Brunei is a country in Asia, in Southeast Asia, with about 466,000 people (2025) and an area of 5,770 square kilometres. Its capital is Bandar Seri Begawan, and its only land neighbour is Malaysia.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of BruneiBrunei in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Brunei's 5, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 5
A tiny sultanate embedded in the coast of Borneo
Brunei is a small, oil-rich state on the northern coast of Borneo, almost entirely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, which actually splits the country into two disconnected pieces. The country covers just 5,765 square kilometers, roughly the size of a mid-sized county. Dense tropical rainforest covers about 70% of the interior, while the population of 450,000 concentrates along the narrow coastal plain.
More on splits the country into two disconnected pieces
The Limbang district of Sarawak divides Brunei into a larger western section (containing the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan) and a smaller eastern enclave called Temburong. The geographical oddity is a legacy of 19th-century treaties with British-backed Sarawak.
4 more lenses on Brunei in the app
STORY An absolute monarchy sustained by oil wealth
NOW Brunei is running out of the one thing that sustains everything
THREAD Brunei claims part of the South China Sea and must manage China carefully
STORY Sharia law and modern wealth coexist in an unusual arrangement
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of Brunei?
The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan. Bandar Seri Begawan lies at about 4.9 degrees north and 114.9 degrees east. Brunei is in Asia, in the region often called Southeast Asia. It is home to about 466,000 people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Brunei?
About 466,000 people live in Brunei, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 169th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 5,770 square kilometres, that is about 81 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Brunei?
Brunei shares land borders with 1 country: Malaysia. The map on this page outlines each of them around Brunei. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Brunei?
Brunei covers 5,770 square kilometres, or about 2,228 square miles. That makes it the 164th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 466,000 gives a density of 81 people per square kilometre.
Brunei is a country in Asia, in Southeast Asia, with about 466,000 people (2025) and an area of 5,770 square kilometres. Its capital is Bandar Seri Begawan, and its only land neighbour is Malaysia.
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan
Continent
Asia
Region
Southeast Asia
Population
466,330 2025, World Bank. 169th of 195.
Area
5,770 km² (2,228 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 164th largest of 195.
Population density
81 people per km²
Land neighbours
1: Malaysia
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A tiny sultanate embedded in the coast of Borneo
Brunei is a small, oil-rich state on the northern coast of Borneo, almost entirely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, which actually splits the country into two disconnected pieces. The country covers just 5,765 square kilometers, roughly the size of a mid-sized county. Dense tropical rainforest covers about 70% of the interior, while the population of 450,000 concentrates along the narrow coastal plain.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/brunei/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Brunei
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/brunei/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
