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on the eve of ramadan
  People About 65 percent of all Bruneians are ethnic Malays. About 25 percent are Chinese, and the rest are largely Dayaks and members of other groups native to Borneo. Malay and English are official languages, but many also speak Chinese. Islam is Brunei's official religion. The government uses income from its oil resources and worldwide investments to provide free education and free medical care, and to subsidize food and housing costs. It has built new houses for about one-third of the Bruneians who lived in "water towns" of wooden houses built on stilts above water. Made of wood, the new homes are simple one-room rectangular structures with porches. History About the size of the state of Delaware, the oil-rich nation of Brunei gained its independence from Great Britain in 1984 after 96 years as a British protectorate. Brunei is located on the lush green northwest coast of the huge island of Borneo, which it shares with parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. Sir Muda Hassanal Bolkiah, a sultan, is the nation's political and religious leader. He is the 29th hereditary sultan to rule the country in a line that dates back 500 years. Over one-quarter of all Bruneians live in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital and largest city. | |
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