1984. The country has competed in 10 Summer Olympic Games and has never taken part in the Winter Olympics.

The Bahrain Olympic Committee was formed in 1978 and recognised a year later. The country's first Olympic medal came in the 2012 London Summer Olympics, with former Ethiopian Maryam Yusuf Jamal winning bronze in the women's 1500m run. However, she was later upgraded to gold after the disqualification of the original gold and silver medallists.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bahrain enjoyed further success with Ruth Jebet and Eunice Kirwa, both Kenyan-born, winning gold in the women's 3000m steeplechase and silver in the marathon respectively. In the same Games, Kalkidan Gezahegne, another athlete born in Ethiopia, won bronze in the women's 10,000m.

In the 2024 Summer Olympics, Bahrain won four medals, including its first wrestling gold through Akhmed Tazhudinov and a weightlifting bronze by Gor Minasyan.

Thailand's independence movement

Thailand, formerly known as Siam, has historically been composed of several kingdoms, including the Kingdoms of Lanna in the north, Sukhothai and Ayutthaya in the central region, and the Malay states in the south. Wars between these kingdoms, as well as Lan Sang (modern-day Laos), the Burmese Kingdom, and Cambodia, were frequent and bloody, with kingdoms rising and falling.

In the mid-18th century, Lanna and Ayutthaya were under Burmese control until King Taksin, leading the Thonburi Kingdom, brought them back under Thai control. The Thonburi and subsequent Rattanakosin Kingdoms laid the foundations for what later became Siam in the 20th century.

In the mid-19th century, Kings Mongkut and Chulalongkorn (Rama IV and Rama V) modernised Siam to resemble a European state. They established a professional army, centralised the political system with Bangkok as the capital, and abolished slavery and prostitution. These changes were made to appear similar to a European nation and be viewed as potential equals by colonial powers.

King Chulalongkorn also played a key role in retaining Siam's independence through diplomacy. In the late 19th century, France was seeking to expand its territories in Indochina and proposed dividing Siam into two. However, through negotiations, a treaty was signed in 1896 that agreed to keep Siam independent as a buffer zone between France and Britain. Chulalongkorn is remembered in Thailand as the "Great Beloved King".

In 1932, Siam transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional government, with independence as the basis of the new government's policy. This involved a series of negotiations to conclude new treaties with foreign countries on equal terms, regaining complete independence in legal jurisdiction and taxation.

During World War I, Siam sided with the Allies, and following a bloodless revolution in 1932, it became a constitutional monarchy and changed its name to Thailand. During World War II, Thailand was invaded by Japan and declared war on the Allied powers. However, a movement called Free Thai resisted the Japanese occupation, and after the war, Thailand maintained its independence.

Switzerland's Berne Airport

The BRN country code refers to Berne Airport in Switzerland. The airport is also known as Bern-Belp Regional Aerodrome, and its official German name is Regionalflugplatz Bern-Belp. It is located in the town of Belp, just 10km from the centre of Bern, the Swiss capital.

The airport is small, with only a few airlines offering seasonal and charter flights to destinations in Europe. These include Palma de Mallorca, Calvi, Djerba, Heraklion, Jerez de la Frontera, Kos, Larnaca, Rhodes, Brač, Cagliari, and Olbia. The airport also connects to the popular holiday islands of Elba, Palma, and Menorca.

Bern Airport has a rich history, established in 1929 by Alpar, a private airline that operated within Switzerland. The airport has seen multiple attempts to expand over the years, with plans for an international airport in or around Bern. However, these attempts failed due to opposition from local farming interests and other factors. The airport features a paved runway, a grass runway, a heli-square, and a glider area.

The airport is easily accessible by public transport, with two bus lines connecting it to the nearby Belp railway station. From there, passengers can take frequent S-Bahn trains to Bern's main station, with a total journey time of just 30 minutes to the city centre.

Brunei's neighbours

Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a small country located in Southeast Asia, on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. It is bordered by the South China Sea to the north and Malaysia to the south, east, and west. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo, with the remainder of the island divided between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Brunei's territory is bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang, which is part of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. This means that Brunei consists of two non-contiguous parts, with the majority of its population living in the larger western part of the country. The smaller eastern part, the Temburong District, is separated from the rest of the country by the Brunei Bay and the state of Sarawak.

Brunei has a maritime border with China and shares a 381-kilometre land border with Malaysia. It has a total land area of 5,765 square kilometres, a population of approximately 400,000 to 450,000 people, and its capital and largest city is Bandar Seri Begawan.

Frequently asked questions