Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital of Brunei, the small Southeast Asian country occupying part of Borneo.
The city sits beside the Brunei River in Brunei-Muara District and serves as the country’s political, commercial and cultural centre. Its name is often shortened to BSB, while its earlier name was Brunei Town. In 1970, it was renamed in honour of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Brunei’s 28th sultan, who is remembered for helping modernise the country.
The capital is closely associated with Kampong Ayer, a historic settlement of homes and buildings on stilts over the Brunei River. Another landmark is the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, whose golden dome is one of the city’s best-known sights. Brunei became fully independent from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984, with the declaration made in the capital. It is easy to confuse Brunei with neighbouring Malaysia or Indonesia, which also have territory on Borneo, but Brunei is a separate oil- and gas-producing sultanate.