Bandar Seri Begawan, estimated population 27,285 (as of 2002), is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Brunei.

History

Habitation on the banks of the Brunei River can be traced back to the 7th century where there had been settlements similar to those in Kampong Ayer, located on areas close to the present site of the Brunei Museum.

Seri Begawan was named after the Sultan's late father Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien on October 5th 1970, its original name being Bandar Brunei. Begawan is a name given to Bruneian monarchs who have abdicated, originally coming from the Sanskrit word for "god"). Bandar, comes from Persian بندر and means "port" or "haven" (bandar means "town" in Malay.

On August 1st, 2007, The Sultan of Brunei gave consent for the extension of Bandar Seri Begawan from 12.87 square kilometres to 100.36 square kilometres. For a list of the included villages and mukims see "Expansion of the City" below.

Economy
The city produces furniture, textiles, handicrafts, and timber.

Geography
Bandar Seri Begawan is located at 4.890338°N, 114.942457°E, on the northern bank of the Brunei River with the downtown part precisely on the confluence of the Brunei River. The population of the city is 27,285 and the population of the metropolitan area is 74,700 people[2].

Climate
The climate of Bandar Seri Begawan ranges from equatorial to sub-tropical (14-32 degrees Celsius). The hot and humid dry season from April to mid September. There is cool, humid and changeable weather from September to March (13-26 degrees Celsius). Hail occurs from December to February when the weather is pleasantly cool and dry. Rain fall is mostly high especially in October. Dry season is known as 'Summer Monsoon' and Wet season is also known as 'Spring Monsoon'. The temperature in the Dry season is 24-32 degrees, the temperature can easily soar to 34,35 or above in August and July. The temperature in Wet season 14-26 and the weather is cool and cloudy. The coolest months is December to April. The temperature in Bandar Seri Begawan that ever recorded in January was 12 to 33 degrees celsius and in August was 38 degrees celsius.

People
The majority of Bruneians are ethnic Malays with Chinese being the most significant minority group. Aboriginal groups such as the Iban also exist and are loosely classified as Malays. Large numbers of transitory workers are to be found within Brunei, the majority being from Indonesia, The Philippines and the Indian Subcontinent

Land
The capital is connected to the western part of the country by road. To get to the eastern part of Brunei (Temburong) it is necessary to travel through Sarawak which is in Malaysia, via the town of Limbang which is accessed by the Kuala Lurah land terminal. To get to Bandar Seri Begawan from the west, access is via Miri town in Sarawak via the Sungai Tujuh land terminal and then along the coastal highway.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

Contributed by: [alex]