Brunei , [ b ] officially Brunei Darussalam , [ c ] [ d ] 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 its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia.
As of [update] , the country had a population of ,, [ 11 ] of whom approximately , resided in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its official language is Malay and Islam is the state religion of the country, although other religions are nominally tolerated. The government of Brunei is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan , and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam , including sharia.
At the Bruneian Empire 's peak during the reign of Sultan Bolkiah β , the state is claimed to have had control over the most of Borneo , including modern-day Sarawak and Sabah , as well as the Sulu archipelago and the islands off the northwestern tip of Borneo. There are also claims to its historical control over Seludong, in which Southeast Asian scholars believe the name of the location in question is actually in reference to Mount Selurong, in Indonesia, [ 18 ] or Serudong River in eastern Sabah.
During the 19th century, the Bruneian Empire began to decline. In , Brunei became a British protectorate and was assigned a British resident as colonial manager in In , a small armed rebellion against the monarchy which was indirectly related to the IndonesiaβMalaysia confrontation was ended with British assistance and led to the ban of the pro-independent Brunei People's Party. The revolt had also influenced the Sultan's decision not to join the Malaysian Federation while it was being formed.
Britain's protectorate over Brunei would eventually end on 1 January , becoming a fully sovereign state. Brunei has been led by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah since , and the country's unicameral legislature , the Legislative Council , is simply consultative and are all appointed by the Sultan. The country's wealth derives from its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields.
