Legend:
Definition of Term
 Arranged
by Countries Field Listing
| Background: |
The Sultanate of Brunei's heyday occurred between the 15th and
17th centuries, when its control extended over coastal areas of
northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei 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. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and
natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita
GDPs in the less developed countries. The same family has ruled
Brunei for over six centuries. |
| 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 very 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
|
| Population: |
350,898 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 54,038; female 51,833)
15-64 years: 67% (male 125,051; female 110,257)
65
years and over: 2.8% (male 4,609; female 5,110) (2002 est.)
|
| Population
growth rate: |
2.06% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
20.06 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
3.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
3.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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: 0.9 male(s)/female
total
population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
13.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 74.06 years
female:
76.56 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.68 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.4 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.2% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 100 (1999 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: 88.2%
male: 92.6%
female:
83.4% (1995 est.)
|
| 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]; 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, CCC, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB,
IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,
OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, 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
- overview: |
This small, wealthy economy is 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 - $6.2 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3% (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2001 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): |
1% (1999 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
143,400 (1999 est.); note - includes foreign workers and military
personnel
note: temporary residents make up 41% of
labor force (1991) (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: |
4% (1997 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
2.22 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other:
0% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
2.065 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| 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 42%, US 17%, South Korea 14%, Thailand 3% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$1.4 billion c.i.f. (2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals
|
| Imports
- partners: |
Singapore 34%, UK 15%, Malaysia 15%, US 5% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$0 |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$4.3 million (1995) (1995) |
| Currency: |
Bruneian dollar (BND) |
| Currency
code: |
BND |
| Exchange
rates: |
Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.8388 (January 2002), 1.8917
(2001), 1.7240 (2000), 1.6950 (1999), 1.6736 (1998), 1.4848 (1997);
note - the Bruneian dollar is at par with the Singapore dollar
|
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
|
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
79,000 (1996) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
43,524 (1996) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment: service throughout country is
excellent; international service good to Europe, US, and East
Asia
domestic: every service available
international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific
Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, Singapore,
and Philippines (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)
|
| 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: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 348,476
GRT/340,635 DWT
ships by type: liquefied gas 7
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here
as a flag of convenience: United Kingdom 7 (2002 est.) |
| Airports: |
2 (2001) |
| 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)
|
|
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