Brunei, formally Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2020 the country had a population of 460,345, of whom approximately 100,000 resided in the capital and largest city Bandar Seri Begawan. The government of Brunei is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan of Brunei, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.
The history of Brunei concerns the settlements and societies located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, which has been under the influence of Indianised kingdoms and empires for much of its history. Local scholars assume that the Islamisation of Brunei started in the fifteenth century, with the formation of the Bruneian Empire, a thalassocracy which covered the northern part of Borneo and the southern Philippines. At the end of the 17th century, Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by Brunei Civil War, piracy, and European colonial expansion. Later, there was a brief war with Spain, in which Brunei lost Manila and evacuated their capital for a brief period until the Spanish withdrew. The empire lost much of its territory with the arrival of the Western powers, such as the Spanish in the Philippines and the British in Labuan, Sarawak, and North Borneo. The decline of the Bruneian Empire accelerated in the nineteenth century when Brunei gave much of its territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, resulting in its current small landmass and separation into two parts. Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin later appealed to the British to stop further annexation in 1888. In the same year, the British signed a "Treaty of Protection" and made Brunei a British protectorate until 1984 when it gained independence and prospered due to the discovery of oil.
Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital and largest city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area with an area of 100.36 square kilometres (38.75 sq mi) and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei-Muara District, the smallest yet most populous district which is home to over 70 per cent of the country's population. It is the country's largest urban centre and nominally the country's only city. The capital is home to Brunei's seat of government, as well as a commercial and cultural centre. It was formerly known as Brunei Town until it was renamed in 1970 in honour of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei and the father of the current Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Labuan, officially the Federal Territory of Labuan, is an island federal territory of Malaysia. Its territory includes Labuan Island and six smaller islands, off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support hub for deepwater oil and gas activities in the region. It is also a tourist destination for people travelling through Sabah, nearby Bruneians and scuba divers. The name Labuan derives from the Malay word labuhan which means harbour.
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore.
Sultan Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien was the 28th Sultan of Brunei, reigning from 1950 until his abdication from the throne in 1967.
Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Hassanal Bolkiah is the eldest son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife Queen Saleha. He is the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam and is first in the line of succession to the Bruneian throne.
Sarah binti Salleh Ab. Rahaman is the wife of the Crown Prince of Brunei, Al-Muhtadee Billah and born as the daughter of a distant member of the royal family. While attending a pre-university course at 17, she married the Crown Prince. The couple have four children.
Omar Ali Saifuddin II was the 23rd Sultan of Brunei. During his reign, Western powers such as the United Kingdom and the United States visited the country. His reign saw the British adventurer James Brooke becoming the White Rajah of Sarawak.
Ahmad Tajuddin Akhazul Khairi Waddien was the 27th Sultan of Brunei from 1924 until his death in 1950. He was succeeded by his younger brother Omar Ali Saifuddien.
Victoria, sometimes known as Bandar Labuan, is the capital of the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia, an island group off the north coast of Borneo. It is in the southeast corner of Labuan and its Malay name, Bandar Victoria, is commonly used to honour the reign of Queen Victoria. The town is an urban district within the wider city limits of Victoria which includes Labuan Port, a sheltered deep-water harbour which is an important trans-shipment point for Brunei Darussalam, northern Sarawak and western Sabah.
Abdul Momin was the 24th Sultan of Brunei from 1852 until his death in 1885.
Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin was the 25th Sultan of Brunei from 1885 to 1906.
Saiful Rijal ibni Abdul Kahar, also spelled Saiful Rehal and Saiful Rizal, was the eighth Sultan of Brunei and reigned from 1533 to 1581. He was succeeded by his eldest son Shah Berunai.
Pengiran Anak Mohamed Alam OBE was a nobleman and politician whom became the fourth Speaker of the Brunei Legislative Council, serving from 14 July 1971 until 30 November 1974. He was the father of Pengiran Anak Saleha, the queen consort of Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei. He was also the uncle and father-in-law of the Sultan. He was also a maternal grandfather of Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince.
Pengiran Anak Damit was Queen of Brunei as the wife of the 28th Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Jamil Al-Sufri, pen name Wijaya, was a nobleman, historian and teacher from Brunei who previously served as a member of the Royal Council, member of the Royal Succession Council, member of the Islamic Religious Council, and member of the Privy Council. He has also been referred to as the National Historian. He wrote works on the country's history, ancestry, customs and traditions, royal titles, Malay Islamic Monarchy (MIB), education, writings on Brunei heroes, and other topics.
Pengiran Anak Hashim, also simply referred to as P. M. Hashim, was a Bruneian nobleman and politician who formerly held several high-ranking positions which included being a member of the Privy Council, Legislative Council, and the Islamic Religious Council.
The Istana Darul Hana is one of the few remaining palaces in Brunei which notably, is the former residence of Omar Ali Saifuddien III from 1951 to 1987. The palace is located on a hill at Kilometer 3 of Jalan Tutong in Kampong Tumasek, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. It is sometimes referred to as Istana Lama.
Treaty of Labuan at Wikisource 
