Brunei Darussalam — to give the small sultanate its full official name — is a tiny but wealthy nation on the north coast of Borneo. Its official language is Standard Malay (Bahasa Melayu), which is virtually identical to Malaysian Malay and highly mutually intelligible with Indonesian. The Bruneian Malay dialect has its own distinct features, but the standard written language is shared with Malaysia. Brunei's national ideology, Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB — Malay Islamic Monarchy), enshrines the Malay language as a cornerstone of national identity alongside Islam and the monarchy. English is widely used in business, higher education, and as a medium of instruction in schools. Brunei was a significant maritime sultanate from the 15th to 17th centuries, at its height controlling much of Borneo and the southern Philippines, spreading Malay culture and Islam throughout the region.
