🇧🇳 Brunei

About Brunei

Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, formally known as State of Brunei, 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, 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 a Glance

Travel Advisory

Currency & Economy

Currency

Brunei dollar (BND)

Exchange Rate

1 USD = 1.29 BND

GDP

$15.3B

GDP per Capita

$33,153

Development

Life Expectancy

75.3 years

Geography & Practical Details

Region

Asia

Capital

Bandar Seri Begawan

Area

5,765 km²

Population

455,500

Timezone

UTC+08:00

Languages

Malay

Calling Code

+673

Drives On

Left

ISO Code

BN