Brunei is located on the Island of Borneo and is bordered to the south by Malaysia. At one point in history it was the center of an expansive Empire before heading into a gradual decline until it assumed it's present configuration and became a British Protectorate in 1888. It won it's independance from the United Kingdom in 1984 and is now recognized as an industrialized nation and a wealthy one at that- Forbes ranked Brunei as the 5th richest country in the world and it's got the second highest Human Development Index in the region after Singapore.
The current flag was adopted on September 29th, 1959 for national and civil usage. The yellow in the flag represents the Sultan of Brunei, while the black and white stripes represent Brunei's chief ministers. The national arms are placed in the center of the flag. The upturned hands on either side of the arms (and I know it's a little hard to tell that they're hands, but that's what they are) represent the benevolence of the government. The flag and umberella at the top are symbols of royalty while the central mast below them is a symbol of the state. The crescent at the center of the arms represents Islam and Brunei's Muslim traditions- the Arabic motto translates as 'Always render service by God's guidance.' and below that at the very bottom, the scroll is inscribed with the words Brunei Darussalam or City of Peace.
And while in the age of industrialized democracies and figurehead monarchs that we live in people are starting to wonder just whether or not it is good to be King, being the Sultan of Brunei seems to be a pretty sweet deal, by all accounts.
So put your hands together and give it up for Brunei! And remember, until next time keep your flags flying- FREAK or otherwise.
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