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60 free Brunei trivia questions with answers — geography quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Brunei is a tiny sultanate on the north coast of Borneo that once ruled most of the island and now runs on oil, gas and one of the world's longest-reigning monarchs. It has the largest residential palace on Earth, a water village older than the Magellan expedition that described it, a currency interchangeable with Singapore's, and a territory cut in two by a sliver of Malaysia. This quiz covers geography (Temburong, the 30 km bridge, Borneo), history (Sultan Bolkiah's golden age, the Castilian War, James Brooke, British protection, the 1962 revolt, independence in 1984), the monarchy (Hassanal Bolkiah, Istana Nurul Iman, the crown prince), symbols (why the flag is yellow, white and black), religion and law (MIB, sharia), and daily life (ambuyat, nasi katok, no alcohol, no income tax). Questions run from easy to expert. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia and other reference pages before publishing.
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Q 01On which island does Brunei lie?
Borneo
It is the only sovereign state entirely on the island, which it shares with two larger neighbours.
Q 02What is the capital and largest city of Brunei?
Bandar Seri Begawan
It was called Brunei Town until 1970, when it was renamed for the current sultan's father.
Q 03The capital was known by what name until 1970?
Brunei Town
It was renamed in honour of the 28th sultan, the current ruler's father.
Q 04Apart from its coastline, Brunei is completely surrounded by which Malaysian state?
Sarawak
One of its districts even splits Brunei into two separate pieces.
Q 05Which Malaysian district cuts Brunei into two unconnected parts?
Limbang
The White Rajahs seized it in 1890; Brunei only settled the dispute in 2009.
Q 06Who became Sultan of Brunei in October 1967?
Hassanal Bolkiah
He took the throne on his father's abdication, became prime minister at independence in 1984 and by 2025 was the world's longest-reigning living monarch.
Q 07Hassanal Bolkiah, sultan from 1967, is which number in Brunei's line of sultans?
29th
He took the throne when his father abdicated in October 1967 and celebrated a Golden Jubilee in 2017.
Q 08Istana Nurul Iman, the sultan's residence, holds which Guinness record?
Largest residential palace on Earth
It has 1,788 rooms and 257 bathrooms and opens to the public only for the Eid festival, when some 110,000 visitors come.
Q 09How many rooms does the Istana Nurul Iman palace contain?
1,788
Its banquet hall seats 5,000 and its mosque 1,500; it was finished in 1984 at enormous cost.
Q 10Brunei became fully independent from Britain on 1 January of which year?
1984
It joined ASEAN six days later as its sixth member; National Day is celebrated on 23 February.
Q 11Brunei declined to join which new federation in 1963, partly because of a revolt the year before?
Malaysia
The 1962 Brunei revolt was put down with British help and the pro-independence Brunei People's Party was banned.
Q 12Kampong Ayer, the historic settlement on the Brunei River near the capital, is what?
A village of stilt houses over the water
Nicknamed the "Venice of the East", it was described by Magellan's chronicler Pigafetta in 1521.
Q 13Which member of Magellan's expedition described Brunei's water settlements after visiting in 1521?
Antonio Pigafetta
Q 21Brunei's economy depends overwhelmingly on which two resources?
Crude oil and natural gas
They account for about 90% of GDP; the country is Southeast Asia's fourth-largest oil producer.
Q 22Oil was first struck in Brunei in 1929 at which town, still the centre of the industry?
Seria
Two men had smelled oil near the Seria river in 1926; a British Gurkha battalion is still based there.
Q 23Which British adventurer was made governor of a Bornean territory by the Sultan of Brunei in 1841?
James Brooke
He had helped crush a rebellion; his family went on to strip Brunei of most of its territory.
Magellan had already been killed in the Philippines; the survivors reached Brunei on the way home.
Q 14Brunei's flag is mostly yellow, a colour that in Southeast Asia traditionally represents what?
Royalty
The white and black diagonal stripes stand for the two chief ministers, or wazirs; the red crest was added in 1959.
Q 15Brunei’s flag gained its diagonal white and black stripes in which year, when it accepted a British Resident?
1906
Before that the flag was plain yellow; the national crest was added with the 1959 constitution.
Q 16Under a 1967 agreement, Brunei's currency is interchangeable at par with which other currency?
Singapore dollar
Each is accepted as "customary tender" in the other country.
Q 17Ambuyat, the national dish of Brunei, is a starchy paste made from what?
The trunk of the sago palm
It is eaten with a forked bamboo utensil called chandas, twirled and dipped in sour sauces, then swallowed without chewing.
Q 18Ambuyat is traditionally eaten with what utensil?
A pair of bamboo chopsticks joined at the top (chandas)
Diners twirl the paste round the prongs and dip it in sambal made with fermented durian or shrimp.
Q 19Nasi katok, the cheap staple of rice, fried chicken and sambal, traditionally sold for how much?
One dollar
The name means "knock rice": customers knocked on the vendor's door to buy it.
Q 20Brunei's national philosophy, proclaimed at independence, is Melayu Islam Beraja, meaning what?
Malay Islamic Monarchy
Its three pillars are Malay culture, the Islamic religion and rule by the sultan.
Q 24Brunei became a British protectorate in which year?
1888
Sultan Hashim asked London for protection against the Brookes' encroachments; a British Resident followed in 1906.
Q 25Under which sultan, reigning from 1485, did the Bruneian Empire reach its peak?
Bolkiah
Known as Nakhoda Ragam, the "Singing Captain", he is said to have introduced cannon to Brunei.
Q 26In 1578 Brunei fought the Castilian War against which European power, which briefly captured its capital?
Spain
A fleet from Manila took Kota Batu with help from two Bruneian nobles, but withdrew after disease ravaged the troops.
Q 27The country's full official name has three words. Which one means "Abode of Peace"?
Darussalam
Negara means "country" in Malay; the name Brunei itself may come from a legendary cry of "Baru nah!" ("that's it!").
Q 28The Temburong District, an exclave, was finally joined to the rest of the country in 2020 by what?
A 30 km bridge across Brunei Bay
It is the longest bridge in Southeast Asia and bypasses four Malaysian immigration checkpoints.
Q 29Ulu Temburong National Park, the country's first national park, is nicknamed what?
The Green Jewel of Brunei
Protected since 1991, it covers about 40% of the Temburong District and is famous for its canopy walkway.
Q 30Which large-nosed primate, endemic to the island, lives in the mangroves near Brunei's water village?
Proboscis monkey
Its Latin genus name Nasalis means "nose"; a male's can exceed 10 cm and hang below the mouth.