Place details
Place nameBrunei
Other namesNegara Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam, Islamic Sultanate of Brunei, State of Brunei Darussalam, State of Brunei, Abode of Peace, Brunéi, Brunéi Darussalam, BRN, BN, ISO096, BX00, Borneo, Bruneian
Latitude4.5
Longitude114.667
SourceThesaurus of Geographic Names
Overview
Powerful & populous pre-Spanish state; visited by Magellan 1521; refuge for pirates; powerful Muslim sultanate 16th cen., name "Borneo" used by Europeans for whole island; British control 19th-20th cen.; rejected membership in Federation of Malaysia 1963; official language is Malay, though English is widely spoken & used in official documents, & other non-Malay languages are spoken in the interior.