Brunei History

History
Brunei, is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, the sovereign state is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Brunei is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo; the remainder of the island's territory is divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia.

In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate and was assigned a British resident as colonial manager in 1906. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, in 1959 a new constitution was written. In 1962, a small armed rebellion against the monarchy was ended with the help of the British. Brunei gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984. 

Timeline
1578 - Spain declared war, planning to attack and capture Kota Batu, Brunei's capital at the time 1660 - 1673 - Brunei suffered a civil war 1888 - 1984 - The Treaty of Protection was signed into effect. It provided Britain effective control over Brunei's external affairs, making it a British protectorate 1941 - The Japanese invaded Brunei eight days after their attack on Pearl Harbor. After six days of fighting, they occupied the entire country 1945 - The Japanese forces in Brunei, Borneo, and Sarawak,formally surrendered 1984 - The date of independence of Brunei 2013 - Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced his intention to impose Penal Code from the Sharia law on the country's Muslims, which make up roughly two thirds of the country's population

Helpful Links

 * InfoPlease
 * Britannica
 * National Encyclopedia