Brunei
is a country in
Southeast Asia
, bordering the
South China Sea
and
East Malaysia
. Its geographical coordinates are
4°30′N
114°40′E
/
4.500°N 114.667°E
/
4.500; 114.667
. The country is small with a total size of 5,765 km
2
(2,226 sq mi).
[1]
It is larger in size than
Trinidad and Tobago
. It is close to vital sea lanes through the South China Sea linking the
Indian
and
Pacific
Oceans. The country has two parts physically separated by
Malaysia
, making it almost an enclave within Malaysia.
[2]
Brunei shares a 266 km (165 mi)
border
with Malaysia,
[3]
and has a 161 km (100 mi)
coastline
.
[4]
The terrain is a flat coastal plain that rises to mountainous in the east and hilly lowlands in the west. While earthquakes are quite rare, Brunei is located near the
Pacific Ring of Fire
.
[5]
Climate
[
edit
]
A
tropical climate
with
high humidity
prevails in Brunei. Typically, the entire nation experiences the same
climate
. The entire year is hot in the country. The
monsoon winds
and other wind systems in the area brought on by the distribution of
air pressure
in
Southeast Asia
, as well as the location on
Borneo
's northwest coast, which lies in the equatorial tropics, all have an impact on the climate. ITCZ (
Intertropical Convergence Zone
) is the name given to the low pressure trough that occurs around the
equator
. Areas in the subtropics on both
hemispheres
, however, experience high pressure, resulting in a pressure difference. This is due to air masses from the southern and northern hemispheres meet in this region, causing major climate shifts, the Intertropical Convergence Zone is crucial.
[6]
It's vital that the ITCZ's position typically oscillates based on the sun's zenithal position and is not always fixed. The magnitude of the latitudinal oscillation is reduced to roughly half that of the sun because of the movement's two-month delay. There are two distinct seasons in the nation that are separated by two transitional phases as a result of the ITCZ's shifting location throughout the year and the associated
trade winds
. The
South China Sea
and Borneo are substantially impacted by
northeast monsoon
winds that recurve via the Inter-Tropical Convergence zone to become northwesterly winds that blow across Indonesia between December and March. The ITCZ's typical location is between latitudes 50S and 100S when it migrated south across Brunei and Borneo in late December, a time period known as the Northeast Monsoon.
[6]
The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, which is positioned east of the
Philippines
around latitude 150N between June and September, transforms into a monsoon trough to the west. The Southwest Monsoon is created by southeast trade winds that originate in the southern hemisphere and recurve on the equator. The northeast monsoon dominates from December to March whereas the southwest monsoon blows from May to September. Transitional months are recognized as April, October, and November.
[6]
The
municipality
of
Bandar Seri Begawan
's climate is tropical equatorial with two seasons.
Dry season
is extremely hot (24 to 36 °C or 75.2 to 96.8 °F).
Wet or rainy season
is generally warm and wet (20 to 28 °C or 68.0 to 82.4 °F).
[7]
Most of the country is a flat
coastal plain
with
mountains
in the east and
hilly
lowland
in the west. The lowest point is at
sea level
and the highest is
Bukit Pagon
(1,850 m or 6,070 ft).
[8]
The climatic regions of the country is as follows:
[7]
- Brunei-Muara District
and
Bandar Seri Begawan
are humid tropical on the coast and lower elevation north and Humid subtropical in central Brunei-Muara District. (20 to 36 °C or 68 to 97 °F)
- Tutong District
is tropical, hot in the north and warm in the south. (22 to 32 °C or 71.6 to 89.6 °F)
- Belait District
is tropical, hot in the north and slightly warm in the south. (25 to 37 °C or 77.0 to 98.6 °F)
- Temburong District
is
humid subtropical
in the higher elevation south and humid tropical on the coast and lower elevation north. (18 to 29 °C or 64 to 84 °F)
Climate data for Bandar Seri Begawan (
Brunei Airport
)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
34.1
(93.4)
|
35.3
(95.5)
|
38.3
(100.9)
|
37.6
(99.7)
|
36.4
(97.5)
|
36.2
(97.2)
|
36.2
(97.2)
|
37.6
(99.7)
|
36.0
(96.8)
|
35.3
(95.5)
|
34.9
(94.8)
|
36.2
(97.2)
|
38.3
(100.9)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
30.4
(86.7)
|
30.7
(87.3)
|
31.9
(89.4)
|
32.5
(90.5)
|
32.6
(90.7)
|
32.5
(90.5)
|
32.3
(90.1)
|
32.4
(90.3)
|
32.0
(89.6)
|
31.6
(88.9)
|
31.4
(88.5)
|
31.0
(87.8)
|
31.8
(89.2)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
23.3
(73.9)
|
23.3
(73.9)
|
23.5
(74.3)
|
23.7
(74.7)
|
23.7
(74.7)
|
23.4
(74.1)
|
23.0
(73.4)
|
23.1
(73.6)
|
23.1
(73.6)
|
23.2
(73.8)
|
23.2
(73.8)
|
23.2
(73.8)
|
23.3
(73.9)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
18.4
(65.1)
|
18.9
(66.0)
|
19.4
(66.9)
|
20.5
(68.9)
|
20.3
(68.5)
|
19.2
(66.6)
|
19.1
(66.4)
|
19.4
(66.9)
|
19.6
(67.3)
|
20.5
(68.9)
|
18.8
(65.8)
|
19.5
(67.1)
|
18.4
(65.1)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
292.6
(11.52)
|
158.9
(6.26)
|
118.7
(4.67)
|
189.4
(7.46)
|
234.9
(9.25)
|
210.1
(8.27)
|
225.9
(8.89)
|
226.6
(8.92)
|
264.4
(10.41)
|
312.3
(12.30)
|
339.9
(13.38)
|
339.6
(13.37)
|
2,913.3
(114.70)
|
Average rainy days
|
16
|
12
|
11
|
16
|
18
|
16
|
16
|
16
|
19
|
21
|
23
|
21
|
205
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
86
|
85
|
84
|
84
|
85
|
84
|
84
|
83
|
84
|
85
|
86
|
86
|
85
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
196
|
191
|
225
|
239
|
236
|
210
|
222
|
218
|
199
|
206
|
205
|
211
|
2,558
|
Source 1:
World Meteorological Organisation
,
[9]
Deutscher Wetterdienst
(extremes, 1971?2012 and humidity, 1972?1990)
[10]
|
Source 2: NOAA (sun, 1961?1990)
[11]
|
Natural disasters
[
edit
]
Since the nation lies outside of the
typhoon belt
and mostly untouched by
earthquakes
, it is less likely to experience
major disasters
, making it a relatively safe area to live and work. Foreigners from temperate climes who want to avoid harsh
winters
are drawn to the country by its milder temperature. Additionally, the weather is suitable for
outdoor activities
and
water sports
.
[6]
Statistics
[
edit
]
As of 2009, the statistics of Brunei is as follows:
[12]
Enlargeable, detailed map of Brunei
Area:
- Total: 5,765 km
2
(2,226 sq mi)
[13]
- Land: 5,265 km
2
(2,033 sq mi)
[13]
- Water: 500 km
2
(190 sq mi)
[13]
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12 nmi (13.8 mi; 22.2 km)
[14]
exclusive economic zone
:
10,090 km
2
(3,900 sq mi) and 200
nmi
(230.2
mi
; 370.4
km
) or to
median line
[15]
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
South China Sea
0 m
[8]
highest point:
Bukit Pagon
1,850 m
[8]
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber
[16]
Land use:
arable land:
0.76%
permanent crops:
1.14%
other:
98.10% (2012)
Irrigated land:
10 km
2
(3.9 sq mi) (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
8.5 km
3
(2.0 cu mi)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
total:
0.09 km
3
/yr (97%/0%/3%)
per capital:
301.6 m
3
/yr (2009)
Environment ? current issues:
seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in
Indonesia
Environment ? international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity
, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea
, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
References
[
edit
]
- ^
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- ^
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ISBN
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.
- ^
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- ^
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ISBN
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- ^
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ISBN
978-1-4665-7885-2
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"The Climate of Brunei"
.
WorldAtlas
. 25 March 2019
. Retrieved
10 May
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Makowski, Christopher; Finkl, Charles W. (24 July 2018).
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ISBN
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.
- ^
a
b
c
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ISBN
978-0-16-087359-1
.
- ^
"World Weather Information Service ? Bandar Seri Begawan"
. World Meteorological Organisation
. Retrieved
14 May
2010
.
- ^
"Klimatafel von Bandar Seri Begawan (Int. Flugh.) / Brunei"
(PDF)
.
Baseline climate means (1961?1990) from stations all over the world
(in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst
. Retrieved
22 November
2016
.
- ^
"Brunei Darussalam Climate Normals 1961?1990"
. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Retrieved
29 November
2013
.
- ^
Agency, Central Intelligence (2009).
The CIA World Factbook 2010
. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 101.
ISBN
978-1-60239-727-9
.
- ^
a
b
c
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History of each Country around the World in English
. Nam H Nguyen.
- ^
Valencia, Mark J. (1985).
South-East Asian Seas, Oil Under Troubled Waters: Hydrocarbon Potential, Jurisdictional Issues, and International Relations
. Oxford University Press. p. 30.
ISBN
978-0-19-582645-6
.
- ^
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The Exclusive Economic Zone
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ISBN
978-1-62273-645-4
.
- ^
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. Lulu.com. p. 121.
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978-1-387-46293-3
.
This article incorporates
public domain material
from
The World Factbook
.
CIA
.