Brunei-Muara, Brunei

🇧🇳 Brunei-Muara District (Malay: Daerah Brunei dan Muara; Jawi: برونائی-موارا ضلع) or simply Brunei-Muara is one of the four districts of Brunei. It has the smallest area among the four districts, with 571 square km (220 sq mi), yet is the most populous. 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 district borders the South China Sea to the north, Brunei Bay to the east, Limbang District in the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the south, and Tutong District to the west.

The Brunei River is the sole primary river and only flows in the district. It begins in the south-western part and flows north-eastwards which finally discharges into the Brunei Bay.

There are several in-bay and coastal islands in the Brunei Bay belonging to the Brunei-Muara district. These islands include Pulau Muara Besar, Pulau Salar, Pulau Simangga Besar, Pulau Bedukang, Pulau Kaingaran, Pulau Chermin, Pulau Pepatan, Pulau Baru-Baru, Pulau Berbunut, Pulau Sibungor, Pulau Ranggu and Pulau Berambang. There is one man-made "island" off the coast of Mukim Serasa that is actually a spit turned into an "island" called Tanjong Pelumpong (Pelumpong Spit). There are two off-shore islands off the coast of the Brunei-Muara district in the South China Sea, Pulau Pungit, off the coast of Sengkurong and Pulau Pelong-Pelongan, off the coast of Mukim Serasa.

The district's administration is under the responsibility of Brunei-Muara District Office (Jabatan Daerah Brunei dan Muara), a government department under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The district is divided into 18 mukims: • Mukim Berakas 'A' • Mukim Berakas 'B' • Mukim Burong Pingai Ayer • Mukim Gadong 'A' • Mukim Gadong 'B' • Mukim Kianggeh • Mukim Kilanas • Mukim Kota Batu • Mukim Lumapas • Mukim Mentiri • Mukim Pengkalan Batu • Mukim Peramu • Mukim Saba • Mukim Sengkurong • Mukim Serasa • Mukim Sungai Kebun • Mukim Sungai Kedayan • Mukim Tamoi.

The municipal area of Bandar Seri Begawan encompasses the entirety of the mukims of Burong Pingai Ayer, Gadong 'B', Kianggeh, Peramu, Saba, Sungai Kebun, Sungai Kedayan and Tamoi, as well as parts of Berakas 'A', Berakas 'B', Kilanas and Kota Batu. Kampong Ayer, the riverine stilted settlement in the capital, encompasses the mukims of Burong Pingai Ayer, Peramu, Saba, Sungai Kebun, Sungai Kedayan and Tamoi.

Education The district is home to all four of the country's universities: Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Institut Teknologi Brunei, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali and Kolej Universiti Perguruan Ugama Seri Begawan. It is also home to two international schools in the country, namely Jerudong International School and International School Brunei.

Economy Before the establishment of the oil and gas industry, Brunei-Muara was the centre of the coal industry, which was first mined in 1837. Until 1924, up to 650,000 tonnes of coal was produced.

Today the district is the largest commercial district within Brunei, with the busy commercial centres of Gadong and Kiulap within the city centre. Brunei's largest shopping mall, The Mall is located in Gadong, along with a number of hotels, such as the Sheraton Utama Hotel, Rizqun International Hotel and Empire Hotel and Country Club. Tourism is also one of the largest contributors to the district's GDP, since the district contains the most number of tourist attractions in the country.

All of the government ministry headquarters are located in this district, such as the Ministry of Finance Brunei. Some of the international corporations' local headquarters are located in the nation's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, namely Royal Brunei Airlines, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam and many other corporations and businesses.

Infrastructure Brunei-Muara District is the central hub for transport, with the Brunei International Airport and the Muara Port located in the district. The district has the Pan Borneo Highway passing through it, and is served by a network of public buses and taxis.