Brunei, officially the Sultanate of Brunei (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam or برني دارالسلام, Arabic: سلطنة بروناي or برني دارالسلام), is a country located on the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, East Malaysia.

History

The Sultanate of Brunei was very powerful from the 14th through the 16th century. Its realm covered the southern Philippines, Sarawak and Sabah. European influence gradually brought an end to this regional power. Later, there was a brief war with Spain in which Brunei was victorious. The decline of the Bruneian Empire culminated in the 19th century when Brunei lost much of its territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, resulting in its current small landmass and separation into two parts.