Is there such a country in Southeast Asia? People's unfamiliarity with it makes it seem very "mysterious"! This is a real-life utopian monarchy, and people are living happily! But if you are used to the "bright wine" life, don't come here, I am afraid you will "go crazy"!
What kind of country is Brunei?
We have always had a lot of curiosity about brunei, a strange country, so let's take a look at what kind of country it is:
A country that has suffered a lot
Brunei has a history of 1500 years, and ancient China called it "Boli" and "Boni". It has been one of the inhabited places since the 8th century, became an Islamic state in the 13th century, and in the late 14th century Brunei was a vassal state of the Majapahi Empire based in Guawa, and soon thereafter became an independent sultanate.
However, since the beginning of the 16th century, Brunei has been invaded by Portugal and Spain, and in the 17th century Brunei began to decline due to the Brunei Civil War and the competition and threat posed by the Spaniards to its trade, coupled with the power struggle between the imperial court for many years.
In 1888, Brunei became a British "protectorate". After the outbreak of World War II, Brunei was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945, and the Japanese caused serious damage to Brunei's natural resources and people's lives. After Japan's defeat, Britain returned to Brunei.
After years of hard work, brunei finally declared its full independence on January 1, 1984.
The mysterious kingdom
Only a few people on the mainland know about this country, making it seem extremely mysterious.
The reason for the mystery is that the country is very low-key, Brunei has never taken a stance in regional and international disputes, and basically handles regional and international affairs in a neutral manner.
In addition, due to fears of dilution of state welfare, Brunei's control over foreign immigrants is extremely tight, and it is almost impossible for outsiders to become Brunei nationals without special circumstances.
Due to this relatively stagnant state, the outside world's understanding of Brunei is limited to the wealth of the royal family and the people, and the rest is basically unknown.
The richest country in the world
Brunei is the third largest oil producer in Asia and the fourth largest producer of LNG in the world, and oil and gas production and exports are the backbone of Brunei's economy, accounting for 36% of GDP and 95% of total export revenue.
Brunei's oil reserves and production are second only to Indonesia, ranking second in Southeast Asia, and its export of liquefied natural gas ranks second in the world, with a per capita GDP of up to $30,000, making it one of the richest countries in the world.
Interestingly, Brunei's energy income distribution is rare in the world: half of the income goes to the Sultan's Royal Family of Brunei, and the remaining half goes to the government and the people.
In 1997, the king of Brunei's personal assets reached $35 billion, which ranked 97th in the GDP of the world that year, which is really a rich country!
However, Brunei's fiscal revenue is too dependent on energy, and it can be said that the living standards of Brunei people depend entirely on international energy prices.
To this end, in recent years, the Brunei government has vigorously pursued a policy of economic diversification and privatization, seeking to change the monolithic economic structure that is overly dependent on oil and gas.
In addition, the per capita income of local residents is as high as US$32,230, second only to Singapore's US$59,590 in Asia.
A country with a high level of national happiness
The benefits of Brunei are so good! So good that even the highly developed Nordic countries dare not compare!
The days of the people are almost idle lying down to divide the money.
Bruneians are free from birth to death, even the house is allocated by the state free of charge, and the hospital only needs a symbolic registration fee of one dollar, and the rest is borne by the state. If there is no cure in China, it will be sent to Singapore, Hong Kong or Japan for treatment at the expense of the government.
Education in Brunei is also free, and if you study abroad, the government will also be responsible for tuition, living expenses and travel expenses, as well as a family visit fee every year.
Brunei is also a tax-free country, and the state does not pay taxes on any goods purchased. With good welfare and good education, Brunei's security is also very good.
People living in Brunei are really happy!
Islamic state
Brunei is almost a country that has written Islam to its core.
Men here are not allowed to wear bathrobes or shorts, girls are not allowed to show their shoulders and bare legs, basically wear long sleeves or skirts, skirts must cover the knees, and people wear headscarves.
Drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islamic teachings, so you won't find bars, KTV, nightclubs or anything like that in Brunei, only mosques everywhere.
So, life here is boring, if you are used to the life of red wine, you must not be able to stand it!
A country that has long been influenced by Chinese culture
Brunei sent emissaries to Visit China as early as the Liang Dynasty during the Southern and Northern Dynasties of the mainland, and has been in contact since then, and some Chinese people have traveled to that area to live and develop, which has allowed the culture of the mainland to begin to spread in the local area.
Brunei has extended Chinese education for the first half of the year, and today we can still find Brunei Chung Wah Secondary School.
Today, the proportion of Chinese in Brunei's population accounts for about 10.2%, and Chinese is widely spoken here.
Countries where the laws are relatively harsh
Because of their belief in Islam, They promote Islamic laws and values.
According to Islamic penal law, Muslims who commit acts of homosexuality, adultery, theft, drinking alcohol, and abortion are subject to severe punishments such as stoning, beheading, and flogging. But these penalties are not used against non-Muslims.
The cuisine of Brunei
Travel to Brunei, do not eat honey chicken tail, just come in vain. In order to be able to eat high-quality chicken tails, the king of Brunei even bought a large area of land in Australia to raise chickens.
"Blue shrimp" is also a specialty of Brunei, it is the royal shrimp species of the royal family, and it is one of the three high-quality shrimp species in the world.
There is also a traditional dish that looks like a paste - "western rice". Usually, the core of the coconut tree is ground into powder, then stirred in hot water, cooled and then served in a viscous shape, with a special sweet and sour seasoning, the taste is very special.
There is also the well-known Brunei grilled fish, the color makes people have an appetite when they see it, the taste is very tender, and the meat quality is very good.
Friends who like good food can go to Katong Night Market.
Katong Night Market is the most popular place in Seri Begawan and the largest night market in Brunei, with a variety of new and delicious snacks to satisfy your taste buds.
Although the army is small, the proportion is high
Brunei has a voluntary military service system and currently has a total strength of about 6,000 troops, as well as a police force of about 4,000 people.
Although Brunei's armed forces are no more than 10,000 people, the military is still very high at a base of about 460,000.
The public transport system is lagging behind
Many people who travel to Brunei can feel that it is difficult to get a taxi, and taxi drivers all depend on the mood to make money. Sometimes the bus has to wait for hours to see. Therefore, many people who travel to Brunei joke about buying a car in the local area, otherwise they can't play.
Brunei has one of the highest percentage of private cars in the world, but its public transport is lagging behind.
The scenery of Brunei is also very nice!
In this country that is extremely boring and very rich in the eyes of young people, there is also a lot worth visiting:
(1) "Venice of the East" - Brunei Water Village
(2) Brunei landmark and the largest mosque - Jamie Mosque
(3) Satisfy all your imagination of the rainforest - Tamburong National Park
(4) The largest memorial in the world - the Sultan Memorial
(5) The largest royal palace in the world - nuloiman palace
Write at the end
Brunei is truly a magical and somewhat enviable country! People have faith in life, many things the country has done for you, really happy!
Would you be willing to endure a boring life and become a Brunei person without stress and without work if you had the chance?
What do you want to say about Brunei?