Brunei, formally 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 Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2020 the country had a population of 460,345, of whom approximately 100,000 resided in the capital and largest city Bandar Seri Begawan. The government of Brunei is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan of Brunei, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.
The Royal Brunei Navy is the naval defence force of Brunei Darussalam. It is a small but relatively well-equipped military force whose main responsibility is to conduct search and rescue missions, and to deter and defend the Brunei waters against attack mounted by sea-borne forces.
The Legislative Council of Brunei is a national unicameral legislature of Brunei. The council comprises 36 appointed members, that only has consultative tasks. Under Brunei's 1959 constitution, His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers since 1962. The Council holds its sitting annually in March at Legislative Council Building in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Kuala Belait is the administrative town of Belait District, Brunei. The population of the town proper was 4,259 in 2016. Kuala Belait is officially a municipal area, as well as a village under the mukim of the same name. The town is located 85 kilometres (53 mi) west of the country's capital Bandar Seri Begawan, and 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Seria, the district's other town. It is also in the westernmost part of country, near the mouth of the Belait River.
Bangar is a town and administrative centre of Temburong District, Brunei, an isolated territorial exclave separated from the rest of the country by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The population of the town proper was 626 in 2016. A number of tiny retail establishments may be found throughout the town, providing everything from clothing to handicrafts to basic needs.
Kampung Ayer is a prominent traditional settlement in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It comprises neighbourhoods of traditional houses, schools and mosques built on stilts above the Brunei River near the capital's city centre. It has an area of about 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi); the total population was 10,250 in 2016. It has been historically nicknamed 'Venice of the East'. Kampung Ayer has been historically the principal settlement of Brunei; it was the de facto capital, in particular social and economic centre, of the Bruneian Empire for a few centuries, but also extending into the early period during British imperialism in Brunei.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
Anduki Airfield is a domestic airfield which now primarily operates as a heliport, located in Seria, a town in the Belait District of Brunei Darussalam. It is operated by Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), and uses Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters in support of servicing offshore oil platforms. Brunei Shell Petroleum replaced the original grass airstrip with a sealed instrument runway in 2008. Future upgrades include the addition of runway lighting, and an enhanced instrument approach procedure. Operations at Anduki Airfield are carried out in accordance with regulations from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards.
The Brunei Darussalam Central Bank, formerly known as Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam is the central bank of Brunei. It was established under the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam Order, 2010, and began operations on 1 January 2011. It succeeded the Brunei Currency and Monetary Board.
The Mengalum Island boat accident is occurred on 28 January 2017, when a catamaran passenger ferry sank in the South China Sea off Mengalum Island in Sabah, Malaysia. The boat was carrying 27 Chinese tourists, of whom 22 were rescued, four confirmed dead, and five still missing.
Transport in Brunei consists of air, land, and sea transport. Previously there was some rail transport in Brunei, but eventually most of it was closed down. Several public and commercial sector organizations are in charge of creating and overseeing these networks and infrastructures. The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC) is in charge of overseeing the maritime and aviation industries, as well as planning and regulating all kinds of land transportation.
The Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, formerly known as the Ministry of Communications, is a cabinet-level ministry in the government of Brunei which oversees civil aviation, land and maritime transport, telecommunications and meteorology in the country. It is currently led by a minister and the incumbent is Pengiran Shamhary Pengiran Mustapha, who took office since 7 June 2022. The ministry is headquartered in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Progresif Sdn Bhd. is a Brunei-based Government Linked Company headquartered in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Founded in 2014, Progresif now has more than 130 employees and around 200,000 customers, with eight retail stores throughout the kingdom.
The Muara Port, also known as Muara Harbour, is a seaport operated by the Muara Port Company (MPC) Sdn Bhd, under the supervision of the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam. The port also contributed to the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
The Fire and Rescue Department (FRD), Malay: Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat (JBP), Jawi: جابتن بومبا دان ڤڽلامت, also known as Brunei Fire and Rescue Department (BFRD), is a government agency of Brunei Darussalam, responsible for firefighting, animal rescue, and technical rescue. Bomba is a Malay word derived from the Portuguese bombeiros, which means 'firefighters'. The department's main headquarters are located at Bandar Seri Begawan, in the Brunei-Muara District of the Sultanate of Brunei.
The Kuala Belait Port, also known as Kuala Belait Wharf, is a port operated by both the Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) and Maritime and Port Authority Brunei Darussalam (MPABD). The port can only accommodate low-draught ships. It is one of the only three existing ports in the country.
Officially known as Royal Brunei Air Force Base, Rimba,, commonly known as Rimba Air Force Base, abbreviated: Rimba AFB, and occasionally known as Rimba Airbase; it is the military headquarters and main operating airbase of the Royal Brunei Air Force. It is located at Rimba opposite, and sharing its main runway of 3,685 metres with the Brunei International Airport (BIA), at Bandar Seri Begawan, in the Brunei-Muara District of the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam.
The Serasa Ferry Terminal, also known as Serasa Muara Terminal and Serasa Terminal, is a passenger terminal operated by the Department of Immigration and National Registration in Mukim Serasa, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. It is one of the two ferry terminals in Brunei, which is located in Kuala Belait Port and Serasa.
The Brunei Fertilizer Industries (BFI) is a government owned company and producer of ammonia and urea granular fertilizer, located in Sungai Liang Industrial Park (SPARK), Belait District, Brunei. It is claimed to be one of the largest fertilizer facilities in Southeast Asia, and has a production capacity of 1,365,000 tonnes of urea annually. The facility for BFI started being built in May 2018 and 500 jobs was expected be created when the plant is fully operating.
