nPostednon February 23, 2014
n
n
n
n
n
 |
| This map highlights with a red star the port of Muara, in Brunei. |
n
nBruneinis a small nation located on the island of Borneo. It is entirelynsurrounded (except for the coast) by part of Malaysia—and a chunknof Malaysia actually divides Brunei in two! It’s also quitensmall—smaller than the U.S. state of Delaware, although a bitnlarger than Rhode Island.
n
n
n
n You would think, wouldn’t you, that anSoutheast Asian nation this small and divided might be poor andnundeveloped?
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nWell,nif you thought that, you would be wrong. Brunei is considered andeveloped nation, and it is wealthy from its petroleum and naturalngas resources. It is second only to Singapore, among Southeast Asiannnations, in education and health statistics, and in 2011, it was onenof only two nations in the world with 0% national debt!
n
n
n
n
n
nTodaynBrunei celebrates its independence from the U.K. in 1984.
n
n
n
n
n
nOnenthing that is interesting to see at Brunei is Kampong Ayer, the WaternVillage, which is a part of the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan.nEvery building in the village is built on stilts—because thenvillage is built in the middle of the Brunei River!
n
n
n
n
n
nYounmay be picturing a cluster of 30 buildings in the river, built onnstilts, and you may think, oh, how nice—but the Water Village isnmore than 4,200 structures. There are houses, of course, but therenare also restaurants, shops, schools, and a hospital. There arenmosques. There are more than 29 thousand meters of foot-bridgesnconnecting the village to the shore, and 36 kilometers of boardwalksnconnecting the various buildings. Instead of using the boardwalks,nmany people go from place to place on water taxis that look like longnwooden speed boats.
n
n
n
n
n
n
nEvennthough people have lived in the Water Village for more than 1,300nyears, there are modern facilities available. People enjoy plumbingnand electricity, of course, but they also enjoy air conditioning,nsatellite TV, and internet access.
n
n
n
n
n
n
OppositenKampong Ayer is a beautiful mosque called Sultan Omar Ali SaifuddinnMosque. It is built in an artificial lagoon. With its marble minaretsnand golden domes, the mosque is one of the most recognizable bits ofnskyline of the capital. It is surrounded by a courtyard and gardens.nA bridge leads to the Water Village, and another bridge leads to anreplica of a 16th-Century barge.
OppositenKampong Ayer is a beautiful mosque called Sultan Omar Ali SaifuddinnMosque. It is built in an artificial lagoon. With its marble minaretsnand golden domes, the mosque is one of the most recognizable bits ofnskyline of the capital. It is surrounded by a courtyard and gardens.nA bridge leads to the Water Village, and another bridge leads to anreplica of a 16th-Century barge.n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Curling is Cool Day
Curling is Cool Day
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nMashramaninin Guyana
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Scholarnand civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois’s birthday
Scholarnand civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois’s birthdayn
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nAnniversarynof the writing of the song “This Land Is Your Land”l
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nPlannahead:
n
n
n
n
n
n
n Checkn out my Pinterest boards for:
n
- n
-
n
-
n
n
n
n
- n
-
nHistoricaln anniversaries in February
n
n
n
nAndn here are my Pinterest boards for:
n
- n
-
nMarchn holidays
n
-
n
-
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
