Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area with an area of 100.36 square kilometres (38.75 sq mi) and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei-Muara District, the smallest yet most populous district which is home to over 70 per cent of the country's population. It is the country's largest urban centre and nominally the country's only city. The capital is home to Brunei's seat of government, as well as a commercial and cultural centre. It was formerly known as Brunei Town until it was renamed in 1970 in honour of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei and the father of the current Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Districts are the principal administrative divisions of Brunei. The country is divided into four districts, namely Brunei-Muara, Belait, Tutong and Temburong. Temburong is an exclave; it is physically separated from the three other districts by the Brunei Bay and Malaysian state of Sarawak. Each district has a town as its administrative and main economic centre, with the exception of Brunei-Muara, where the principal centre is Bandar Seri Begawan, a city and the country's capital.
Sultan Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien was the 28th Sultan of Brunei, reigning from 4 June 1950 until his abdication from the throne on 5 October 1967.
Brunei-Muara District or simply Brunei-Muara is one of the four districts of Brunei. It has the smallest area among the four districts, with 571 square kilometres (220 sq mi), yet is the most populous, with 289,630 people as of 2016. Bandar Seri Begawan, the country's capital, is located in this district, which is also de facto the district's capital. It is also home to Brunei International Airport, the country's only international airport, as well as Muara Port, the main and only deep-water port in the country. The Brunei River flows within this district and is home to Kampong Ayer, the traditional historic settlement on stilts above the river.
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.
Muara Town or simply Muara is a port town in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei, about 28 kilometres (17 mi) from the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The population of the town proper was 2,102 in 2016. It is home to Muara Port, the country's primary deep water port.
The Lapau, also known as the Royal Ceremonial Hall, is a ceremonial hall in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is where the royal ceremonies, state investiture and some state events are traditionally held. It was the place where the present Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, was crowned in 1968.
Pusat Bandar is the city centre of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It is home to a number of national landmarks, important government offices, and commercial and financial establishments.
The Malay Technology Museum is a museum in Kota Batu, a historical area in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It was opened in 1988 and contains exhibits on the traditional technologies used by the indigenous people of Brunei.
Sports career
The Brunei History Centre is a government institution which conducts research, documentation, publication and dissemination on matters pertaining to the history of Brunei. It was established in 1982 by the consent of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah as an institute of historical research on Brunei for the benefit of the Bruneian people. The head of Brunei History Centre is a Principal, which is held by Mohd. Jamil Al-Sufri. It is a government department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
Kampong Pancha Delima is a village in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei, and a neighbourhood in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The population was 1,562 in 2016. It is one of the villages within Mukim Berakas 'A'. The postcode is BB4513.
Kampong Kiarong is a village in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei, as well as a neighbourhood in the country's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. It has an area of 383.43 hectares ; the population was 4,530 in 2016.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports is a ministry in the government of Brunei responsible for the policies and development of the country's national culture, youth and sports. It was established immediately upon Brunei's independence on 1 January 1984. It is led by a minister and the incumbent is Nazmi Mohamad who has held office since 7 June 2022. The ministry is headquartered in Bandar Seri Begawan.
The orders, decorations, and medals of Brunei consist of Bintang-Bintang Kebesaran and Pingat-Pingat Kehormatan. Both are awarded by the Sultan of Brunei on the basis of merit, especially on the contributions to the country. The investiture of some of the state decorations also include the conferment of titles, whereby they become part of the awardees' personal names in official correspondence or when mentioned in formal media in the country. The decorations and medals are under the responsibility of Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara, a government department under the Prime Minister's Office, which also oversees Bruneian royal traditions and protocol.
The Istana Darussalam is the former residence of Omar Ali Saifuddien III and birth place of Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The palace is located at Jalan Darussalam, Sumbiling Lama, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The building has become a tourist attraction and currently under the protection of the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Act of the Museums Department.
The Prime Minister's Office is the leading and largest cabinet-level ministry in the government of Brunei. It serves as the immediate office of the country's prime minister, as well as oversees several key government departments. It was established immediately upon Brunei's independence on 1 January 1984, with Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei, being the first and only Prime Minister to date. The leadership also consists of a Senior Minister, introduced in 2005 and has since been held by the Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, a Special Advisor to His Majesty, as well as a few in-house ministers and deputy ministers.
Muhammad Haszaimi is the 12th Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) since 2022. He previously held the position of the 11th Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF) from 2020 to 2022.
Brunei Energy Hub Dermaga Diraja or Brunei Energy Hub in short, is the new name of the historic Royal Customs and Excise Building in Pusat Bandar, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The renovation project, which was entirely sponsored by Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP), has been transformed into Brunei-Muara's very own interactive oil and gas museum. The museum, which is located alongside the Royal Wharf and has the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge as a backdrop, seeks to act as a knowledge centre for the oil and gas sector and a venue to encourage the growth of Brunei's artistic scene.
The Secretariat Building or formerly known as the Brunei Government Offices and Government Secretariat Building is the oldest government structure that serves as "The Secretariat" or the seat of government. The building is located at Jalan Elizabeth II, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The building is currently under the protection of the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Act of the Museums Department.
