Brunei :: Government

Country name: Brunei

Official name: Brunei Darussalam

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan

Year of independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984)
Note: 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection

Head of state and government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
(since 5 October 1967)

Type of government: constitutional sultanate

Legislature:
  • Legislative Council met on 25 September 2004 for first time in 20 years
    with 21 members appointed by the Sultan

  • Sultan dissolved council on 1 September 2005 and
    appointed a new council with 29 members the next day
National flag
  • yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top) and black starting from the upper hoist side;
  • the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center;
  • the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
swallow-tailed flag = royalty
winged column = protection of justice, tranquillity, prosperity and peace
two upraised hands = Government's pledge to promote welfare, peace and prosperity
upturned crescent = symbol of Islam, the national religion