Brunei

In brief

Brunei is a country in Southeast Asia. Its capital is Bandar Seri Begawan. With 466,330 inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 169th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 5,765 km². It shares land borders with Malaysia.

GDP per capita stands at $32,235 (2025), 41st in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 75.5 years (2024). 75% of the population lives in cities.

History of Brunei

In the 16th century the Sultanate of Brunei controlled much of the island of Borneo. It later lost most of its territory to Sarawak and North Borneo, and became a British protectorate in 1888. Oil, discovered in 1929, made it rich. Independent since 1 January 1984, Brunei is an absolute monarchy; Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has reigned since 1967.

Geography of Brunei

Brunei consists of two separate territories on the north coast of Borneo, divided by Malaysian Sarawak. Rainforest covers most of the country, notably in Ulu Temburong National Park.

Map of Brunei

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Flag of Brunei

The flag of Brunei is red, white, yellow and black. Its official proportions are 1:2 (height to width).

• Yellow55%
• White22%
• Black18%
• Red6%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Yellow, crossed by two diagonal bands of white and black, with the national emblem in red: a crescent, a royal parasol and two raised hands. Yellow is the sultan’s colour, white and black those of his chief ministers.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Brunei” and “Flag of Brunei”.

See also: flags with a crescent moon.

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Fact file

Economy and society