The economy of Brunei, a small and wealthy country, is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village traditions. It is almost entirely supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for over half of GDP. Per capita GDP is high, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing. The government has shown progress in its basic policy of diversifying the economy away from oil and gas. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion although it has taken steps to become a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC forum. Growth in 1999 was estimated at 2.5% due to higher oil prices in the second half.
Belait District or simply known as Belait, is the largest as well as the westernmost district in Brunei. It has an area of 2,727 square kilometres (1,053 sq mi) and the population of 65,531 as of 2021. The administrative town is Kuala Belait, located at the mouth of the 32 kilometres (20 mi) long Belait River. The district is commonly associated with the oil and gas industry of the country, mainly concentrated near the town of Seria.
The Brunei revolt or the Brunei rebellion of 1962 was a December 1962 insurrection in the British protectorate of Brunei by opponents of its monarchy and its proposed inclusion in the Federation of Malaysia who wanted to establish a republic. The insurgents were members of the TNKU, a militia supplied by Indonesia and linked to the left-wing Brunei People's Party (BPP), which favoured a North Borneo Federation. The TNKU began co-ordinated attacks on the oil town of Seria, on police stations, and on government facilities around the protectorate. The revolt began to break down within hours, having failed to achieve key objectives such as the capture of Brunei Town and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The revolt influenced the Sultan's 1963 decision not to join Malaysia. It is seen as one of the first stages of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.
Kuala Belait or officially the Kuala Belait Town, and colloquially referred to as KB, is the administrative town of Belait District, Brunei. The population of the town proper was 4,259 in 2016. Kuala Belait is officially a municipal area, as well as a village under the mukim of the same name. The town is located 85 kilometres (53 mi) west of the country's capital Bandar Seri Begawan, and 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Seria, the district's other town. It is also in the westernmost part of country, near the mouth of the Belait River.
Seria or officially known as Seria Town, is a town in Belait District, Brunei. It is located about 65 kilometres (40 mi) west from the country's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The total population was 3,625 in 2016. It was where oil was first struck in Brunei in 1929 and has since become a centre for the country's oil and gas industry. The town's bazaar, officially opened on 19 September 1954, has few retail establishments, fresh food markets, supermarkets, banking services, tourist information centers, and a range of restaurants, including Malay, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Italian ones as well as outdoor dining in somewhat rustic settings. For processing documentation related to owning a car and hiring domestic helpers (amahs), government offices are located in Kuala Belait.
The Victoria Institution is the oldest secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a memorial school, so-called because it was partly funded by public subscription intended for the erection of a permanent memorial to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. The establishment of the school was further supported by financial contributions from the Sultan and government of Selangor, prominent Kuala Lumpur residents, and the general public.
The Catholic Church in Brunei Darussalam is a part of the worldwide Catholic Church, in communion with the pope in Rome, and constitutionally recognised within the state of Brunei Darussalam. The entire territory of the Church in Brunei is organised as an apostolic vicariate, under the leadership of a bishop, since 2005. While no formal diplomatic relations exist between the Holy See and Brunei, there are existing quasi-diplomatic contacts between the church and government agencies at multiple levels. Since 1990, a papal nuncio has visited the country annually to make contact with the local church as well as the foreign affairs ministry. The Apostolic Delegation to Brunei Darussalam was established in 1998 following the establishment of the distinct Bruneian ecclesiastical territory as an apostolic prefecture. The Bruneian ecclesiastical jurisdiction falls under the purview of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
The mass media in Brunei are strictly controlled by the government under Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, which has effectively imposed martial law in the country since the Brunei Revolt of 1962. News coverage consists of police-beat reporting, lifestyle features, and community events, with little in the way of diverse viewpoints. Reporters Without Borders reports there is "virtually no criticism of the government". The liberal democracy watchdog Freedom House lists Brunei's media as "not free".
Panaga is a coastal settlement on the north-east coast of the island of Borneo, in the Bruneian district of Belait. Officially known as Kampong Panaga, it is a village-level subdivision under Seria, a mukim or subdistrict of Belait. The settlement of Panaga comprises a public housing estate under the National Housing Scheme and the housing estate of Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), the main oil and gas company in the country. Panaga is also home to the headquarters of the company itself. The postcode for Panaga is KB4533.
Anduki Airfield is a domestic airfield which now primarily operates as a heliport, located in Seria, a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. Although Anduki Airfield is owned by the Government of Brunei, it is operated and managed by Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), who currently fly Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters in support of servicing offshore oil platforms. Brunei Shell Petroleum replaced the original grass airstrip with a sealed instrument runway in 2008. Future upgrades include the addition of runway lighting, and an enhanced instrument approach procedure. Operations at Anduki Airfield are carried out in accordance with regulations from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards.
St. Peter's High School is a Catholic Pakistani high school in Toba Tek Singh,, a city and district in the province of Punjab.
St. Anthony's National Secondary School is a public secondary school in Sarikei, a town in the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. The school was established in 1932. Currently, there are about 2000 students and more than 100 teachers in the school.
The Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception (COOL) is a Roman Catholic church of the Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei in the town of Seria, Belait District. The late Cardinal Cornelius Sim, the most well-known Catholic in the country, gave it enormous popularity. It is the second of three Roman Catholic churches in the nation; the other two being the St. John's Church in Kuala Belait and the Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in the Brunei capital Bandar Seri Begawan.
Christ Church is a historical building and a school located in the Hazratganj area of Lucknow, India. It is the first English church in Northern India and the third in the country.
My Queenstown Heritage Trail is a walking trail in Queenstown, Singapore. The trail was launched in 2010 by civic group, My Community, to promote the heritage, local culture and architectural styles in Queenstown.
Anthony Abell College is a government secondary school in Seria, a town in Belait District, Brunei. It was one of the earliest secondary schools to be established in the country. The school provides five years of general secondary education leading up to O Level qualification. It has 630 students. The current principal is Mas Diana binti Haji Abdul Samat.
Rail transport in Brunei highlights its role in industrial and wartime efforts, beginning with the Brooketon Colliery's 19th century coal railway to Muara's harbour, which aided steamship routes. Later, Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) built a line from Seria to Badas in the 1930s for water and pipeline transport, reactivated briefly by Australian forces in the Second World War. Today, Brunei LNG uses a rail system to transport equipment offshore, and plans for a Trans Borneo Railway aim to enhance trade by linking Brunei with neighbouring regions, underscoring rail’s lasting impact on Brunei's economy and connectivity.
The Oil and Gas Discovery Centre is a science centre in Seria, Belait District, Brunei. It was constructed near the Seria Oil Field and was rebranded Seria Energy Lab (SEL) in 2020. As BSP's flagship initiative, it aims to promote the nation's scientific literacy.
The St. John's Church is a Roman Catholic church of the Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei in the town of Kuala Belait, Belait District. It is one of three Roman Catholic churches in the nation; the other two being the Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception in Seria and the Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) is a joint venture between the Royal Dutch/Shell Group and government of Brunei, primarily responsible for the exploration and production of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Originally known as the British Malayan Petroleum Company (BMPC), it was established in 1922. BSP is crucial to Brunei's economy and political landscape, particularly regarding oil development and resource management. Its establishment and growth were closely tied to the Sultan of Brunei's decisions, as BSP provided essential insights into oil discoveries that influenced the Sultan's stance on joining Malaysia, thereby shaping the country's economic and political independence. Due to a lack of personnel, Brunei does not want to create a state oil corporation; nevertheless, the government does intend to raise its stake in BSP and solidify its influence over the energy industry.
