Brunei's Location: A Southeast Asian Gem

Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a small yet wealthy country located in Southeast Asia. It is situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo, with a coastline along the South China Sea. Brunei is surrounded by Malaysia, with the Malaysian state of Sarawak dividing the country into two non-contiguous parts. The country has a population of approximately 400,000 to 450,000 people and its capital and largest city is Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei gained independence from British rule in 1984 and is now a constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, with Islam as the state religion. The country's wealth is largely derived from its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, making it one of the highest standards of living in the world.

Brunei is located in Southeast Asia, on the northern coast of the island of Borneo

Brunei is surrounded by Malaysia and has two parts physically separated by Malaysian territory, almost making it an enclave. It is bounded to the north by the South China Sea and on all other sides by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. The western segment is the larger of the two and contains the capital city. The eastern part of the state consists predominantly of rugged mountain terrain, rising 1,850 metres above sea level at Bukit Pagon. The coast has a wide, tidal, and swampy plain.

The country has a population of approximately 455,858 as of 2023, with about 180,000 people residing in the capital. The official language of Brunei is Malay, and Islam is the state religion. The country has one of the world's highest standards of living, and Bruneians pay no income tax. The Sultan of Brunei is one of the world's longest-reigning and few remaining absolute monarchs and is also one of the richest individuals in the world.

It is surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak and has maritime borders with China and Malaysia

Brunei is located in Southeast Asia on the northwestern coast of the island of Borneo. It is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Sarawak is the largest among the 13 states of Malaysia, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. It is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Kalimantan (the Indonesian portion of Borneo) to the south, and Brunei in the north.

Brunei has a 381-kilometre land border with Malaysia, consisting of a 528.45-kilometre land border and substantial lengths of maritime borders stretching from the coastline of the two countries to the edge of the continental shelf in the South China Sea. Brunei claims a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that overlaps with China's nine-dash line, and it also has a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea.

Brunei had a maritime border dispute with Malaysia, which surrounds it on three sides, that was resolved amicably in 2009 after an exchange of letters. The letters settled several sovereignty-related issues, including the delimitation of maritime boundaries, the establishment of a Commercial Arrangement Area (CAA) for oil and gas, and the delimitation of the territorial seas, the continental shelf, and the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of both countries.

Brunei yielded parts of its EEZ to Malaysia, and Malaysia gained the right to develop the Kikeh block, an offshore site within Brunei's EEZ with estimated reserves of over 700 million barrels of oil. The exchange of letters essentially resolved the dispute, with Malaysia acquiescing to Brunei's EEZ and claim to Louisa Reef.

Brunei is divided into four districts: Brunei-Muara, Belait, Tutong, and Temburong

Each district has a town that serves as its administrative and economic centre, except for Brunei-Muara, where the principal centre is Bandar Seri Begawan, the country's capital and largest city. Each district is further divided into several mukims, and each mukim consists of several villages (kampung).

The country previously had six districts: Brunei, Muara, Limau Manis (also known as Ulu Brunei), Tutong, Belait, and Temburong. In 1908, Brunei and Limau Manis were merged, and in 1938, the districts were restructured to form the present-day four districts.

The country has a population of approximately 400,000-450,000 people, with its capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, being home to around 150,000-180,000 residents

Brunei is a small country located in Southeast Asia, on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. It is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, except for its coastline on the South China Sea. The country is divided into two parts: the larger western segment, which contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, and the smaller eastern segment, which is mountainous and sparsely populated.

Bandar Seri Begawan is the largest city in Brunei, with a population of around 100,700 as of 2007. However, the population of the city is estimated to be higher, at around 150,000-180,000 residents. The city is located on the Brunei River and is known for its water village, Kampong Ayer, which is built on stilts along the river. Bandar Seri Begawan is the country's administrative, commercial, and cultural centre and is home to several important historical and religious sites, including the Istana Nurul Iman, the world's largest residential palace.

The total population of Brunei is approximately 400,000-450,000 people. The country has a high urbanisation rate, with about 76%-79.7% of the population living in urban areas. The population is relatively young, with more than one-fifth under the age of 15 and about half under the age of 30. The official language of Brunei is Malay, and the country is predominantly Muslim, with Islam as the state religion.

Brunei gained independence from British rule in 1984 and has been led by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah since 1967

Brunei is a small oil-rich sultanate located on the northern coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is bounded by the South China Sea to the north and the East Malaysian state of Sarawak to the east, west, and south, which also divides the state into two non-contiguous segments. The western segment is larger and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei gained independence from British rule in 1984, having been a British protectorate since 1888. It has been led by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is also the prime minister, finance minister, and defence minister, since 1967.

Upon Brunei's independence, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah appointed himself prime minister and introduced an ideology called Malay Muslim Monarchy, which presented the monarch as the defender of the Islamic faith. Brunei has a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Council, whose members are appointed by the Sultan. The country's wealth is derived from its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, which have transformed it into an industrialised country.

Brunei has a high standard of living, and its citizens pay no income tax. The Sultan regularly allocates land lots and housing to deserving residents under various government schemes. Brunei has the second-highest Human Development Index among Southeast Asian nations, after Singapore, and is classified as a "developed country".

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