Land area

5,765 sq km

Population

406,200 (2009 government estimate)

Main towns

Bandar Seri Begawan (capital; population 27,285, 2001 census)

Climate

Tropical

Weather in Bandar Seri Begawan (altitude 300 metres)

Hottest month, August, 24-33°C (average daily minimum and maximum); coldest month, January, 24-30°C; driest months, February and August, 100 mm average rainfall; wettest months, January and November, 3,000 mm average rainfall

Languages

Malay; Chinese and English are also used

Measures

The metric system. Local measures include:

1 pikul = 25 gantang = 100 katis = 60.48 kg

1 koyan = 40 pikul = 2.419 tonnes

Currency

Brunei dollar or Brunei ringgit (Br$); Br$1 = 100 sen (cents). The currency is interchangeable with the Singapore dollar. Average exchange rate in 2010: Br$1.36:US$1

Fiscal year

April-March

Time

8 hours ahead of GMT

Public holidays

January 1st (New Year's Day); February 3rd (Chinese New Year); February 15th (Prophet Mohammed's birthday); February 23rd (National Day); May 31st (Royal Brunei Armed Forces Day); June 29th (Israk Mikraj, Ascension of the Prophet); July 16th (sultan's birthday); August 1st (beginning of Ramadan); August 17th (Anniversary of the Revelation of the Quran); August 30th (Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, end of Ramadan); November 7th (Hari Raya Aidil Adha, Feast of the Sacrifice); November 28th (Islamic New Year); December 26th (Christmas holiday). Islamic holidays are based on lunar sightings