Exploring Darussalam: A Journey To The Peaceful Abode

Darussalam, or Brunei Darussalam, is an independent Islamic sultanate on the northern coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is bounded by the South China Sea to the north and by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak on all other sides. The western segment of the country is larger and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei Darussalam is a member of the Commonwealth and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia

Brunei has a population of approximately 455,858 as of 2023, with around 180,000 people residing in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Malay is the official language of Brunei, and Islam is the state religion, although other religions are tolerated. The government of Brunei is a constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, who has full executive authority.

Brunei gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984 and is a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the East Asia Summit, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth of Nations, and ASEAN. The country's wealth is derived from its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, which have transformed Brunei into an industrialised nation. Brunei ranks "very high" on the Human Development Index (HDI) and is the second-highest among Southeast Asian states after Singapore.

Brunei is divided into four districts: Brunei-Muara, Belait, Tutong, and Temburong. The western segment of the country is the larger of the two and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. The eastern segment, Temburong, is separated from the rest of the country by the Brunei Bay and the Malaysian state of Sarawak.

Darussalam means abode of peace in Arabic

Darussalam, which is Arabic for "abode of peace", is part of the full name of two places: Brunei and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Brunei Darussalam

The official name of the country is Brunei Darussalam, which means "seafarers living in the abode of peace". Brunei is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. It is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo, with the remainder of the island divided between Malaysia and Indonesia. The official language of Brunei is Malay, and Islam is the state religion.

Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. The name Dar es Salaam is commonly translated from Arabic as "abode (home) of peace", from "dar" ("house") and "es salaam" ("of peace"). The city was founded by Majid bin Said, the first Sultan of Zanzibar, in 1865 or 1866.

Brunei is the only sovereign state on the island of Borneo

Darussalam, or Brunei Darussalam, is the official name of the country of Brunei. It is a small country with a population of around 455,858 as of 2023, situated on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra.

Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo. The remainder of the island is divided between Malaysia and Indonesia. Sarawak, a Malaysian state, surrounds Brunei on all sides except for its coastline on the South China Sea. The country has a long history, with evidence of trading ports existing in the first millennium AD. It was a vassal state of the Majapahit empire in the 14th century and later became part of the Ming dynasty.

The Sultanate of Brunei gained independence from Majapahit following the death of the Majapahit emperor in the mid-14th century. During its golden age under Sultan Bolkiah from the 15th to the 17th century, the Bruneian sultanate ruled almost the entire coastal area of Borneo. At its peak, the Bruneian Empire is claimed to have controlled most of Borneo, as well as other territories in the region.

However, the Bruneian Empire began to decline in the 19th century, and Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888. It gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984 and is now a fully sovereign state.

Today, Brunei has a population of approximately 408,000 as of July 2010, with about 97% living in the western part of the country. The official language is Malay, and Islam is the state religion. Brunei has a constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, currently Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who has led the country since 1967. The country's wealth is derived from its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, making it one of the richest nations in the world in terms of per capita income.

The official language of Brunei is Malay

Darussalam, or Brunei, is a small country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The official language of Brunei is Malay, which was established as the country's national language in the 1959 Constitution. Malay is used for most official purposes and is the language of instruction in schools. The Latin alphabet (Rumi) and the Arabic alphabet (Jawi) are used to write Malay, although the language was written in Jawi script before switching to the Latin alphabet around 1941.

Standard Malay, the official language of Brunei, is the same Malaccan dialect that serves as the basis for the standard varieties in Malaysia and Indonesia. While there are several variants of Malay, Standard Malay is widely accepted as the national language of Brunei and is used in courts and other formal domains. It is worth noting that the variety of Malay that functions as the national language is not specified in the constitution, but it is generally assumed to be a variety of Standard Malay similar to the standard varieties promoted in neighbouring countries.

Brunei Malay, also known as Melayu Brunei, is the principal spoken language in the country. It is quite distinct from Standard Malay and is used in informal settings such as conversations between friends and in local shops. Brunei Malay is also the lingua franca in some parts of East Malaysia, including the Federal Territory of Labuan and districts in Sarawak and Sabah. The use of Brunei Malay is expanding, which unfortunately comes at the expense of other indigenous minority languages in the country, most of which are now under threat of extinction.

In addition to Malay, English is widely used in Brunei as a business and official language. It is spoken by a majority of the population and is the primary language of instruction in primary and tertiary education. All official documents are reproduced in English, and the Borneo Bulletin is the country's daily English-language newspaper. The bilingual system of education was introduced in 1985, and since 2008, maths and science have been taught in English from the start of primary school, solidifying the role of English in the country's education system.

Arabic, being the language of the Quran, is also important in Brunei, where Islam is the official religion. All adherents of Islam are expected to have some proficiency in reading and writing Arabic, and it is taught in religious schools and institutes of higher learning. According to the law, Muslim children aged 7 to 15 must attend a religious school called the Ugama School for three hours, five days a week, where they learn Arabic and skills using Jawi script.

Brunei is a constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan

Darussalam, or Brunei Darussalam, is the official name of Brunei, a country in Southeast Asia. It is a constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, making it one of the few remaining absolute monarchies in the world, and the only one in Asia.

The Sultan of Brunei is the head of state and head of government, and holds absolute power in the state for administrative purposes. He is also the King, Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Sultan is also the official 'guardian and protector' of Islam and tradition in Brunei, which is a predominantly Muslim country.

The politics of Brunei take place within the framework of an absolute monarchy, with the Sultan at the helm. The country has a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Council, which is consultative and whose members are all appointed by the Sultan. There have been no national elections in Brunei since 1962, and the lack of national elections limits legitimate political involvement and prevents opposition forces from gaining prominence. This allows the Sultan to retain his position of power.

Brunei gained independence from British rule in 1984 and became a constitutional monarchy under the philosophy of Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB), which combines Islamic law, Malay culture, and monarchical rule. The country's legal system is based on English common law, with a parallel Syariah law system for Muslims, which takes precedence over common law in certain areas such as family and property law.

The Sultan of Brunei possesses wide legislative powers and, during a State of Emergency, can pass any legislation deemed expedient by Emergency Order, without judicial review. Brunei has been under a State of Emergency since 1962, which has been renewed every two years, effectively placing the country under martial law.

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