BRUNEI: HISTORY, POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

Abstract

The report examines the development of Brunei from its founding to the present day. At the beginning,
the pre-Islamic period is briefly presented, and then the time from the founding of the Sultanate in 1363 until it
became a protectorate of the British Empire in 1888. Item 4 draws attention to the growing importance of Brunei
after the start of oil exploitation in 1929, the Japanese occupation of 1941-1945 and the return of the British after the
end of World War II. The report further analyzes the political and economic development of the Sultanate since
independence from Britain on 1 January 1984. Special attention is paid to the importance of oil and natural gas to
Brunei's economy, as well as the government's attempts to diversify the economy. The importance for Brunei of its
admission as the sixth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on 7 January 1984 was also noted, as
it led to the recognition and acceptance of the Sultanate as an equal state among the other ASEAN member states.