Subdivisions of Brunei: four districts and their mukims in Jawi script
Brunei is divided into four districts (daerah) and, below them, into mukims, and every name on this list is written twice: in Rumi, the Latin spelling of Malay, and in Jawi, its Arabic-based script. The tables give the 38 mukims of the list under their district, each with the place that serves as its centre and its population in the 2021 census; since 2005 Mukim Gadong counts as two, which makes 39 mukims today.
- Districts
- 4
- Groups
- 1
Updated
Reading the mukim names in Jawi and Rumi
Each mukim name opens with the word مقيم, the Jawi spelling of mukim, a term Malay took from Arabic, where it means a resident or a settled community. The same pattern holds one level up: دائره, daerah, precedes the four district names, so Daerah Tutong is دائره توتوڠ. Leave the prefix off and the bare place name remains, which is usually the name of the mukim's centre as well; Seria is سريا and Melilas is مليلس in both columns.
Jawi spells the Malay sounds that Arabic has no letter for with letters of its own. ڠ writes ng, so Liang becomes لياڠ and Bangar باڠر; ڤ writes p, as in لوماڤس for Lumapas; and ݢ writes g, as in ݢادوڠ for Gadong. Final vowels are often left unwritten: Saba is ساب, Serasa سراس and Tanjong Maya تنجوڠ ماي. Berakas A and Berakas B add the Jawi letters ا and ب for the A and the B, and both are run from Berakas.
Districts of Brunei with ISO 3166-2 codes
The four districts as ISO 3166-2:BN lists them, with the Jawi name, the centre and the number of mukims each one has in the list below.
- msa Malay in Jawi (Arabic script), with the Rumi (Latin) spelling below
Districts 4
| District | Centre | Mukims | ISO 3166-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
دائره بلايتDaerah Belait · Belait
|
كوالا بلايتKuala Belait
|
8
|
BN-BE
|
دائره بروني مواراDaerah Brunei dan Muara · Brunei dan Muara
|
باندر سري بݢاونBandar Seri Begawan
|
17
|
BN-BM
|
دائره تمبوروڠDaerah Temburong · Temburong
|
باڠرBangar
|
5
|
BN-TE
|
دائره توتوڠDaerah Tutong · Tutong
|
توتوڠTutong
|
8
|
BN-TU
|
Mukims of Brunei in Jawi, by district
All 38 mukims of the list, district by district, with the centre of each in Jawi and Rumi and the population counted in the 2021 census.
- msa Malay in Jawi (Arabic script), with the Rumi (Latin) spelling below
دائره بلايت Belait 8
| Mukim | Centre | Population 2021 |
|---|---|---|
مقيم بوكيت ساوتMukim Bukit Sawat
|
بوكيت ساوتBukit Sawat
|
759
|
مقيم كوالا بالايMukim Kuala Balai
|
كوالا بالايKuala Balai
|
16
|
مقيم كوالا بلايتMukim Kuala Belait
|
كوالا بلايتKuala Belait
|
28,793
|
مقيم لابيMukim Labi
|
لابيLabi
|
727
|
مقيم لياڠMukim Liang
|
لياڠLiang
|
16,813
|
مقيم مليلسMukim Melilas
|
مليلسMelilas
|
29
|
مقيم سرياMukim Seria
|
سرياSeria
|
18,313
|
مقيم سوكڠMukim Sukang
|
سوكڠSukang
|
81
|
دائره بروني موارا Brunei dan Muara 17
| Mukim | Centre | Population 2021 |
|---|---|---|
مقيم براكس اMukim Berakas A
|
براكسBerakas
|
28,311
|
مقيم براكس بMukim Berakas B
|
براكسBerakas
|
39,284
|
مقيم بوروڠ ڤيڠݢاي ايرMukim Burong Pinggai Ayer
|
بوروڠ ڤيڠݢاي ايرBurong Pinggai Ayer
|
1,459
|
مقيم ݢادوڠMukim Gadong
|
ݢادوڠGadong
|
73,491 (Gadong 'A' 35,424, Gadong 'B' 38,067)
|
مقيم كمڤوڠ ڤراموMukim Kampong Peramu
|
كمڤوڠ ڤراموKampong Peramu
|
1,151
|
مقيم كياڠݢيهMukim Kianggeh
|
كياڠݢيهKianggeh
|
8,102
|
مقيم كيلانسMukim Kilanas
|
كيلانسKilanas
|
24,981
|
مقيم كوتا باتوMukim Kota Batu
|
كوتا باتوKota Batu
|
12,676
|
مقيم لوماڤسMukim Lumapas
|
لوماڤسLumapas
|
8,058
|
مقيم منتيريMukim Mentiri
|
منتيريMentiri
|
39,324
|
مقيم ڤڠكالن باتوMukim Pengkalan Batu
|
ڤڠكالن باتوPengkalan Batu
|
15,860
|
مقيم سابMukim Saba
|
سابSaba
|
827
|
مقيم سڠكوروڠMukim Sengkurong
|
سڠكوروڠSengkurong
|
40,972
|
مقيم سراسMukim Serasa
|
سراسSerasa
|
18,569
|
مقيم سوڠاي كبونMukim Sungai Kebun
|
سوڠاي كبونSungai Kebun
|
4,282
|
مقيم سوڠاي كداينMukim Sungai Kedayan
|
سوڠاي كداينSungai Kedayan
|
241
|
مقيم تامويMukim Tamoi
|
تامويTamoi
|
942
|
دائره تمبوروڠ Temburong 5
| Mukim | Centre | Population 2021 |
|---|---|---|
مقيم اموMukim Amo
|
اموAmo
|
1,667
|
مقيم باڠرMukim Bangar
|
باڠرBangar
|
2,112
|
مقيم باتو اڤويMukim Batu Apoi
|
باتو اڤويBatu Apoi
|
1,355
|
مقيم بوكوقMukim Bokok
|
بوكوقBokok
|
3,812
|
مقيم لابوMukim Labu
|
لابوLabu
|
508
|
دائره توتوڠ Tutong 8
| Mukim | Centre | Population 2021 |
|---|---|---|
مقيم كريامMukim Keriam
|
كريامKeriam
|
8,589
|
مقيم كيودڠMukim Kiudang
|
كيودڠKiudang
|
5,063
|
مقيم لامونينMukim Lamunin
|
لامونينLamunin
|
3,641
|
مقيم ڤكن توتوڠMukim Pekan Tutong
|
ڤكن توتوڠPekan Tutong
|
9,883
|
مقيم رمبايMukim Rambai
|
رمبايRambai
|
980
|
مقيم تنجوڠ مايMukim Tanjong Maya
|
تنجوڠ مايTanjong Maya
|
3,772
|
مقيم تليسايMukim Telisai
|
تليسايTelisai
|
13,253
|
مقيم اوكوڠMukim Ukong
|
اوكوڠUkong
|
2,029
|
What changed: Gadong, Peramu and the ISO spelling
The districts have not changed since independence in 1984, and ISO 3166-2 has carried the same four codes since 1998. Its only amendment, on 22 November 2019, spelt the Malay name of BN-BM as Brunei dan Muara instead of Brunei-Muara.
The mukims moved more. On 21 November 2005 Mukim Gadong, the most populous unit in the list, was divided into Gadong 'A' and Gadong 'B'; the row for Gadong therefore carries the census figures of both. Present-day lists write Kampong Peramu simply as Peramu. Since 2015 each mukim elects its head, the penghulu. The size range is extreme: Sengkurong had 40,972 inhabitants in 2021, Kuala Balai in Belait 16.
Questions about the districts and mukims of Brunei
How many mukims does Brunei have?
39: eight in Belait, 18 in Brunei dan Muara, five in Temburong and eight in Tutong. Gadong 'A' and Gadong 'B' were one mukim until 2005.
How is Melilas written in Jawi?
مليلس, and the mukim is مقيم مليلس. Melilas lies in Belait District and had 29 inhabitants in 2021.
What is a mukim?
The second level of administration in Brunei, a group of villages (kampong) inside a district, led by an elected penghulu.