1 city

Location of BruneiMalaysiaIndonesiaBruneiBandar Seri Begawan
Country

Brunei

Brunei Darussalam · local name

4.45° N, 114.55° E

Death rate of 3.96 per 1,000 — the 13th lowest of 226 countries.

death rate 3.96 per 1,000 · 214th/226
CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value

Population
433,285
Area
5,765 km²
Population density
≈ 77 / km²
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan
Natural Earth
ISO codes
BN · BRN
GDP (nominal)
$15.46 billion
GDP per capita (PPP)
$79,200
How big, reallyDrawn at the same scale as French Polynesia. Equal-area projection, not the map you are used to.
Brunei 5,765 km²French Polynesia 4,167 km²

geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area

Where Brunei sits in the world

Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.

  1. Median age32.6 years112th of 224 · median 32.6 years
  2. Life expectancy78.9 years68th of 224 · median 76.2 years
  3. Fertility rate1.73 children per woman140th of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
  4. Population433,285176th of 235 · median 5,454,073
  5. Total area5,765 km²170th of 228 · median 83,736 km²
  6. Coastline161 km143rd of 229 · median 402 km

Overview

Geography

Along the northern coast of the island of Borneo, Brunei borders the South China Sea and Malaysia in Southeastern Asia. The terrain includes a flat coastal plain rising to mountains in the east and hilly lowland in the west.

Its position is close to vital sea lanes through the South China Sea linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Malaysia physically separates Brunei's two parts. The eastern part, the Temburong district, is an exclave and is almost an enclave within Malaysia. Petroleum, natural gas, and timber are natural resources. Bukit Pagon is the highest point. The South China Sea is the lowest point.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Climate

A tropical climate brings hot, humid, rainy conditions. Typhoons and severe flooding are rare.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

People and society

Along the coast in the western part of Brunei, people live in a region separated from the eastern portion by Malaysia. The largest population concentration is in the far north on the western side of the Brunei Bay, in and around the capital of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its ethnic groups include Malay, Chinese, and others.

Malay, also called Bahasa Melayu, is Brunei's official language. English and Chinese dialects are also spoken in Brunei. Brunei's religions include Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and others. Muslim is the official religion.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Government

An absolute monarchy or sultanate governs Brunei. Its legal system combines English common law and Islamic law. The constitution was drafted 1954 to 1959 and signed 29 September 1959. Brunei gained independence from the UK on 1 January 1984. National Day falls on 23 February (1984).

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Flag and symbols

Yellow carries diagonal white and black bands, black below, starting from upper left, with the red emblem at center. Yellow symbolizes the sultanate; white and black stand for chief ministers, and the royal umbrella represents the monarchy. The crescent bears "Always render service with God's guidance," in yellow Arabic script; two upraised hands pledge to preserve and promote people's welfare. The national symbol is the royal parasol.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Key figures

CIA World Factbook

Economy

GDP (nominal)
$15.46 billion
GDP (PPP)
$36.64 billion
GDP per capita (PPP)
$79,200
GDP growth
+4.2%
Inflation (consumer prices)
-0.4%
Unemployment
5.2%
Exports
$11.48 billion
Imports
$9.11 billion

People

Life expectancy
78.9 years
Median age
32.6 years
Birth rate
15.58 per 1,000
Death rate
3.96 per 1,000
Fertility rate
1.73 children per woman
Population growth
+1.37% a year
Urban population
79.1%
Languages
  • Malayofficial
  • English
  • Chinese dialects
Religions
  • Muslim82.1%
  • Christian6.7%
  • Buddhist6.3%
  • other4.9%

Land

Total area
5,765 km²Land 5,265 km² · Water 500 km²
Coastline
161 km
Land borders
266 km
Mean elevation
478 m
Highest point
1,850 m Bukit Pagon

Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.

Connections

Natural geography 4

Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID

Islands 1

Largest cities 1

Population · Natural Earth

  1. Bandar Seri Begawancapital296.5K

Sources