According to the webpage of the Brunei government, it was part of the British Empire up into the 80s. It is currently ruled by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, whose title is Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
Here's a picture of the Empire Hotel and Country Club, which is the best picture I could find--I did see a really cool palace looking thing, but the caption was in Japanese, so I wasn't sure if it was really in Brunei Darussalam or not.
The national philosophy of Brunei Darussalam is called Melayu Islam Beraja, and according to the countries webpage, it is "a blend of Malay language, culture and Malay customs, the teaching of Islamic laws and values and the monarchy system which must be esteemed and practiced by all. Islam is tolerant of all religions so the MIB philosophy cannot be viewed as a force which stifles the practice of other religions. Rather it is a vehicle by which other religions can carry on as usual their religious practices and rites with the respects and peace they deserve." Interesting. I wonder how that works in practice.
According to the CIA Worldbook, the country is about 67% Muslim, 13% Buddhist, 10% Christian, and about 10% indigineous beliefs and others. Amnesty International doesn't seem to think they are all that bad, although certainly not perfect. "Six members of a banned religious group were reportedly detained without charge or trial. Criminal suspects were sentenced to caning." On the plus side (from Amnesty International's point of view), the Government of Brunei Darussalam haven't carried out any executions since 1957.
Unsurprisingly the food of Brunei Darussalam is somewhat similar to the rest of Malaysian food. Here's a site that gives several recipes you might eat if you were to eat in Brunei Darussalam.
Anyway it's always nice to learn more about other parts of the world.
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