Hello everyone, welcome to my channel where I explore different countries and their currencies. Today, I will talk about Brunei and its currency, the Brunei dollar.
Brunei is a small but wealthy country located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Malaysia and the South China Sea and has a population of about 460,000 people.
Brunei is known for its rich oil and gas reserves, its Islamic monarchy, its lush rainforests and its diverse wildlife.
Brunei has a long and fascinating history that dates back to the 7th century when it was part of the Srivijaya empire.
It later became a vassal state of the Majapahit Empire, then the Sultanate of Malacca, then the Bruneian Empire, which reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Brunei was then influenced by European powers, such as Portugal, Spain, Britain, and the Netherlands, who competed for trade and control in the region.
Brunei became a British protectorate in 1888 and gained full independence in 1984. Today, Brunei is ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is one of the world's longest-reigning and richest monarchs.
Brunei is a prosperous and stable country that enjoys a high standard of living and a low unemployment rate.
It has a mixed economy that relies mainly on oil and gas exports, which account for about 90% of its GDP.
It also has a growing tourism sector that attracts visitors with its natural beauty, cultural heritage and Islamic architecture.
Brunei is a member of several regional and international organizations, such as ASEAN, OIC, APEC and the Commonwealth of Nations.
It also maintains close ties with Singapore, with whom it shares a currency interchangeability agreement.
The currency of Brunei is the Brunei dollar (sign: B$, code: BND), which has been in use since 1967. It is divided into 100 sen or cents.
The Brunei dollar is issued by the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD), which is the central bank of Brunei.
The Brunei dollar is pegged to the Singapore dollar at par, meaning that one Brunei dollar is equal to one Singapore dollar.
This means that both currencies are accepted as legal tender in both countries and can be exchanged without any fees or charges.
The exchange rate between the Brunei dollar and other major currencies can be found online or at any bank or money changer.
The Brunei dollar comes in both banknotes and coins. The banknotes are made of polymer plastic, which makes them durable and resistant to counterfeiting.
The banknotes have different colors, sizes, and designs that feature the portrait of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on the front, and various landmarks, animals, and plants on the back.
The banknotes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 10,000 dollars². The coins are made of nickel-plated steel or bi-metallic materials, which makes them easy to distinguish by touch.
The coins have different shapes, sizes and designs that feature the coat of arms of Brunei on the obverse, and various flowers on the reverse. The coins come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 sen².
Before the introduction of the Brunei dollar in 1967, Brunei used various currencies throughout its history.
These included cowrie shells, bronze teapots, Spanish-American silver dollars, Straits dollars, Malayan dollars, and Malaya and British Borneo dollars.
The last currency was replaced by the Brunei dollar after the formation of Malaysia and the independence of Singapore in 1963.
The Brunei dollar has undergone several changes since then, such as new designs, security features, commemorative issues, and polymer notes.
That's it for today's video blog post. I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new about Brunei and its currency. If you did, please like, share, comment, subscribe, hit the bell icon, and follow me on social media.. Thank you for watching and I'll see you in the next one.
