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CultureGrams can help you broaden your students' understanding of the world and its peoples. The World Edition includes 190+ country profiles, written for junior high students and older. CultureGrams also has a Kids Edition, Provinces Edition, and a States Edition, geared for upper elementary students. These editions include kid-friendly profiles of 70+ countries, all 50 states (including Washington, D.C.), and the Canadian provinces.
CultureGrams goes beyond mere facts and figures to deliver an insider's perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people.
Country: Brunei
- Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
- Population: 379,444 (rank=175)
- Area, sq. mi.: 2,228 (rank=170)
- Area, sq. km.: 5,770
- Human Dev. Index rank: 34 of 177 countries
- Adjusted for women: NA
- Real GDP per capita: $19,210
- Adult literacy rate: 95% (male); 90% (female)
- Infant mortality rate: 8 per 1,000 births
- Life expectancy: 75 (male); 79 (female)
Did You Know?
- Oil wealth has given Brunei one of the highest GDPs per capita in Asia.
- About 10 percent of Bruneians live in a residential area with homes built on stilts over the Brunei River.
- Brunei's government owns a cattle ranch in Australia (the ranch is larger than Brunei itself), which provides the nation's beef supply.
General Attitudes
Bruneians are generally modest, polite, and down-to earth. They pride themselves on being hospitable, even to strangers. They appreciate the comforts and opportunities oil wealth has provided: a high standard of living, low crime and unemployment rates, and heavily subsidized education and health care. Home ownership, car ownership, and completion of higher education overseas are typical aspirations for many Bruneians today. Still, traditional ideals encompassed by the Melayu Islam Beraja (literally, "Malay Islamic Monarchy") ideology remain central to society -- Bruneians take great pride in their Malay heritage, the role of the sultan, and their nation's commitment to Islam.
Housing
Most families live in modern, Western-style houses made of bricks and concrete. A typical home has a living room, kitchen, and three or four bedrooms. An amah will have a separate room. About 10 percent of Brunei's population lives in Kampong Ayer (literally, "the water village"), a residential area of the capital with homes built on stilts over the Brunei River. Although reminiscent of traditional stilt houses, the houses of Kampong Ayer are modern structures equipped with appliances, satellite television dishes, and other amenities. Residents walk from one house to another using an elaborate system of wooden walkways. They access the mainland via speedboat. Traditional wooden houses are rare. Those still found in villages have modern elements such as metal roofs.
Dating and Marriage
The wedding ceremony, or akad nikah (the solemnization of marriage vows), is usually held at the bride's house. An imam (Muslim religious leader) reads a sermon and officially pronounces the couple as husband and wife. At a reception called the bersanding, guests congratulate the couple, who are seated on a dais. That evening, the groom's parents bring food for the bride's family. Then the bride and groom feed each other. It is said that the way the couple feeds each other indicates how they will take care of each other during their married life. On the third or seventh day after the wedding, the groom's family typically brings the newlyweds household items such as rice and sugar or appliances such as a television or washing machine. If the couple has arranged their own housing, the groom usually stays with the bride's family for at least a week before the couple moves out.
Economy
Brunei's economy depends almost entirely on oil and natural gas, which account for 90 percent of the nation's exports. However, less than 10 percent of the workforce is employed in the oil and gas industries. The government is the largest employer. Oil and gas wealth has given Brunei one of the highest GDPs per capita in Southeast Asia, and Bruneians do not pay taxes. In anticipation of diminishing oil and gas reserves, the government is seeking to diversify the economy though eco-tourism and other industries. Brunei has a small agricultural and fishing sector, but most food is imported. The government owns a cattle ranch in Australia (the ranch is larger than Brunei itself), which provides the nation's beef supply. The currency is the Bruneian dollar (BND).
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