BRUNEI, FLAG OF

national flag consisting of a yellow field (background) with two diagonal stripes, one black and one white, and a central red and yellow coat of arms. Its width-to-length ratio is 1 to 2. Although a few countries have half of their national flag in yellow, Brunei alone has a yellow background. The avoidance of yellow in other flags may in part be due to the association of the colour with royalty, as in the former imperial flags of Austria and Russia, and with disease (yellow flags are internationally recognized as symbols of quarantine). Among the smaller Southeast Asian states with Malay populations, however, yellow is fairly common. The original state flag of Brunei was plain yellow. In the 19th century the state ruled a substantial portion of the island of Borneo, but gradually this was lost to enemies or put under British protection until finally Brunei was reduced to its present modest size. Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888, and in 1906 two diagonal stripes of different widths were added to its yellow flag. The three colours stood for the sultan (yellow) and his two chief ministers (white and black). A new constitution was adopted in September 1959, and simultaneously a modification was introduced in the flag. The national coat of arms in red and yellow, supposedly designed in the 15th century by the third sultan of Brunei, Sharif Ali, was added in the centre of the flag. Its crescent is for Islam, the state religion, while the parasol at the top is a symbol of royalty in Brunei as in many other states. The inscription at the bottom of the crescent translates from Arabic as Always render service by the guidance of God. A ribbon below the crescent has the inscription Brunei darussalam (Brunei, abode of peace). On January 1, 1984, Brunei became an independent country; the basic flag design was retained with only minor artistic modifications. Whitney Smith History Brunei's early history is obscure, but it was known to be trading with and paying tribute to China in the 6th century AD. It then came under Hindu influence for a time through allegiance to the Majapahit kingdom in Java. When the ships of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition anchored off Brunei in 1521, the fifth sultan, the great Bolkiah, controlled practically the whole of Borneo, the Sulu Archipelago, and neighbouring islands. Toward the end of the 16th century, Brunei was torn by internal strife. A gradual decline in power continued through the 19th century, notably with the cession of Sarawak to the English adventurer James (later Sir James) Brooke in 1841, the expansion of Sarawak by additional grants to Brooke, the cession to Britain of the island of Labuan in Brunei Bay, and the final loss of what is now Sabah (eastern East Malaysia). Brunei's fortunes began to revive, however, when petroleum was first produced in 1929. Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888, and in 1906 administration was vested in a British resident, whose advice the sultan was bound to accept. Brunei was occupied (194145) by the Japanese during World War II. After the British returned, negotiations began on the eventual independence of Brunei. The first step in this process occurred in 1959, when self-government was achieved and the British resident was replaced by a high commissioner. Britain remained responsible for defense and foreign policy. Brunei adopted a written constitution, and in 1962 a partly elected Legislative Council with limited authority was installed. The conversion to a representative government was interrupted later that year by a revolt, which was suppressed with the help of British forces; the sultan then suspended most provisions of the constitution. New elections were held in 1965, but appointed members still retained their majority in the council. In 1967 Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Pengiran Muda Hassanal Bolkiah, although the former sultan continued to exercise influence until his death. Brunei's political life was stable throughout the 1970s in large part because of its flourishing economy and its position as one of the world's wealthiest (on a per capita basis) oil producers. In 1979 the United Kingdom and Brunei signed a treaty whereby Brunei would become fully independent in 1984. Malaysia and Indonesia both gave assurances that they would recognize Brunei's status, thereby allaying the sultan's concern that the state might be incorporated by one of its larger neighbours. Brunei duly became independent on Jan. 1, 1984, and an Islamic sultanate was proclaimed. A ministerial form of government was introduced: the sultan became prime minister and held other posts, and he appointed members of his family (including his father as defense minister) to most of the other positions. When his father died in September 1986, the sultan took over the important defense portfolio and enlarged his cabinet. The structure of Brunei's government has been in marked contrast with those of the other ASEAN countries, but Brunei has remained politically stable and economically prosperous. The economy Brunei's economy is almost totally dependent on the exploitation of its vast reserves of petroleum and natural gas. Oil and gas revenues have allowed the state to give its citizens one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia, but it also has made the country dependent on a single commodity that is subject to market fluctuations. In addition, Brunei must rely exclusively on imports for nearly all of its manufactured goods and most of its food. Resources In addition to its reserves of petroleum and natural gas, Brunei has richthough undevelopeddeposits of white-quartz sand. Oil was first produced in 1929, while the natural gas industry was developed after the discovery in the 1960s of large deposits. Nearly all the oil and natural gas produced in Brunei comes from offshore fields located off the western enclave. All but a small percentage of the production is exported, a small refinery supplying local needs. Oil output peaked in the late 1970s and subsequently was reduced in order to conserve reserves. Brunei's huge deposits of natural gas were intensively developed in the 1970s, including the construction of a gas liquefaction plant. As a result, export earnings from liquid natural gas have come to roughly equal those from petroleum. The land Relief, drainage, and soils The narrow coastal plain in the north gives way to rugged hills farther south. Brunei's highest point is Pagon Peak (6,070 feet [1,850 metres]), in the southeast. The country is drained by the Belait, Tutong, and Brunei rivers in the western enclave and by the Pandaruan and Temburong rivers in the east; all flow generally northward to the South China Sea. The Belait is the largest river in the country. The soils of Brunei are deeply weathered and highly leached and generally are infertile. Richer alluvial soils are found along the rivers and in some parts of the coastal floodplain, and these offer the best agricultural potential. Climate The climate of Brunei is governed by the equatorial monsoon winds. Daily temperatures average between 76 and 86 F (24 and 30 C). Precipitation averages 110 inches (2,800 millimetres) annually in the coastal areas but can exceed 150 inches farther inland. Rainfall is heaviest during the northeast monsoon (December to March), with lesser amounts falling during the southwest monsoon (May to October). The people About two-thirds of the population of Brunei is Malay, and nearly one-fifth is Chinese. The remainder includes such indigenous peoples as the Kadazan (Kedazan), Murut, Bisaya (Bisayah), and Iban (or Sea Dayak), as well as small numbers of Indians and foreigners. The official language is Malay, with English as a major second language. Brunei's population is predominantly Sunnite Muslim, although the Chinese usually are Buddhist, Taoist, or Confucian. Some of the indigenous peoples are Christian, while others in the remote interior are spirit worshipers. The interior upland areas are sparsely populated by indigenous peoples, who clear areas of the forest for shifting cultivation. In the western enclave, the Iban inhabit the westernmost Belait district, and the Kadazan live in the rural areas of the central Tutong district; the Murut and Bisaya have settled mainly in the eastern enclave. The Malays are distributed in the riverine and coastal villages and towns, and the Chinese are concentrated in the urban areas. About two-thirds of Brunei's population is found in and around Bandar Seri Begawan, while one-fifth lives in the oil-rich coastal areas of the Belait district. The capital, located on the Brunei River about nine miles from its mouth on Brunei Bay, is the largest urban centre. Adjacent to the modern section of the city is an older part called Kampong Ayer, where Brunei Malays live in houses built on stilts along inlets of the river.