Map of Brunei
Brunei is a country in Asia with its capital at Bandar Seri Begawan, home to about 466,330 people across 5,765 km². The interactive map below plots 1 cities and towns, 1 rivers, 1 mountain summits and 4 ports recorded for Brunei in YearMaps.
- Population
- 466,330
- Area
- 5,765 km²
- Capital
- Bandar Seri Begawan
- Continent
- Asia
Interactive Map of Brunei
Centred on Bandar Seri Begawan at 4.8833° N, 114.9333° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Brunei
Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, 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 its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2025, the country had a population of 466,330, being the least populated country in Asia of whom approximately 64,409 resided in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its official language is Malay, and Sunni Islam is the state religion of the country, although other religions are nominally tolerated. The government of Brunei is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.
At the Sultanate of Brunei's peak during the reign of Sultan Bolkiah (1485–1528), the state is claimed to have had control over most of Borneo, including modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the Sulu archipelago and the islands off the northwestern tip of Borneo. There are also claims to its historical control over Seludong, which scholars believe is either Mount Selurong, in Indonesia, or Serudong River in eastern Sabah. The maritime state of Brunei was visited by the surviving crew of the Magellan Expedition in 1521, and in 1578 it fought against Spain in the Castilian War.
During the 19th century, the Bruneian Empire began to decline. The Sultanate ceded Kuching to James Brooke and installed him as the White Rajah, and it ceded Sabah to the British North Borneo Chartered Company. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate and in 1906 was assigned a British resident as colonial manager. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, a new constitution was written in 1959. In 1962, a small armed rebellion against the monarchy, which was indirectly related to the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, was ended with British assistance and led to the ban of the pro-independence Brunei People's Party. The revolt also influenced the Sultan's decision not to join the Malaysian Federation while it was being formed. Britain's protectorate over Brunei ended on 1 January 1984, when Brunei became a fully sovereign state.
Brunei has been led by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah since 1967. The country's unicameral legislature, the Legislative Council, is simply consultative and all its members are appointed by the Sultan.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Brunei (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Brunei
The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries, when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy subsequently brought on a period of decline. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries, and in 2017, the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of Sultan Hassanal BOLKIAH’s accession to the throne. Brunei has one of the highest per-capita GDPs in the world, thanks to extensive petroleum and natural gas fields.
- Location
- Southeastern Asia, along the northern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia.
- Climate
- Tropical; hot, humid, rainy.
- Terrain
- Flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west.
- Highest point
- Bukit Pagon 1,850 m.
- Lowest point
- South China Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 161 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 266 km; border countries: Malaysia 266 km.
- Natural resources
- Petroleum, natural gas, timber.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 2.5% (2023 est.); arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 1.1% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.); forest: 72.1% (2023 est.); other: 25.4% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare.
- Geographic note
- Close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; the eastern part, the Temburong district, is an exclave and is almost an enclave within Malaysia.
- Languages
- Malay (Bahasa Melayu) (official), English, Chinese dialects.
- Religions
- Muslim (official) 82.1%, Christian 6.7%, Buddhist 6.3%, other 4.9% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Malay 67.4%, Chinese 9.6%, other 23% (2021 est.)
- Economy
- Almost exclusively an oil and gas economy; high income country; expansive and robust welfare system; the majority of the population works for the government; promulgating a nationalized halal brand; considering establishment of a bond market and stock exchange.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Brunei in Numbers
- Population
- 466,330
- GDP
- US$15.0 billion
- GDP per person
- US$32,235
- Life expectancy
- 75.5 years
- Population growth
- 0.78% a year
- Population density
- 88 per km²
- Urban population
- 75.0%
- Surface area
- 5,770 km²
- Forest cover
- 72.1%
- Arable land
- 0.8%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 96.3%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Brunei in Depth
History
Areas comprising what is now Brunei participated in the Maritime Jade Road, as ascertained by archaeological research. The trading network existed for 3,000 years, between 2000 BC to 1000 AD. The settlement known as Vijayapura was a vassal-state to the Buddhist Srivijaya empire and was thought to be located in Borneo's Northwest which flourished in the 7th Century. Vijayapura itself upon earlier in its history, was a rump state of the fallen multi-ethnic: Austronesian, Austroasiatic and Indian, Funan Civilization; previously located in what is now Cambodia. This alternative Srivijaya known as Vijayapura referring to Brunei, was known to Arabic sources as "Sribuza".
Geography
Brunei is a Southeast Asian country consisting of two unconnected parts with a total area of 5,765 square kilometres (2,226 sq mi) on the island of Borneo. It has 161 kilometres (100 mi) of coastline next to the South China Sea, and it shares a 381 km (237 mi) border with Malaysia. It has 500 square kilometres (193 sq mi) of territorial waters, and a 200-nautical-mile (370 km; 230 mi) exclusive economic zone.
About 97% of the population lives in the larger western part (Belait, Tutong, and Brunei-Muara), while only about 10,000 people live in the mountainous eastern part (Temburong District). The total population of Brunei is approximately 408,000 as of July 2010, of which around 150,000 live in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.
Economy
Brunei has the second-highest Human Development Index among the Southeast Asian nations, after Singapore. Crude oil and natural gas production account for about 90% of its GDP. About 167,000 barrels (26,600 m3) of oil are produced every day, making Brunei the fourth-largest producer of oil in Southeast Asia. It also produces approximately 25.3 million cubic metres (890 million cubic feet) of liquified natural gas per day, making Brunei the ninth-largest gas exporter in the world. Forbes also ranks Brunei as the fifth-richest nation out of 182, based on its petroleum and natural gas fields. Brunei is member of the OPEC+ cartel. Brunei was ranked 88th in the Global Innovation Index in 2025.
Substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production.
Demographics
Ethnicities indigenous to Brunei include the Belait, Brunei Bisaya (not to be confused with the Bisaya/Visaya of the nearby Philippines), indigenous Bruneian Malay, Dusun, Kedayan, Lun Bawang, Murut and Tutong.
The population of Brunei in 2021 was 445,373, of which 76% live in urban areas. The rate of urbanisation is estimated at 2.13% per year from 2010 to 2015. The average life expectancy is 77.7 years. In 2014, 65.7% of the population were Malay, 10.3% are Chinese, 3.4% are indigenous, with 20.6% smaller groups making up the rest. There is a relatively large expatriate community.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Brunei (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Brunei: Key Facts
| Currency | Brunei dollar |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Malay, British English |
| Head of state | Hassanal Bolkiah I of Brunei |
| Head of government | Hassanal Bolkiah I of Brunei |
| Form of government | unitary state, Islamic state |
| Calling code | +673 |
| Internet domain | .bn |
| Highest point | Bukit Pagon |
| Lowest point | South China Sea |
| Established | 1 January 1984 |
Facts from Wikidata Q921 (CC0).
History of Brunei: Empires and States
The atlas records 3 polities whose mapped territory included part of Brunei, from Sultanate of Brunei in 1363 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Sultanate of Brunei | 1363–2024 CE | Nearly all |
| British Colonial Empire | 1890–1995 CE | Nearly all |
| The British Empire | 1890–1995 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Brunei
Brunei on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Brunei
The Sultanate of Brunei is a small but — thanks to natural gas and petroleum resources — very rich country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Although Brunei is not on most travellers' radar, it is a country of tranquil mosques, pristine jungles, and friendly inhabitants. Its full name is Negara Brunei Darussalam, with Darussalam appropriately meaning "Abode of Peace".
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Brunei (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Brunei
1 city recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandar Seri Begawan | 296,500 | Brunei and Muara | National capital |
Highest Mountains in Brunei
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bukit Pagon | 1,850 m | 6,070 ft | Asia |
Bukit Pagon
Mountain · 1,850 m
Bukit Pagon is a mountain rising to 1,850 metres (6,070 ft) in Brunei and Malaysia, in the Asia region. The summit stands on the border between them. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Bukit Pagon (BOO-kit PAH-gon) is the highest point in the country, rising to an elevation of 1,841 metres (6,040 ft) above sea level. It is located in the Temburong District of eastern Brunei, along the border with Sarawak. While most of Brunei consists of swampy coastal plains, Bukit Pagon forms part of the main mountain range that rises from the low hills of its interior.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Bukit Pagon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 1,850 m (6,070 ft)
- Global rank
- #444 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Asia (#159)
- Subregion
- Malay Archipelago
- Countries
- Brunei, Malaysia
- Coordinates
- 4.3000°, 115.3300°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Bukit Pagon ranks #444 by elevation, below Jabal Is (1,851 m) and above Grand Ross (1,850 m).
- Ranges:
- Barisan Mountains (Asia), Dângrêk Range (Asia)
- Settlements below:
- Bandar Seri Begawan (78 km)
More about Bukit Pagon
History
Following the 1962 Brunei revolt, Bukit Pagon was a strategic site in the final phase of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. In December 1962, Harrison Force, composed of two thousand Iban irregulars, was deployed south of Brunei and succeeded in capturing around 100 of the North Kalimantan National Army (TNKU) and Clandestine Communist Organisation. Later in the month, Lieutenant Rupert van der Horst of 42 Commando led a patrol to investigate intelligence about a TNKU baseon Bukit Pagon. The seven-day operation lasted more than ten days, with the Marines having to rummage around for food. Intelligence eventually discovered that Indonesian Lieutenant Sumbi and his men were moving toward Bukit Pagon, located near the Sungei Pasia river, which would provide a water route to safety.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Bukit Pagon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Rivers in Brunei
1 river recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
| Name | Type | Also Flows Through |
|---|---|---|
| Baram | River | Malaysia |
Ports in Brunei
4 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muara Harbor | 42.1 m | Small | South China Sea & Gulf of Thailand | medium vessels |
| 2 | Kuala Belait | — | Very Small | South China Sea & Gulf of Thailand | point_of_interest |
| 3 | Lumut | — | Very Small | South China Sea & Gulf of Thailand | medium vessels |
| 4 | Seria Oil Loading Terminal | — | Very Small | South China Sea & Gulf of Thailand | large vessels |
Largest Islands of Brunei
2 islands recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.
| # | Name | Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greater Sunda Islands | 969,929 km² | Island group |
| 2 | Borneo | 733,858 km² | Island |
Greater Sunda Islands
Island group · 969,929 km²
Greater Sunda Islands is an island group in Asia (Malay Archipelago), covering an estimated 969,929 km². It extends across Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is the 10th-largest of the 445 islands with a mapped extent in YearMaps.
The Greater Sunda Islands (Indonesian and Malay: Kepulauan Sunda Besar) are four tropical islands situated within the Indonesian Archipelago, in the Pacific Ocean. The islands, Borneo, Java, Sulawesi and Sumatra, are internationally recognised for their ecological diversity and rich culture. Together with the Lesser Sunda Islands to their southeast, they all together comprise the archipelago known as the Sunda Islands.
Mainly part of Indonesia, each island is diverse in its ethnicity, culture and biological attributes. The islands have a long and rich history which has shaped their cultural backgrounds.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Greater Sunda Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Island group
- Mapped extent
- 969,929 km²
- Size rank
- #10 of 445 islands
- Region
- Asia
- Subregion
- Malay Archipelago
- Countries
- Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia
- Coordinates
- 2.8102°, 119.8558°
- Summits:
- Bukit Pagon (1,850 m)
- Ranges:
- Maoke Mountains (Oceania), Barisan Mountains (Asia)
- Settlements:
- Bandar Seri Begawan (593 km)
More about Greater Sunda Islands
Greater Sunda Islands: Key Facts
| Area | 1,500,000 km² |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Mount Kinabalu |
| Surrounded by | Indian Ocean |
Facts from Wikidata Q165481 (CC0).
Borneo
Island · 733,858 km²
Borneo is an island in Asia (Malay Archipelago), covering an estimated 733,858 km². It extends across Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. About 1% of the island belongs to Brunei, and the rest to Indonesia and Malaysia. It is the 13th-largest of the 445 islands with a mapped extent in YearMaps.
Borneo () is the third-largest island in the world, with an area of 748,168 km2 (288,869 sq mi), and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda Islands, located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra. The island is crossed by the equator, which divides it roughly in half. In Indonesia, the island is also known as Kalimantan, which is also the name of the Indonesian region located on the island. The rest of the island consists of East Malaysia and Brunei.
The geology of Borneo was formed beginning in the Mesozoic. It formed part of Sundaland, a region connected to mainland Asia, until it became isolated by sea level rise at the end of the Last Glacial Period. With seven unique ecoregions, including large expanses of some of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world, Borneo is rich in biodiversity and endemic species.
Archaeological evidence indicates that Borneo has been inhabited by humans for tens of thousands of years.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Borneo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Island
- Mapped extent
- 733,858 km²
- Size rank
- #13 of 445 islands
- Region
- Asia
- Subregion
- Malay Archipelago
- Countries
- Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei
- Coordinates
- 0.4493°, 114.1872°
- Summits:
- Bukit Pagon (1,850 m)
- Ranges:
- Barisan Mountains (Asia), Dângrêk Range (Asia)
- Settlements:
- Bandar Seri Begawan (47 km)
More about Borneo
Geography
Borneo was formed through Mesozoic accretion of microcontinental fragments, ophiolite terranes and island arc crust onto a Paleozoic continental core. At the beginning of the Cenozoic, Borneo formed a promontory of Sundaland which partly separated from Asian mainland by the proto-South China Sea. The oceanic part of the proto-South China Sea was subducted during the Paleogene period and a large accretionary complex formed along the northwestern of the island of Borneo.
In the early Miocene uplift of the accretionary complex occurred as a result of underthrusting of thinned continental crust in northwest. The uplift may have also resulted from shortening due to the counter-clockwise rotation of Borneo between 20 and 10 mega-annum (Ma) as a consequence of Australia–Southeast Asia collision.
History
In the Samang Buat Cave, in Lahad Datu, Sabah, archaeological evidence suggests that human settlement dates back to around 46,000 years ago, confirming Lahad Datu as one of the most important prehistoric centres in Southeast Asia. Intriguingly, tools found in Mansuli Valley, also in Lahad Datu, have been dated as early as 235,000 years ago.
In Tingkayu Valley, Kunak, Sabah, archaeological excavations revealed traces of a Palaeolithic community dating from approximately 28,000–30,000 years ago. The site, once a prehistoric lake basin, yielded Hoabinhian stone tools that indicate human activity in the area.
In Niah Cave, Sarawak, human presence has been dated to around 40,000 years ago.
Demographics
Borneo had 23,053,723 inhabitants (in 2020 Censuses), a population density of 30.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (80 inhabitants per square mile). Most of the population lives in coastal cities, although the hinterland has small towns and villages along the rivers.
Borneo is home to a number of different Indigenous peoples and distinct languages and cultures. Dayak is inconsistently used as a collective term for non-Muslim Austronesian Indigenous peoples from Borneo, encompassing the Iban and Bidayuh in East Malaysia, and the Kayan, Kenyah and Ngaju of Kalimantan. Historically, many Dayaks lived in communal longhouses, lacked class structure and practiced shifting cultivation for subsistence.
Economy
Borneo's economy depends mainly on agriculture, logging and mining, oil and gas, and ecotourism. Brunei's economy is highly dependent on the oil and gas production sector, and the country has become one of the largest oil producers in Southeast Asia. The Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak are both top exporters of timber. Sabah is also known as the agricultural producer of rubber, cacao, and vegetables, and for its fisheries, while Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan export liquefied natural gas (LNG) and petroleum.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Borneo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Borneo: Key Facts
| Area | 748,168 km² |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,590,000 (2009) |
| Highest point | Mount Kinabalu |
| Surrounded by | Pacific Ocean, Sulu Sea |
Facts from Wikidata Q36117 (CC0).
Visiting Borneo
Borneo is the third largest non-continental island in the world (after Greenland and New Guinea). The island is located in Southeast Asia, straddling the equator. It's sparsely populated and famous for ancient rainforests filled with wildlife, including several primates and various rare and endangered species. The island also has extensive caves and rivers. In Indonesian, the term Kalimantan is used to refer to the entire island of Borneo, not just the Indonesian-controlled part as in Malay and English.
It is divided into three parts, administered by separate countries:
Some islands that are part of the Philippines — Palawan and the Sulu Islands — are geographically close to Sabah, and have some things in common with Borneo in flora, fauna, history and culture.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Borneo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Countries Bordering Brunei
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Asia
Brunei: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Brunei?
- The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan.
- What is the population of Brunei?
- Brunei has a population of about 466,330, the #175 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Brunei?
- Brunei covers 5,765 km², ranking #173 by area, with about 81 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Brunei in?
- Brunei is in Asia.
- Which countries border Brunei?
- Brunei shares a land or maritime border with Malaysia.
- What is the largest city in Brunei?
- Bandar Seri Begawan is the largest city in Brunei, with a metropolitan population of about 296,500.
- What is the highest mountain in Brunei?
- The highest summit recorded for Brunei in YearMaps is Bukit Pagon at 1,850 m (6,070 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.