Discovering The Location Of Brunei Darussalam In Southeast Asia

Negara Brunei Darussalam, or Brunei, is a small equatorial country on the northern coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is bounded to the north by the South China Sea and on all other sides by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, which also divides the state into two disconnected segments of unequal size. The western segment is the larger of the two and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei achieved independence in 1984, having been a British protectorate since 1888. It is a member of the Commonwealth and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

Where is Negara Brunei Darussalam?

Negara Brunei Darussalam, or Brunei for short, is a small equatorial country in Southeast Asia. It is situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo, with a coastline along the South China Sea to the north. The country is bordered on all other sides by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, which also divides it into two non-contiguous parts. The western segment is the larger of the two and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei has a total area of 5,765 square kilometres, making it slightly larger than twice the size of Luxembourg or slightly smaller than the US state of Delaware. 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 the state religion is Islam, although other religions are tolerated.

Brunei gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984 and became a member of the Commonwealth the same year. The country has a constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, who also serves as the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, and Defence Minister. The wealth of Brunei comes from its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, making it one of the highest per capita GDPs in the less developed countries.

Borneo: the island where Brunei is located

Borneo, the third-largest island in the world, is located at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. It is one of the Greater Sunda Islands, situated north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra. The island is divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south.

Brunei, officially known as Negara Brunei Darussalam, is a small oil-rich sultanate on the northern coast of Borneo. It is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo, with the remainder of the island divided between Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei is bounded to the north by the South China Sea and on all other sides by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, which also divides the state into two disconnected segments of unequal size. The western segment is the larger of the two and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei has a population of approximately 455,858 as of 2023, with about 180,000 people residing in Bandar Seri Begawan. The official language of Brunei is Malay, and Islam is the state religion. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1984 and is a member of the Commonwealth and ASEAN.

Brunei consists of a narrow coastal plain in the north, which gives way to rugged hills in the south. The country is drained by several rivers, including the Belait, Tutong, Brunei, Pandaruan, and Temburong rivers, which flow northward to the South China Sea. The Belait is the largest river in the country. The soils of Brunei are generally infertile, with richer alluvial soils found along the rivers and in some parts of the coastal floodplain.

The climate of Brunei is tropical equatorial, governed by the equatorial monsoon winds. Temperatures are warm throughout the year, with precipitation averaging about 115 inches annually in the coastal areas and exceeding 150 inches farther inland.

About three-fifths of Brunei is covered with virgin tropical rainforest, and another one-fifth is under secondary forest. The undisturbed rainforest consists mainly of hardwoods of commercial value, with large expanses of freshwater and peat swamps found in the lowlands. The complex vegetation of the rainforest provides niches for a rich variety of animals, including proboscis monkeys, leaf monkeys, gibbons, sun bears, sambar deer, and many others.

Brunei is divided into four districts: Brunei-Muara, Belait, Tutong, and Temburong. The country has a well-developed road network, with a dual carriageway highway connecting the Muara and Temburong districts.

South China Sea: the body of water to the north of Brunei

The South China Sea is a body of water north of Borneo, which is an island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. The South China Sea is an arm of the western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia, south of China, east and south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines, and north of Borneo. It covers approximately 3,700,000 square kilometres (1,350,000 square miles), which is larger than the area of India.

The South China Sea is connected to the East China Sea by the Taiwan Strait and to the Philippine Sea by the Luzon Strait. It is bounded by the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and the southern part of the Gulf of Thailand. The sea is an important trade route for crude oil from the Persian Gulf and Africa to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. In 2016, more than 30% of the global maritime crude oil trade, or about 15 million barrels per day, passed through the South China Sea.

Several countries border the South China Sea, including peninsular Malaysia, Thailand (via the Gulf of Thailand), Singapore, East Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia on Borneo. Within the South China Sea, there are numerous coral reefs, atolls, and small islands. The two major archipelagos are the Paracel Islands, controlled by China, and the Spratly Islands. The entire Spratly Islands are claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, and China, while Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines claim parts of the archipelago.

The South China Sea is the subject of territorial disputes involving Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan (Republic of China/ROC), and Vietnam. These disputes involve conflicting claims over islands, reefs, banks, and other features of the region, including the Spratly and Paracel Islands. The disputes also concern maritime boundaries and the rights to fishing stocks, crude oil, and natural gas in various parts of the sea.

Brunei, a small oil-rich sultanate, has a coastline on the South China Sea and borders it to the north. Brunei has claimed a continental shelf/exclusive economic zone stretching 200 nautical miles from its coast, which extends into the middle of the South China Sea. The country consists of two non-contiguous parts divided by a portion of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It has a population of approximately 455,858 as of 2023, with about 180,000 people residing in the capital and largest city, Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei gained its independence from the United Kingdom on January 1, 1984, and is a member of the Commonwealth and ASEAN.

Sarawak: the Malaysian state bordering Brunei

Sarawak is a Malaysian state that borders Brunei. It divides Brunei into two non-contiguous parts. The western segment of Brunei is the larger of the two and contains the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Sarawak is also the only reason why Brunei doesn't occupy the entirety of Borneo, with Malaysia and Indonesia occupying the rest of the island.

Sarawak's district of Limbang bifurcates Brunei's territory. The Sarawak district of Limbang's status as part of Malaysia is disputed by Brunei. However, in 2009, the dispute was reportedly settled, with Brunei agreeing to accept the border in exchange for Malaysia giving up claims to oil fields in Bruneian waters. The Bruneian government, however, denies this and asserts that their claim on Limbang was never dropped.

Sarawak's history is closely intertwined with that of Brunei. During the 19th century, the Bruneian Empire began to decline, and the Sultanate ceded Sarawak (Kuching) to James Brooke, installing him as the White Rajah. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate, and in 1906, the Residential System was established in Brunei, with a British Resident advising the Sultan in all matters except Malay customs, traditions, and the Islamic religion.

Over time, Brooke and his nephews leased or annexed more land. Brunei lost much territory to the Brooke dynasty, known as the White Rajahs. In 1890, the Raj of Sarawak annexed Brunei's Pandaruan District, leaving Brunei with its current small land mass and separation into two parts.

Bandar Seri Begawan: the capital city of Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital and largest city of Brunei, officially known as Brunei Darussalam. It is the country's largest urban centre and only city, with an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. The city is located in the Brunei-Muara district, the smallest yet most populous district in the country, and is home to over 70% of Brunei's population.

Bandar Seri Begawan was formerly known as Brunei Town until it was renamed in 1970 to honour Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei and father of the current Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah. The city is home to Istana Nurul Iman, the world's largest residential palace, and the iconic Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. It is also home to Kampong Ayer, the largest 'water village' in the world, nicknamed the 'Venice of the East'.

The history of Bandar Seri Begawan can be traced back to the establishment of a Malay stilt settlement on the waters of the Brunei River, which became the predecessor of the modern-day Kampong Ayer. It became the capital of the Bruneian Sultanate from the 16th century onwards and was occupied by Japanese forces during World War II. Brunei's independence from the British was declared in the city centre on 1 January 1984.

Bandar Seri Begawan is a commercial and cultural centre, with a range of important historical and religious sites. The city's economy includes the production of furniture, textiles, handicrafts, and timber, and it is served by Brunei International Airport. The city is accessible by road, with bus services connecting it to the western part of the country, and by water taxi and ferry services to nearby ports.

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