Information About Brunei
Darussalam
Background: The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the
15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of
northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines.
Brunei Darussalam subsequently
entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal
succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888,
Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984.
The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei
benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of
one of the highest per capita GDPs in the developing world.
Geography Brunei
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia
Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N, 114 40 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 5,770 sq km
water: 500 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries: total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km
Coastline: 161 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM or to median line
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use: arable land: 0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76%
other: 98.67% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
Environment - current issues: seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment - international agreements: party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea
linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by
Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia
People Brunei
Population: 358,098 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.6% (male 54,118; female 51,902)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 128,421; female 113,480)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 4,804; female 5,373) (2003 est.)
Median age: total: 26.4 years
male: 27 years
female: 25.7 years (2002)
Population growth rate: 2% (2003 est.)
Birth rate: 19.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate: 3.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 13.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 17.09 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.3 years
male: 71.9 years
female: 76.82 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian
Ethnic groups: Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12%
Religions: Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10%
Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.8%
male: 94.8%
female: 88.5% (2003 est.)
Government Brunei
Country name: conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei
Government type: constitutional sultanate
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Administrative divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January
1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the
date of independence from British protection
Constitution: 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a
State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1
January 1984)
Legal system: based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas
Suffrage: none
Executive branch: chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir
HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah
(since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state
and head of government
cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by
the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a
Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on
religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch)
that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession
(members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the
throne if the need arises
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis
Masyuarat Megeri (a privy council that serves only in a consultative
capacity; NA seats; members appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held in March 1962
note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by
decree of the monarch; an elected Legislative Council is being
considered as part of constitutional reform, but elections are unlikely
for several years
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms)
Political parties and leaders: Brunei Solidarity National Party or
PPKB in Malay [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji Zainal Abidin, president]; note -
the PPKB is the only legal political party in Brunei; it was registered
in 1985 but became largely inactive after 1988; it was revived in 1995
and again in 1998; it has less than 200 registered party members; other
parties include Brunei People's Party or PRB (banned in 1962) and Brunei
National Democratic Party (registered in May 1965, deregistered by the
Brunei Government in 1988)
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C,
ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador PUTEH ibni Mohammad Alam
FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560
telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838
chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gene B. CHRISTY
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan
mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507
telephone: [673] (2) 229670
FAX: [673] (2) 225293
Flag description: yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top,
almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the
national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem
includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an
upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands
Economy Brunei
Economy - overview: This small, wealthy economy encompasses a
mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation,
welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas
production account for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above
most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas
investment supplements income from domestic production. The government
provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing.
Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in
the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion, although it
became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC
(Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include
upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the
banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the
economic base beyond oil and gas.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $18,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5%
industry: 45%
services: 50% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -2% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 143,400
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: government 48%, production of oil,
natural gas, services, and construction 42%, agriculture, forestry, and
fishing 10% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35 billion (1997 est.)
Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction
Industrial production growth rate: 5% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production: 2.497 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 2.322 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production: 217,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - proved reserves: 1.255 billion bbl (January 2002 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 315 billion cu m (January 2002 est.)
Agriculture - products: rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo
Exports: $3 billion f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: crude oil, natural gas, refined products
Exports - partners: Japan 40.8%, South Korea 13.2, Thailand 12.3, Australia 9.3, US 8.3, Singapore 5.8, China 4.8 (2002)
Imports: $1.4 billion c.i.f. (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
Imports - partners: Singapore 31.1, Japan 21.6, Malaysia 18.3, UK 6.2, Hong Kong 3.8, US 3.2 (2002)
Debt - external: $0
Economic aid - recipient: $4.3 million (1995)
Currency: Bruneian dollar (BND)
Currency code: BND
Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.7906 (2002), 1.7917 (2001), 1.724 (2000), 1.695 (1999), 1.6736 (1998)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Brunei
Telephones - main lines in use: 79,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 43,524 (1996)
Telephone system: general assessment: service throughout the country
is excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and
the US
domestic: every service available
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the
Philippines, and Singapore (2001)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 329,000 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 201,900 (1998)
Internet country code: .bn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 35,000 (2002)
Transportation Brunei
Railways: total: 13 km (private line)
narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge (2001 est.)
Highways: total: 1,712 km
paved: 1,284 km
unpaved: 428 km (1996)
Waterways: 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m
Pipelines: crude oil 135 km; petroleum products 418 km; natural gas 920 km
Ports and harbors: Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong
Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
ships by type: liquefied gas 8
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: UK 7 (2002 est.)
Airports: 2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Heliports: 3 (2002)
Military Brunei
Military branches: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 110,888 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 63,966 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 3,277 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $329.7 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Brunei
Disputes - international: Involved in dispute over the Spratly
Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; Brunei
established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef
in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial
claim to the offshore reefs; claimants in November 2002 signed the
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a
mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding
"code of conduct"
Illicit drugs: drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled
substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death
penalty
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